Newsletter August 2010

Hello everyone and it is that time once again to give a report on what the Hall family has been up to.

The girls: They are busy with school in two languages (Danish and English) and taking care of pets, 5 rabbits have just joined the dogs, guinea pigs and parrot. We also just cut off Rachel’s cast today from her broken ankle. Naomi enjoys going to her little preschool, has learnt a few songs in Bemba.

Jette: She is busy with home school, (a full time job) also a hosting ladies bible study most Thursdays mornings and also hosting the missionary bible study some Thursday evenings, as well as hosting after-church tea for about 40 kids and adult on most Sundays. Our house is an open house.

Lyle: He has been busy with different things in the last four months, two clinics have been built, and loads of medical equipment has been distributed to different medical facilities. Several more churches have been planted so this requires follow-up and discipleship to the new churches. As an average, TTN (To The Nations – whom we work with) plants about 20 churches a year so discipleship is continuous.

Alex (one of our local TTN staff) is the local hospital Chaplain, he has influence on about one thousand patients a month and I go for hospital prayer visits with our team from time to time.

The heart of TTN: has always been evangelism and evangelism comes in different forms. In the last months TTN has lead two city crusades; also we put up our big tent and hosted the world cup football matches. We showed the matches on a big screen and preached during half time. At the end of it all, just over 400 had responded and were followed up and also directed to different churches.

Zimbabwe: I was in Zimbabwe for a week with James (another local TTN guy)teaching 34 coaches on different principles of how to reach the youth through sports. Teaching about HIV/AIDS is always a part of these seminars because it all too real for the youth here as well as the adults. So we spend a bit of time on this subject and try to take out the taboo of it all. It is my heart to see the churches start talking about this subject but it is all taboo so most will not touch it.

Conference: We spent the past week in the local OM mission conference, then I went to another conference and did some preaching and teaching for three days. It is amazing how many African brothers and sisters can fit in a small church, around 400 is what I counted. I slept in my tent but it was so very cold for me, the temperature these last weeks have been about 6C (40F) at night. Not fun at three o’clock in the morning. We are in the Southern Hemisphere so it is our winter time here.

Story: In the last few months I was blessed to see God work a miracle in a lady who was cursed by her father, she was unable to walk for over 12 years, after breaking the curse in Jesus name she now walks. The story on our blog, www.lylejettehall.blogspot.org worth a read if you didn’t get the email about her.

YWAM: I spent a few weeks teaching classes on spiritual warfare in the DTS in Lusaka.

Australia: I spent the month of July by invitation in Australia to meet the TTN board, also was invited to speak at about 12 different church functions. We also loaded three more containers full of medical equipment. Two containers come to Zambia and one will be shipped to Tanzania. This makes 12 containers in all being shipped out of Australia full of medical equipment. This has opened so many doors for all kinds of ministry for us. There is a hospital there that is moving locations next year and they have offered to give us all their equipment, this is about 120 containers full. All the logistics in this is huge but it is being looked into. Operation Lift is the organization in Australia responsible for loading and shipping and TTN is then the partner here on the receiving end, we unload and make sure equipment goes to its location, a big job. I did spend half a day on a boat in the big blue sea and caught a nice 10lb fish.

Some not so good news: Three different churches have dropped their support to us due to church politics (missionaries are generally the first to go) so this is making things a bit of a challenge, so I am taking on some building jobs here to help make ends meet for us.

For those of you who have supported us over the years; a continuous big thanks from us. For those of you that are still praying about our financial support, pray about becoming the answer to that prayer. Do get in touch with us or check out our blog to get information on the support info. If you need tax receipts, they are available.. As a whole it is more expensive to live in Zambia than the US, just to give you an idea.

