May Prayer Letter

 

May 2021

Dear Praying Friends,

The seventh son of a seventh son, he was born into extreme poverty at the end of the Great Depression. To help his family survive, he was a shoe shine boy in town, shining the shoes of others while he didn’t have his first pair of shoes until he was six years old. The son of East Kentucky sharecroppers, his life was shaped by the unending struggle to survive. His mother died when he was 12 so he had to quit school to work full time. He never finished 8th grade, yet he kept on learning and was one of the wisest men I ever knew. 

When he was a teenager, my father was gloriously saved. He met my mom at a church youth activity and they later married and had three children. My dad taught me three important things: 1. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength 2. Love your family and provide for them no matter what that costs you.  3. Do your best when you work even if your boss isn’t watching, because God is!  Even though he struggled to read, he faithfully read his Bible three times a day for as long as I knew him. He taught me to tithe and give to missions, he taught me to serve to please God, not to be seen by others. He taught me God’s way is the best way. He taught me by example, not just words.

When I was preparing to leave for the mission field for the first time in 1985, it dawned on me that answering God’s call meant we would be separated more than together and I apologized for that. My dad, simply said, “Mark, I would rather have you 10,000 miles away in the center of God’s will than living right next door out of God’s will, besides, we have all eternity together in heaven to be glad we did this God’s way.”  He was right.  I thank God for my father and the lessons both positive and negative that he taught me even till his dying days. He went home to be with the Lord May 28^th after 82 years of life.

Arnold Ray Hale 1939-2021

 

See you in Heaven Dad,

Mark Hale

April Prayer Letter

April 2021 

Dear Praying Friends,

Last November, I wrote you about a young woman who Michele was able to lead to the Lord in a midnight video call. Thank you for praying for L., she has continued to grow spiritually, asks many good questions and has set a goal for herself of reading through her Bible in the next year or so.  She has also been taking part in the online classes my wife, Michele has been teaching for the ladies.

Recently, Michele was teaching this ladies’ class when L. came online and joined the group. Not only did she participate, but she brought a lost friend whom she had been witnessing to. The young woman listened carefully as Michele taught the class and even asked some very insightful questions. Sadly, when Michele questioned her on her eternal destiny, the young woman confessed she was not yet ready to believe in Christ.

Although it was heartbreaking to see this lost young lady end the class in rejection of Christ and His salvation, we are encouraged that L. is witnessing to her lost friends and acquaintances and seeking to bring them to Christ. It is always a big step in a young believer’s life, when he or she begins to witness to lost friends. These young believers face rejection and isolation for their boldness so please continue to pray for L., that she will keep on sharing her faith with those whom she knows.

Thank you for making this possible!

Mark Hale

March Prayer Letter

 March 2021

 

Dear Praying Friends,

 

It is hard to believe it has been a year since the first quarantine. Portugal continues with its arbitrary rules and inconsistent lockdowns. For the last couple of months, people are allowed out during the work week but are locked down on Saturdays and Sundays. I guess in Portugal, the Covid virus is only contagious on weekends… Restaurants are allowed to offer take-out food but cannot sell beverages with those meals. I suppose the Covid virus in only contagious in drinks and not in food… The Portuguese government has decreed that these restrictions will continue until at least after Easter when they will “re-evaluate” things. (Given their track record, they will continue to lock the country down until only God knows when.)  So, for months now, our church has only been able to meet on Wednesday evenings but our members are so thankful to be able to meet in person after so many months apart!

 

In spite of our frustrations at the confusing and illogical rules the government has imposed on us, God is still on His throne!  A year ago, we started making videos for our church members. Every Wednesday they had a video as I preached through the book of Proverbs and every Sunday, a video as I preached through the book of Matthew. But what none of us could foresee, was the scope of this ministry in the hands of God!! Word spread and others began requesting the links and soon I was preaching in English as well as Portuguese four times a week. As of the writing of this letter, we have recorded over 210 videos and they have been viewed by people in ten countries: The United States, Great Britain, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Brazil and Columbia. 

 

To God be the glory!!

 

In awe of our Lord,

Mark Hale

February Prayer Letter

February 2021

Dear Praying Friends,

One of the most difficult aspects of the whole Covid situation is not the loss of personal freedoms, is not the governmental overreaches happening on a daily basis and is not the restrictions on churches made by governments supposedly in favor of “freedom of religion”. The most difficult aspect is how quickly God’s own people get used to not having church and not being exposed to God’s word each week. How quickly God’s children become accustomed to the absence of the Bible in their lives.

