February Prayer Letter

February 2017

Dear Praying Friends,

He saw our website and came for a visit.  He began attending services on a regular basis, but once comfortable, he began to interrupt my messages with off the wall questions and insults.  He loved to compare our church with others he had attended; almost always in his observations, our church came up lacking.  Finally, one Sunday morning, he insisted on interrupting the beginning of the service and I asked him to calm down and talk to me afterwards.  He left in a huff and did not return for months.

Out of the clear blue, he began attending yet again and didn’t try to interrupt services as before.  We encouraged him to read the Bible daily and he read through the entire Bible in just a few months.  He seemed to be growing closer and closer to salvation, yet his eight years in Buddhism and multiple experiences with demons clouded his reasoning and caused much confusion.   I cannot count the number of hours I spent talking with him and trying to answer his questions from the Word of God. 

Sadly, in one of our recent Bible studies, he stated that 70% of the Bible is true but 30% is error.  He further announced that God did not create the universe as Genesis chapters one and two declare, but that everything came about by evolution.  Stunned, I asked him, “Are you saying that God is a liar when He said He created the heavens and the earth?”  To which he replied, “Yes!”  Our hearts are broken by his rejection of God and His Word.  Do I regret all the time I “wasted” on him?  Not one bit!  We are praying for J. that he would surrender before God and submit to Christ as his only way to heaven.  There is always hope until his last breath.  That is why we continue to plow and plant regardless of the immediate results. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit can break the hardest of hearts and bring the proudest sinner to repentance.

Heartbroken, but not disheartened,

Mark Hale

January Prayer Letter

January 2017 

Dear Praying Friends,

He nervously fiddled with his tie and cleared his throat yet again.  He stared at his notes and quickly glanced up at the folks seated in the auditorium.  Beginning his message with hesitancy, he got his fear under control and preached a good, solid message.  It was his first time preaching since God had called him to be a pastor last August and we are proud of the man the Lord is molding and shaping him into. 

Last August, our son, Joshua came out of his room one day after his daily Bible reading and announced, “God is calling me to be a pastor!”  After seeking God’s will for his life for six years, he finally knew what his Creator and Savior had made him to do.   He has preached three times in our two churches so far this year, both in English and in Portuguese and will continue to do so until he leaves for Bible College in the fall. 

Another man in our church has also begun preaching, feeling God’s call upon him to be a pastor or missionary.  I am now training three men who have surrendered to God’s call to preach.  Please pray for these three men, (Aristarco, John and our son, Joshua) that God would help them in their studies and in the many life lessons they will need to learn to be faithful, biblical pastors in the near future.

We have also recently had 14 first time visitors attend our church.  In many of our services, we have had equal amounts of lost and saved which gives us great opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them!  God is working and we are thrilled to be a part of His plan in world evangelism!

Plowing and planting,

Mark Hale

*We are now up to 91% in our van fund!!  Thank you to everyone who has given to meet this very important need!!! 

December Prayer Letter

December 2016

Dear Praying Friends,

She was due at any moment, but the government required them both to make the eight to ten day journey. There was no option, she couldn’t stay home; so she accompanied her husband and consequently went into labor in the strange city without a room or house to give birth in.  Contrary to appearances, God was in control of not only the timing of the trip but also where her child would be born. 

2,000 years ago, Mary gave birth to our Savior in a stable.  Not exactly where any of us would want to have our children born or our wives deliver, yet this was all in God’s plan even down to the place where Christ was born – Bethlehem, as was prophesied in the Old Testament book of Micah.  Only the poor shepherds searched and found the new born Savior that night; the rest of the world ignored the signs in the heavens, the prophesies of the Scriptures and the testimony of the eye witnesses.

Sort of sounds like today, doesn’t it?  Most people don’t even think about the One whose birthday we are supposed to be celebrating.  Even many Christians get so caught up in the “spirit of the season” that they forget to bring the most precious gift to the Savior.  Just like the shepherds, we should kneel before the Savior in humility to worship Him who deserves all honor and glory.  Despite the world’s example, let us seek and find the King and give Jesus the worship He so rightly deserves.

Kneeling before the Savior,

Mark Hale

November Prayer Letter

November 2016

Dear Praying Friends,

I have a confession to make.  In September when I wrote to you about the need to replace our dying 18-year-old Volkswagen with a van, I figured that it would take a year or more to raise the needed funds.  It wasn’t that I doubted God’s provision, I knew He would provide a replacement vehicle eventually.  But in my human logic, I made a very common mistake:  I placed human limitations upon the Almighty God! 