Pray with us: We often encounter spiritual warfare issues here as you may imagine, so thank you for keeping us in your prayers. Here is something to think about, Believe it or not:

During one of our past crusades a witch was flying over the meeting place on her broom stick for several nights in a row and the team did not see many miracles etc, so as a team they all gathered together after a night meeting and while they were praying guess who fell out of the sky with her broom. She came crashing down in front of the team. She looked up, screamed, and then ran off into the night. The victory was the Lord’s, and the very next night hundreds of people encountered God and miracles were present. This does not happen every time we go out, but it is not all that uncommon either. So this is why your prayers are appreciated.


Come for a visit: As I have said many times before, if there is anyone or a church team that would like to come out for a missions trip please let us know, you are most welcome, as you can see there is a lot going on.

A look ahead:
September: I will be in Tanzania with a team going into the Rufiji Delta and then on to Masai Land where I have been several times before. TTN is looking to open up these for ministry.
In October, up to Nsumbu at Lake Tanganyika to build another clinic for about two weeks.
In November we go on a very remote river area called Kafue for research and also to visit churches that were planted there several years ago.

This is all for now, the Lord bless you all and remember to drop us a line.

A quote from Mother Teresa that has helped me over the years, “God has not called us to be successful, rather, he has called us to be faithful.”

Four Blonds and a Monkey Too

Looking Ahead: Zambia, here we come!

Phone calls and Emails

In January, while still unsure of our future direction, we received a phone call from Zambia from a missionary we did not know. He said he had heard of Uzima and asked me to come visit them. Since I have learned that sometimes one needs to go and try each door and not just sit and wait for one to open; off to Zambia I went to check this new opportunity.

The morning I left we received an email from a friend in Denmark who, while praying had been given a vision for us. He did not have any idea what it meant; nor did we when we first read it. However; after returning home I re-read this email and amazingly, this was exactly what had I met in Zambia; even down to the very words they used in the invitation for us to come and work with them!

Also, we had previously received an email from a friend in the USA who was praying for us and sensed that none of the different options we had at the time seemed right. He felt there would be something completely new and unexpected coming to us. - And here it was!

Pro Christo Global Mission

After returning home, talking and praying with the family we made the decision that we would move to Zambia to work with this mission. They are called Pro Christo Global Mission. Their main focus is to train and develop Africans themselves to be full time missionaries. This is something I have wanted to do all along. Pro Christo already has African missionaries in 10 African nations; eight families are actually on Lake Tanganyika.

They suggested that move to their main headquarters in Kabwe, Zambia. My main job description will be to work with their missionaries on Lake Tanganyika (the south end of the lake borders Zambia) and try to get a medical vessel going to support the work that is already begun on the lake. Sounds familiar? This is what we went to do in Kigoma…

They have also asked that I teach at their Missionary Training College as well as travel to the surrounding nations to teach and visit their missionaries to encourage them; which is something every missionary needs.

As I met several different mission groups in Kabwe; I noticed a remarkable sense of unity among them. Never have I seen it before to such an extent. They share ideas, ministries, money, vehicles, staff, even the pulpit. After meeting the leaders of these mission groups I noticed another extraordinary thing: they were all missionary kids just like Jette and I both are! I felt very much at home within minutes of being with them.

We Finally Bought Our Own House!!

I got a call shortly after returning home from one of these missionaries, “Houses very rarely come up for sale here in Kabwe and usually they are very expensive, but one has just come up for sale across the street from us. Hurry, other people have already made an offer.” We went to Google Earth and located the house, gathered the girls to pray, talked a bit and then I sent a text on the phone to say that we would buy the house. Sometimes things move fast, - even in Africa! So we now own our first house ever, for 35 thousand usd, and we are very excited. I took another trip to Zambia a few weeks ago to see the house and it does need some work but it is a nice place. 4 bed rooms, 3 bath rooms etc. It will require about 7 thousand to redo the electric and plumbing work as well as adding a dining room and rebuild the kitchen. A few years ago we were blessed with a 30 thousand dollar check for a house. Praise The Lord! So we need to add some to make it all happen. We will also sell our car here and purchase another in Zambia.