Many of our church members who used to attend services faithfully, now can’t even be bothered to watch the 200+ videos we have recorded specifically for them. Oh, they watch television, just not the preaching and teaching of God’s word. “Yes, pastor, we just got busy on Sunday and forgot to watch the video…sorry, we will watch it later.” But later never comes. Week after week, month after month, God’s people are slowing starving on a minimal diet of God’s word. Occasionally reading their Bibles, but rarely listening to a sermon or lesson. It is frightening how quickly God’s people have adjusted to life without church services. 

Last year, we wondered if Christians would want to come back to church after having “services in their pajamas” (watching online services or preaching videos from home), now we wonder if they will even bother. Too many Christians have become indifferent to the preaching and teaching of God’s word, even when it is available and just use the Covid situation as a convenient excuse. PLEASE PRAY that Christians all over the globe will recognize this for what it is – a direct assault of Satan against God’s people and that believers will repent of their spiritual laziness and come back in humility to seek fellowship with the Almighty God! The real threat is not wicked governments or even Satan’s attacks, but the real threat is the indifference of God’s people to God’s word. PLEASE PRAY!!

Praying God’s people watch and pray,

Mark Hale

January Prayer Letter

 

January 2021

Dear Praying Friends,

He had cost them millions in illicit revenue and had repeatedly exposed their hypocrisy and corruption for all to see. They hated him and wanted him dead, but even that was not enough. They wanted his reputation destroyed along with his life so none of his many followers would flock to his banner again.

They schemed and planned and put their national deception into play and succeeded. They got their enemy with the help of a bribed false friend. They illegally arrested and convicted him and rigged the trial the next day to have him condemned and executed as a criminal.  His followers were devastated, they thought he would rule for years to come and that they would rule with him. Instead, their leader was dead, all hope was gone.

If you thought I was writing about President Trump, you were wrong. This happened 2,000 years ago to our Savior. When the evil, powerful leaders had their way, they thought they had won. Their enemy was dead, his reputation destroyed, his tomb guarded by the most powerful army in the world. Yet on the third day, the Roman soldiers fell in fear, the stone was rolled away and Jesus came forth triumphant over death and hell!! 

Yes, it seems that evil has won but this is not the end. Jesus already wrote the end of the story: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Working for the night is coming but listening for the trumpet, 

Mark Hale

December Prayer Letter

December 2020

Dear Praying Friends,

Ever since he was saved seven years ago, John has witnessed to his family and been rejected, mocked and legally condemned to prison for sharing the gospel. Still, he seeks to win the lost and share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around him regardless of the cost to him personally. Recently, he returned to the Czech Republic to care for his dying mother. Led by the Holy Spirit, he daily sought opportunities to win her to Christ as her health failed. Up until her last moments on earth, he told her of the Savior’s love for her and begged her to set aside her religious pride and come in humility and faith to the Lord. It is not certain if his mother made the right decision, but even in his grief, John determined to share the Savior with those who attended his mother’s funeral.

Because the family is Catholic, the funeral was held in the local Catholic church. The unwitting priest gave John 20 minutes to eulogize his mother, but John took that once in a life time opportunity and eulogized his Savior instead!

This has been a seven-year prayer request of John’s, to be able to witness to every member of his extended family but most have been avoiding him for that very reason. In spite of his own grief, he clearly gave the gospel to his entire family, to the assembled friends and neighbors and even to the two Catholic priests who were more than uncomfortable hearing that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Please join us as we pray for the many who heard the gospel at the funeral, that the powerful word of God would penetrate their hard religious hearts, that they would repent of their sins and come in faith to Christ.

Thanking God for faithful men,

Mark Hale

November Prayer Letter

 November 2020

 

Dear Praying Friends,

 

The text beeped on Michele’s phone near midnight. It was from a young woman who had made a profession of faith last spring, but over the coming months, she slowly withdrew from contact with our church, missing more and more services until she no longer attended at all. We continued to pray for her and keep in contact when possible, but it looked like we had lost her to the world.

 

Michele continued to teach her mother with live video classes and her mom continued to attend services when the government didn’t have us in lockdowns. The daughter, however, grew out of reach. That is, until her midnight text changed everything.

 

“Why can’t I read the Bible and understand anything? Why is my heart so hardened?” She desperately texted. Michele immediately asked to video call her and zeroed in on the question of her salvation.  Michele talked with her for half an hour, sharing the gospel message with this young woman and asked her, “Are you certain you would go to heaven if you died tonight?” The young woman honestly admitted that she did not have that assurance. In the middle of the night, Michele led L. to trust in Christ as her Savior! Please pray for this young lady, that she would take the first steps in her spiritual life, reading her Bible and praying daily and would once again study with Michele in the ongoing video classes my wife teaches.

 

Thanking God for midnight calls,

 

Mark Hale