December Prayer Letter

December 2023 

Dear Praying Friends,

 

He took the pastorate of the church but quickly realized that he had to make a very hard decision. Continue receiving a salary from the church but stop sending support to their missionaries, or get a full-time job while still pastoring the church so the missionaries would get their promised support. He made a very difficult choice; he got a full-time job so his missionaries would receive their monthly support and continues doing so to this day. He is one of my heroes!

 

She lost her husband years ago, downsized to a smaller house and continues to work, save and send support to missionaries. She is faithful to pray as well as give sacrificially so the missionaries can labor for the Lord. She is one of my heroes!

 

He started the church in one of the most difficult areas in America. For decades, he worked full time jobs while pastoring the small church and leading the congregation to support missionaries even though the church couldn’t yet pay him a salary. Finally, the church grew to the point of paying him a full time salary as well as supporting their missionaries. He is one of my heroes!

 

She was widowed a couple of years ago, but determined that she would continue to pray and give to missionaries just as she and her godly husband had done for decades. She faithfully sacrifices every month, constantly prays for her missionaries and lays up treasure in heaven. She is one of my heroes!

 

There are so many folks just like the four in this letter, who sacrifice and pray unseen by anyone except the Lord. They labor for God and are instrumental in so many souls being saved and so many victories won! They are the unsung heroes in many churches and they will one day hear from the Lord Jesus Christ, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant...enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!”

 

Thanking God for heroes,

 

Mark Hale

November Prayer Letter

November 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

He sat in the lone chair at the front of the auditorium, while the four pastors and I sat in a semicircle in front of him. Our church folks sat in the auditorium watching the proceedings and praying for their beloved brother up front. This was the examination part of the ordination. Our church had voted to ordain Aristarco and these faithful pastors had come to help us. One after another asked doctrinal, philosophical and practical questions relating to the Holy
Scriptures, the ministry and his personal life and family.

Although he was nervous, I knew he would pass with flying colors. He has studied with me in our Bible Institute for seven years and has a deep understanding of God’s word, pure doctrine and biblical principles. After an hour and a half, the four pastors had come to the same conclusion that I had months before – Aristarco was ready to be ordained as a pastor. Our church had already voted unanimously to ordain him and these visiting pastors had
graciously helped us in this big step in the life of this man, his family and for our church here. We had a God honoring service later that day and the presence of the Lord was felt by all who attended. The dinner on the grounds was filled with fellowship, rejoicing and gratitude.

We don’t yet know if Pastor Aristarco will take over the church in Lagos, or if our church will help him establish a new Baptist church in another city. Our church is praying for God’s guidance in this major step and we ask that you join us in prayer for the Lord to be glorified as we seek to do His will.

Praising God for faithful men,

Mark Hale

October Prayer Letter

 October 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

A year ago, at their grandson’s birthday party, they just glared at us from across the room and wouldn’t even shake our hands. I had just led their daughter to the Lord back then and to them, we were the new pastor and wife who had “intruded” into their dysfunctional family. Now, a year later, another grandson had been born and his parents wanted to dedicate their baby son to the Lord. They invited both sides of their family to come to our church for the dedication even though their families are lost, hostile towards true Christians and some are deeply involved in witchcraft.

Last month, we asked you to pray for six lost ladies from these families who had never darkened the door of a Baptist church before, but who had come to the baby shower my wife, Michele and the ladies of our church had held for the mother to be. Three of those ladies came to church last Sunday to see the new baby dedicated to the Lord!! They listened to the hymns that we sang and even more surprising, they listened intently as I preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.

Three of the ladies told us afterwards that they had enjoyed the service and would be back to visit again! What a difference prayer makes!! Just a year ago, there was open hostility, but now an open and receptive spirit in spite of the spiritual obstacles!! Thank you for praying!!!! Please keep praying. We KNOW prayer is powerful, we have seen first-hand the evidence of your prayers here and are begging you to continue praying for these lost ladies.

Praying for souls,

 

Mark Hale

September Prayer Letter

September 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

Sometimes it takes a special event to get the lost to darken the doors of our church. Recently Michele and the church ladies hosted a baby shower for Alexandra, one of our young mothers. I had the joy of leading Alexandra to Christ a year ago and she has been actively witnessing to her lost family and trying to get them to come to church with her, her husband and small son. Until the baby shower, none of them would come. But Michele had the joy of giving a devotion to these lost ladies and they listened quietly as she shared the gospel with them.

 

Please remember these lost women in prayer whenever God lays them on your heart. Only the Holy Spirit can penetrate their sin blinded hearts and we are praying for that miracle! Our 2,000-year-old city of Lagos is the center of witchcraft in southern Portugal, so this is a very dark and hardened city; yet God loves every one of the people here and desires to save them! Please pray with us for these lost souls.

 

Reflecting His light into the darkness,

 

Mark Hale

Our church ladies and guests.

August Prayer Letter

 August 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

He was born in the midst of the Great Depression and struggled to make it through the war years. Antonio is 90 years old and survived a massive stroke last year. He and his wife were visiting our church this past Sunday. Talking after services, I asked him what changes he had seen in Portugal during his long life time.

His eyes misted over as he looked back into his painful past. “We all were so poor in those days, we never had enough to eat and we never knew if we were going to survive the day. Those years, we were under a dictator, so we had few freedoms. We struggled so hard just to live back then and none of us were happy.” He shook his head and looked back at me with his eyes clear and focused. “But now, we have all these new, comfortable buildings, we have electricity, air conditioning and all the modern luxuries. We have new cars, we have new clothes, we all have enough food...” and then he paused and looked deep into my eyes, “...but none of us are happy, even though we have all of these things.”