On The Road Again…

So, we will be on the road again but we sense this is a move that will be really good for the family. One of the top Zambian schools is located in Kabwe only five minutes walk from our house. Mostly local kids but a handful of white kids go there as well so we will try this option for our girls and see how it works out.

This move is a new country, new currency, new people, new mission, and new language although English is widely spoken. We will miss Tanzania; we have loved it here, and I have learned a good deal of Swahili. Jette has been here 17 years, I have been here for 7, Naomi was born here, lots of friends here etc. But we move on and follow the Lord’s calling.

The Family

Acacia just celebrated her 7th birthday. She had a bunch of friends over for a party and had a wonderful day. Her favorite present were a watch, a bracelet and some pretty clothes. Rachel is doing really well in school, and especially loves her Tuesdays with horseback riding in the afternoon. Mikaela enjoys her pre-school, but also wants to know how to read like her sisters. Naomi runs around and seems to learn new words every day. Her favorite time of day is late afternoon when our guard takes her to fetch milk from a nearby family who has cows.

Jette is still teaching at the Danish School and will be working right up till the end of June; she is very busy with that. This coming week they have a big workshop, putting together a musical production for the 18 children at the school aged 7 to 14.

I, Lyle, have been doing a lot of traveling and teaching in YWAM lately as well as overseeing a couple of building projects here in Iringa.

Simba Ulanga

Also greetings again from Simba Ulanga. I happened to meet him at a bus stop in Dar Es Salaam a few weeks ago. We shared a taxi, he had just been on the road for 9 weeks and several local pastors were thrown in prison this time. I took him home, said hello to his family, left him with some money and off I went to my own destination.

Thank you all so much for your love, support and prayers.

We do need you for all of those things.

God Bless you!

Christmas 2007 Newsletter

”Now THAT’S what I call Christmas!!”
This exclamation resounded through the house the other day. Acacia was thrilled to
finally have a Christmas tree that she and her sisters could start decorating. They had
been asking since December 1st, “when will we get the tree?”

24th or 25th?
Many people ask us whether we as a family celebrate Christmas Eve according to
Danish custom or Christmas Day in keeping with American tradition. The answer to
that is – YES! We do both. We take the best from both backgrounds and blend them
into a new Hall family Christmas symphony. Some years we emphasize the 24th Eve,
other years the 25th.

When it rains, it pours..
Literally, that is. This year the rainy season came late, really late, but I think in
volume we must be up to average already seeing as we have had some serious
downpours lately. Thus this letter was written mostly by receding battery power on
the laptop because of a power cut likely caused by lightning…

Merry Christmas
We just returned from an English Christmas Carol Service. The message was about
how we sometimes don’t want the baby Jesus to change, but that inevitably he will,
and that we must dare to meet him when he comes to us and dare change with him.
Tomorrow, Rachel and Acacia will be part of a Christmas play at the Danish School,
which emphasizes Simeon‘s longing for the Messiah and his excitement when he did
indeed get to see God’s Salvation in the Christ child before his death. May we long
for Jesus the same way he did!

We wish you a joyous Christmas and a blessed and exciting New Year!
With love from
Rachel, Acacia, Mikaela, Naomi,
Lyle and Jette

September Update

Greetings from Tanzania.

We have recently returned from our time in Denmark & USA and are settling in, this time in the town of Iringa. This is the town where Jette and I first met. The second time I saw her, I just knew that this was going to be my wife! 12 years and 4 kids later we are back to our meeting place.

Jette is now teaching in a Danish school for missionary kids. There are 19 students and she teaches all of them depending on the day. Our girls love the school and don’t want to come home. A house was provided for us, in the nice part of town near the governor’s house which means 24-hour electricity and water – what a change! It is quite windy and cold here in the highlands this time of year. We were even able to get an internet connection right in our house; so no more internet cafés…

People here have found out about Lyle’s construction background and I have been asked for help already. I will be helping some of them; more as a consultant than a builder. Also, I will be teaching in various bible schools around Tanzania. As well as studying Swahili and trying to gather my handwritten notes from the past years and get them typed onto my laptop.
Most of you know that Uzima has been put on hold, but is not forgotten. Our time in Kigoma was not easy but we learned some valuable lessons through it all. We still carry Uzima in our hearts, and during this year we will continue to take our lives and future to the Lord for direction.

