The Fight for Life #1

The Fight for Life – Is it Easier Just to Die? #1

Written May 2nd 2008

My name is Benjamin. I have a twin brother and his name is Yohana or John in English. Those are our new names, traditionally we are just called Kulwa and Doto meaning First and Second for the first six months. Real names are not given for fear that one or both of us will not live. We were born just about 5 weeks ago. Our mother is quite sick and she has not been able to feed us or take care of us. Our father died in July last year so he is not around either.

Mother has no family here; we were born in a house that has basically completely collapsed. The day we were born we were left on the mud floor wrapped in rags for the first hours until morning because mother had no energy to help us or feed us and no one was there to help. My mother only has one arm, not sure how she lost it. Not only that; she only has one breast so she is unable to feed us both anyway.

Mother basically had to choose between my brother and I, she choose my brother because he seemed more likely to survive so he was always given first milk. Even at that, there was not enough for my brother so I rarely got any.

I remember the cold nights; we did not have enough clothes or blankets to keep us warm. I do not know how we are even alive. I have slipped in and out of death so many times it is hard to count. My eyes continually have this white film over them and they seem to roll back and close even when I try to keep them open.

Neither my brother nor I have much energy, so even to cry is difficult. How and why I keep holding on to life I do not know, it must be supernatural. Our hands look as though they are already 80 years old. Nothing but skin hanging loosely over our bones.

When we were only a month old some missionaries came to our collapsed house to see us. They talked about us and what they should do with us. The missionary lady is a nurse and she was quite concerned and something had to be done right now or death was sure to take us both that very night. In the end it was decided because our mother was not able to take care of us that they would take us to their house. The road was terrible and we were covered in blankets and even the heat was turned on to keep our frail 1.5 kilo (2lb) bodies warm.

Through a lot of stress and the fear of death lingering in the car we did arrive to their home. The spirit of death was everywhere that night and tried several times to take us both.

So we now have white parents, dad is really tall. They already have 4 kids and they are from New Zealand, whatever that means.

I learned a new word today, malnourished. A lady doctor said that we were both malnourished, but especially me, we’re like 6 levels below the death point of malnutrition. The doctor could not understand how we were even alive, a true miracle it must be.

Now we are all wrapped up in blankets to keep our body heat in, lights are turned on around our bed to keep heat around us. Our bodies have no heat, very little blood flow and we can hardly move. We are now fed every two hours and it seems to take an hour just to eat, which for me means to drink two or three teaspoons of milk, I hardly know how to swallow anymore. My body does not know what to do with real milk.

I could hear the doctor say that my brother Yohana is doing a lot better since he came here but for me Benjamin there is still a lot of concern that I will even live another day.

I also heard that even if things all go well it would take at least 6 months before we could be normal in weight.

There is another lady that comes from time to time; she gives us her milk twice a day, which she generally gives to her own baby Naomi. The doctor said I am the one who needs to get that milk. I hear my tall dad often say that “I am not out of the woods yet”. Not sure what that means but I wish that this feeling of death would leave me be. So many times a day I want to just let death have its way but something keeps me alive, it is not me - it must be those who are praying.

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Greetings, dear friends,

Even at this very moment as you read; Benjamin and also Yohana are on the verge of death. Together a group of people have rallied around these twins to fight for their very lives. A big thanks to the Lloyd-Jones family for their hours of day and night dedicated to these boys.

I have been taking milk over a couple times a day and hearing their report. There is not much that I can do physically but there is one thing that I can do and this is why I write this letter to you my readers, I ask that you become an intercessor for these twins.

Intercession is standing on behalf of another person(s) in prayer, standing in the gap. In this particular situation it is standing between life and death for these boys. It is very hard to communicate the emotions and the pressure of death surrounding these twins. I would ask that you and/or family intercede for these two boys.

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in You and this is where we get our authority over death itself. You do not have to pray long but pray with boldness and faith, speaking life into these boys. We all know that the prayer of a righteous man avails much. Who will stand as an intercessor for these twins?

Thinking through this today how many thousands of babies through out the world that do not have an intercessor? The thousands of babies born on the heaps of garbage pits of the world, A hard question to ask but I ask myself sometimes if it is not better that they die, rather than growing up in utmost poverty, sickness and a life of hell. I have seen it all in different parts of the world. It is not possible to describe in words what conditions people live in.

It is very common in these parts of the world that the stronger one of a set of twins is chosen to live. How does a mother come to this decision? Also in these parts, one of the twins and even both of them are considered a curse and left to die in the fields just moments after birth. How deception has stolen life itself from millions.

Please stand with us now in intercession on behalf of Benjamin and Yohana. I will let you know of their condition in some days.

a few pictures from last year

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

Massai Celebration pictures

November 07 Simba Ulanga Update

I again send greetings from Simba Ulanga, he continues to go on in his ministry despite the continual persecutions. Thank you again to those who have helped Simba (family and ministry) out financially in the past. I may have shared this before about something that is on my heart. If you are reading this, you have received our updates telling about Simba Ulanga and his testimony. Due to the impact of his testimony on those who have read it, the Lord has placed it on my heart to have all of his notes translated from Swahili into English and eventually French. I have asked him if I could take the several hundred pages of notes, and begin this project. I am looking for two translators right now actually, and have talked with several who are interested. I believe it will take about 6, maybe 8 months. I would like to pay those who are actually translating, a salary. This work takes time, and without paying them, we will go through many translators, and this is not such a good idea. Eighty dollars ($80) a month would be a good salary for each translator. We do need a new or newer computer as well as a printer and a simple photocopy machine. There will also be a need for some basic office supplies. All of these are more expensive here than in the US. If we can raise $2,500 for the office and $1,280 as salary for the two translators for 8 months, we can get the job done. We have a small, extra little house in the backyard of our home that can be used for the office space to house the work as it is being completed. Anyway, this is a project that is starting and will be ongoing for a while. Since you all know Simba and his story, I am asking you to help me get this powerful testimony into a format that people can read and share with others. If you wish to help with this project, send an email to our US office, uzimausa@ywamuzima.org and they will respond with an invitation email allowing you to give via credit card. Or, if you prefer, you can send a check to UZIMA, P.O. Box 1875, Silverdale, WA 98383. Be sure you put on the check that this is for the Simba translation project.

Thank you so much for your love and prayers

Much love from

Lyle and Jette, Rachel, Acacia, Mikaela, Naomi

a few pictures Aug. 07

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.