I replied, “That is why God called us here, to tell everyone that true happiness only comes through having Jesus Christ as your Savior.” He nodded, he has heard this before since his son is a faithful Baptist pastor in northern Portugal and has witnessed to his lost parents many times. Please pray for A. and his wife that while they still have life, they would be honest about their sin and place their trust only in Christ.

Thankful for the joy we have in Jesus,

Mark Hale

July Prayer Letter

July 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

Three long years went by with the campground closed, first, because of Covid shutdowns and then a change in ownership. We wondered if we would ever be able to have youth camps again. Finally, this year, we were able to have our first post-Covid camp with over 60 in attendance!

For the first time ever, the majority of workers, counselors and teachers were nationals from the Baptist churches here in Portugal. This is a major development, since in all the years previously, the missionaries shouldered the burden of most of these labors. We all were encouraged to see the nationals stepping up to take leadership positions at the camp!

In total, five precious souls were saved, Michele got to lead a young lady to Christ and I was blessed to be able to lead two young men to the Lord! Always a great camp when souls are saved!! Thank you for praying and giving so that we can labor here on your behalf! We are encouraged by the number of national workers who sacrificed to labor at camp this year and are thrilled to see eternal souls come to Christ! Thank you for making this possible!

Rejoicing for souls saved,

Mark Hale

April Prayer Letter

April 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

Over 13 years ago, Michele began witnessing to a lady in a local grocery store. Over the months and years, Michele talked with her and gave her tracts and invitations to our church. Ten years later, she finally began coming to our services and started bringing her adult daughter, L., with her. For the past three and a half years, they have been faithfully attending and many times have questions for us after services. Both were religious but lost and very confused by the false religions they had been involved with.

26-year-old L. was the first to get saved. She has grown some and fallen some, most recently avoiding church for months as she got into deep sin and grew more and more miserable. Many of you have been praying for her. Praise the Lord, she got right with God last Sunday, confessing her sin and once again, determining to read the Scriptures daily, pray without ceasing and seek God’s will in regards to her life and her choices.

Last Sunday, 62-year-old E. bowed her head and trusted in Christ! It has been a very long road, especially for Michele, who has been witnessing to this lady for over 13 years, teaching her for 3.5 years in Bible studies, and had many late night phone calls with her over her worries, fears, and
doubts about her salvation. E. is now gloriously saved and we are praising the Lord and thanking each one of our prayer warriors who labored in prayer for this lady! Please pray for N., E.’s lost husband and L.’s father. We would love to see this entire family saved and serving God here!

Plowing, planting, watering, weeding and finally reaping,

Mark Hale

March Prayer Letter

March 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

He works 12-hour days in the restaurant, preparing food for the thousands of visiting tourists and he tries to maintain a good testimony to the lost workers and customers there. Around him, they curse, tell lewd jokes and laugh about abominations. Without realizing it, that influenced him. Once in a while, like every other Christian, he stumbles and falls. The other day, during the lunch rush, he burned himself and a curse word slipped out. He was mortified and immediately bowed his head and prayed aloud for God to forgive him. Then he apologized to his fellow workers. Later in the day, he got to witness to a waiter who is a professed atheist and to a fellow chef who is a Hindu.

She is the only one saved in her family. Since her family is actively involved in the occult, witnessing is stressful and always difficult. Recently, she had a meal with her family and her sister began insulting and provoking her. She angrily snapped at her sister and immediately felt the conviction of the Holy
Spirit. She apologized to her sister and was met with shocked silence. Later that evening, she was surprised that she got to witness to her sister.

It is amazing how the Holy God can use sinners saved by grace to share His gospel with the lost and dying world around us! May each of us strive to walk closer with our Savior, so even in times of testing, we will reflect only Christ!

Reflecting Him?


Mark Hale

January Prayer Letter

 January 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

He leaned forward on the sofa and said, “I would like to ask you a philosophical question. When we die, will we see our loved ones again?” I answered him, “That all depends on two things, first, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior and second, if they did before they died.” He nodded and said, “I know I have Jesus as my Savior, so I know I will go to heaven when I die.” But then he grew quiet and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing at his eyes. He couldn’t say the same for the loved ones he was referring to. “B” is an older gentleman, well educated, successful and very intelligent who chose to retire in southern Portugal with his dear wife. As he grows older, his thoughts about life and eternity become ever more serious. I thank God “B” knows Christ as his Savior, but my heart breaks for those in his family who may have died without the Lord.

D. is an older lady whose husband recently suffered a stroke. Michele visited with her to see if we could help. In their conversation, she brought up her daughter who went home to be with the Lord a few years ago. “Do you think I will ever get to see my daughter again?” Her sadness was palpable. Michele responded, “If you confess your sins and trust only in Christ as your Savior, then yes, you will see her again since she is in heaven.” Donna protested “But I am not a sinner, I am a good person.” “But have you ever done anything that you knew was wrong?” Michele asked. D. bowed her head and confessed, “Yes, I have.” D. knows the gospel but has a problem admitting she is a sinner and incapable of earning her way to heaven.

Two people with the same question but from opposite ends of the spectrum. Please pray for “B” that God would comfort his heart and please pray for D., that she would repent and trust in Christ while she has life.

Thanking God for our hope in Christ,

Mark Hale