Masai Celebration Day.
I have just returned from a great day in a Masai village with Rachel. Today was a celebration day for about 20 young men (age 18-20) who were now entering into adulthood. We drove for an hour into the bush and in the middle of no-where we found a few small Masai huts.Everyone was wearing beautiful jewelry of all kinds. Ladies dressed in blue or purple wrap-around outfits and most of the men in red. What a sight! Nearly all day men were dancing, chanting and jumping.

During different times of the day different clans would arrive from neighboring homes. One thing we do in the west when we come to an event, often we let ourselves in and join the party; well, not here! There was protocol to be followed. I watched as one group of ladies came closer to the village, they stopped just outside and started to sing. They sang for five minutes until five ladies from the home clan came out to greet them in song. The visiting clan then offered gifts to the family. These gifts were brought back to the huts. A few minutes later some other ladies came out to join the visitors in song, implying that we accept your gifts and then led the guests onto the grounds of the home. Once they were all together these ladies continued to sing for two hours, dancing and sharing their jewelry, taking off some of their own and giving it to the visitors and vice versa.

After some time a group of young men (for whom this ceremony was held) came chanting. Several of them had put red color in their hair and on their face for decoration. Each carried a special branch from a far away tree. Others then came out to meet them. The young men presented these branches (which would be used in the house) to the older women. After they were received, the young men made their way to a tree in whose shade were about 15 teenage girls. Several young men began to leap high into the air while others would chant in deep voices. From time to time the girls would sing. Men chanted and the ladies sang.It occurred to me that the Masai people don’t use drums in their culture, unlike most African tribal groups. I‘d have liked to beat a drum and join in, but no drum was to be found! Instead, I tried to jump with them for a bit, and then figured it was time to join the real men who were sitting under another shade tree. These were older men who had moved from manhood into becoming an elder. This takes place around the age of 35-40.

In some Masai clans, once boys become men they do not cut their hair until they reach the eldership stage. You will often see Masai warriors with long beautiful hair all braided. It is on the other hand very common for the ladies of all ages to be bald. This is a sign of beauty. And many of them are very beautiful.

Anyway, back under the tree with the elders; we sat down and smiled and chatted enjoying the cool shade, escaping the mid-day sun. I did not sit too long; I discovered another clan making their customary way to the ceremony and wanted to go see this happen. This clan came in differently from the others; all walking in a straight line, one man then one woman. I’m not sure why, but everybody seemed to be in the right place and every step seemed to be in order. As the day went on the different clans joined together; the unmarried girls singing and the young men chanting and jumping.

All the married ladies sat in a different area under a tree singing and telling stories all through song. It was a fascinating time. Rachel had her eyes open, enjoyed herself very much and was full of questions.

Lunch was served around 3 pm. Goat meat, rice and sauce, along with a coke, (not cold, but good in the heat of a long day). We stayed for a few more hours as the ceremony went on. People continued to come. The afternoon sun made for some nice photo opportunities. The ceremony would go on into the night, a cow would be brought in later that night and blood would be drawn from a vein in the neck. Mix with warm milk and enjoy! We did not stay for this event, maybe next time!

It is hard to convey the life and warmth you feel from the people. Most of them can’t read or write, many have never been to one day of school, but the joy and love for life comes out, especially through song and dance. Personally, I just need to be among these types of people, it feeds my soul somehow. If only my spirit could understand these people, how much better could I in turn minister to them in spirit and in truth? These traditional cultures are spirit cultures whereas western cultures are truth/science (fact) cultures. This is a gap that has to be understood and bridged in order for “white” missionaries to see true transformation take place here. This can take a lifetime.

I am discovering that to understand the soul and spirit of a person or tribe will require your own soul and spirit. Not just giving them the truth (soul/mind) of the gospel but the Spirit of the Word itself; this they will identify with because of their own spiritual worldview. God, open my eyes to see and my ears to hear!

Blessing to all of you, Thank you for sticking with us; you are always welcome to come for a visit. Please keep praying with us as we continue to seek the Lord for our future steps.

Much love from Lyle and Jette, Rachel, Acacia, Mikaela, Naomi
P.O Box 1088, Iringa, Tanzania.

Summer Newsletter 2006 Hall’s Happenings

Prayerwalk

If you remember I had gone on a prayer walk, the original prayer walk down south never happened due to some major problems so we went north to Burundi and walked down to Kigoma. The long report mixed with many cultural things is soon to be on our web site.

Ministry

There have been various ministry trips out on the lake in different villages with visiting teams. There will be about 11 teams this year from abroad. Sleeping in huts or tents. I have been asked to speak in many different churches and have been teaching in a bible college here, which I have truly enjoyed. I have never actually written an exam before, I have taken many; now I write the exams and score them, imagine that. We will start to minister in a special camp for those who are blind, crippled, leprosy etc. With no families, they are left here, so we will step in and bring a spark of joy and a smile to their lives. Different ministry opportunities with kids have opened up as well as working with a Muslim family that has become Christians and are now being persecuted for it. They lost their jobs. The wife even had her sewing machine taken away. So we are helping out where we can. I have been in 7 different debates with Muslim leaders by personal invitation. It has been challenging but I have truly presented the gospel starting from Gen. to Rev. Some of you may have heard of my time at this mosque some years ago. The crowds are at least 1000 people and even up to 2000. Pray for us, the battles here are spiritual, yes they mostly come in the form of man but spiritual they are. Life is spiritual here more than just truth, as we westerners think. We must reach them in spirit. We often just give them truth but the spirit is not there to reveal this truth so it mostly just becomes head knowledge. A hard bridge to cross.

Family Highlights

RACHEL: Rachel is in home school and always has her mind on having fun. She is growing lots. A great thinker, taking piano and wants to be tough like the boys.

ACACIA: She wants to be a girl, she’s also is in school, loves her life but finds it hard to be the middle kid. Some moments are hard, but there is always a smile behind her big beautiful eyes.

MIKAELA: Who she wants to be like is hard to say, she is all her own. Tough but likes to look pretty with mom’s lipstick generally smeared around the face. Loves all types of animals.

BABY: Ok yes, they say that real missionary families have 4 kids so we thought we would try to qualify.. Jette is 4 months now. Hope for a boy. I need a boy in this house.Animal life: So far 9 rabbits, 1 dog, 3 snakes, 2 chameleons, 1 cat, and 10 birds.

YWAM UZIMA

We are still on the look out for a ship, some good possibilities but. The hangar for the helicopter will be built starting next month so progress is coming. Another nurse plus the doctor and his wife will join us in two months or so. Look at the Uzima report soon to be sent out.

Family Prayer Points
- safe pregnancy for Jette
- for the three teams coming out soon

- pray for a person/teacher to come out and give a hand in home schooling
- Gods favor on the work here, there have been some tough times here for us

Christmas Newsletter 2005

Today is the first day of December and most of you are probably already surrounded by various reminders that Christmas is near. Not so here in Kigoma. Except that the red flowers on the flame trees are blooming more and more each day and will continue to increase during this month. We have made a rope with 25 knots on it for the girls, and each day until Christmas they will untie a knot and receive a small surprise and each day we will read a chapter from the gospel of Luke as our Advent calendar. We look forward to spending Christmas here with Jette’s parents who live in Dar es Salaam.

Highlights
There is a Danish hymn; I cannot count them all, the signs of God’s goodness that I have received. I saw them fall as dew drops, before my wondering eyes. This very accurately expresses how we feel when we look back on this past year. God has been so good and faithful to us, through the good as well as the hard times.

It is definitely a highlight that we have now finally arrived in Kigoma and are in a house with a great view of Lake Tanganyika. A view that daily reminds us why we are here. There are many people out there along this lake who have yet to hear the good news that “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and his name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9)

Birthdays are always a highlight and this year we have celebrated in Florida, Montana, Denmark and here in Kigoma. Lyle cut a corner and Rachel is now a big 7 year-old. The girls are doing great, making new friends, picking up some Swahili every day and enjoy having a real home, as do we.

Life and Death
We just had a man at our door. He came to see us about a week ago received some help so he could take his wife to the hospital. Well, today he came to let us know that she had passed away and to thank us for helping him. A thing like that sure puts our own little problems into perspective. They have a little 4-year-old who is now left without a mother. Before leaving, he prayed a prayer of blessing on our family and of thanks for his wife and her life. Amazing, such inner strength God gives him at a time like this! But it is true; there is a bigger picture, a God who is always there for us.

Uzima
It has taken time getting set up as it always does here in Africa. Many important decisions to make every day about things in Uzima as we move forward. So many hurting people here in Kigoma that at times it can be overwhelming. We are planning a 260-mile prayer walk on a big portion of Lake Tanganyika visiting the villages on the way, introducing ourselves and doing a lot of research. This trip will be hard and long, about 25-30 days. But it will set a good stage for Uzima for the future. Lyle and a few others will take the journey and it will be on foot since there are no roads. Please keep this in prayer as we prepare to go in February. I encourage you to also step outside and take a walk, praying for your own communities.

Thank you, for praying for and with us throughout this year. Thank you for standing with us and dreaming with us to bring God’s heart for life, health and wholeness to people in need.
Have a Wonderful Christmas and a Blessed New Year.
Rachel, Miriam Acacia, Mikaela, Jette & Lyle Hall

We Have Arrived

Kigoma. Our new home. Our new neighbors. Our new life.We have finally arrived and yet we are just beginning.

As we approached Kigoma last Monday, we stopped the car (check out the picture to see the car) on a hill that overlooks part of the city and thanked God for his faithfulness in getting us this far, in our physical as well as our spiritual journey. We are excited to see what God has in store for us and thrilled to be part of what He wants to do in Kigoma and beyond.

It was great to be received by our colleagues in Kigoma, Gabriel who is a Tanzanian and Harold and Coni in their new house. They had located a couple of houses that are for rent and we have just decided on one of those houses. (see the photo) There is a wonderful lake view, the house is secure, spacious and the big yard outside provides plenty of room for the girls to play. It needs some “tender love and care” so we probably won’t be able to move in for another two weeks. We have been busy today scraping paint off the floors and sweeping the walls and ceilings; not necessarily hard work - but in 104 degree heat (40°C) it was a bit draining. In themeantime, we are staying at a bible school’s guesthouse in town, where the girls are meeting some local kids.

What’s more, a couple of days ago I (Lyle) met with a landowner who has property for sale on the lake. It will be exciting to see what this may lead to.

Please Pray:
Please pray for us during the negotiations. We have no money to put down at the moment, but we have come this far so there is no reason to panic now. We are in no doubt that God will continue to be faithful. The rains are soon on their way and the ground is thirsty. It has not seen rain for many months. Everything will be green and lush again. The roads, however, will become a challenge, but for some reason I like this kind of stuff!!!

Please continue to pray for the safety of the two containers that are soon to be shipped out and for favor with the customs authorities when they arrive in the country. The containers that took the long grueling trip on the train have arrived safely, and some people from the UN brought a truck to take them to the house free of charge!! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Our new information has been placed on our website: www.lylejettehall.org, (A friend has offered to take care of the website starting next month which is wonderful news for us.)

God bless you all.
Love from Rachel, Miriam Acacia, Mikaela, Lyle and Jette