The Lord has shown me yet again that He is not limited by human struggles, by failing economies or even by time.  In September and October, through faithful churches and individuals, God has given us 72% of the needed funds to purchase a good used van for the ministries in Portugal!!!  

We are humbled by the offerings of so many to help meet this need and we are astounded at God’s provision!!  Thank you so VERY much to each one of you who have sacrificed to help meet this important need!  Thank you to every one of you who are praying and seeking God’s will in helping us raise the last 28% of the needed funds for a replacement vehicle.

May God richly bless each one of you,

Mark Hale

October Prayer Letter

October 2016

The early beach goers were already staking out their places in the sand.  Towels were laid down, coolers were stocked and sunscreen was applied.  It seemed like an ordinary Sunday morning at the beach in Lagos, that is, until we arrived.

As our small fleet of cars scattered and parked and we all got out in the parking area, people began to stare.  The candidates were dressed in white gowns and we made the short walk down to the edge of the water.  Waves lapped back and forth as we got out our hymnals and sang praises to the Lord, then I opened my Bible and preached a short message on “What baptism is and what it is not”.  Here in Portugal, we baptize in the ocean as a public testimony of our faith in Christ and our desire to follow His command.  It was cause for much staring and guarded interest as the beach goers cautiously approached and listened to what we were singing and saying.  Some in our group passed out tracts and invitations while others explained why we were there. 

It was a day to be remembered, for the unsaved beach goers who watched the strange spectacle, but especially for the folks who followed the Lord in Scriptural baptism.  There were tears of joy and thanksgiving as each candidate was plunged beneath the waves and brought up as a testimony of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.  The special church service that day and dinner on the grounds completed the celebration.  It is always a joy to win and baptize believers and have them become members of our churches.  In 31 years as a missionary, I never grow tired of obeying our Lord’s command!

Winning, baptizing and discipling,

Mark Hale

September Prayer Letter

September 2016

Dear Praying Friends,

We knew this day was coming for at least a couple of years, but the realization hit me like a punch in the stomach.  I had been in the waiting room for over two hours when he entered, clipboard in hand.  His expression told me the news was grim.  He looked at me and plainly stated, “We are not going to be able to save her, I am sorry.”

For almost 30 years, after paying tithes and giving to missions, Michele and I have tried to save 10% of our monthly support for emergencies.  This practice has served us well.  I have only had to write a prayer letter requesting financial help four times in over three decades as missionaries, this will be the fifth.

Our 18 year old VW needs yet more repairs, but the cost is more than our old faithful car is now worth.  European car manufacturers cease making parts for their cars after 10 years.  The older a car becomes, finding parts becomes more and more difficult and expensive.  Our ministries have grown to the point where we now need a van.  We had to rent one this summer to take the nine people from Lagos to camp.  A good, used van will cost between $18,000 and $20,000.  This is a huge amount of money, yet we know that our Father is in control.  We ask you to pray about having a part in purchasing a vehicle to replace our dying car.  She has served us well, with over 400,000 km on her, but her time has come.  God knew this was going to happen and is in control, so we ask you to seek His will in helping to meet this important need.

Trusting in Him to supply what we cannot,

Mark Hale

July/August Prayer Letter

July/August 2016

Dear Praying Friends,

We thought we had reached our maximum last year with over 50 campers, but this year the Lord showed us that we could handle even more.  This summer we had 61 campers!!  It was a week filled with labor, heat, difficulties and victories.  Satan tried to hinder this ministry; missionaries suffered serious car problems coming to camp, some campers had to be taken home the first day of camp for smoking, the heat was intense with very little in the way of breezes to cool off the tents and all the sweating bodies in them.  Yet God gave great victories in spite of all the difficulties we encountered.  13 precious souls came to Christ, including two from our church in Lagos!!!

We returned from camp physically exhausted, yet spiritually uplifted.  We had one week to prepare for our annual Vacation Bible School in Lagos.  This time we had fewer children than last year, but that allowed us to spend even more time with each child.  The gospel was given clearly and plainly each day and good seed was planted in the hearts of the children who attended.  Half of the children who came are not saved and come from lost homes.  We have reached entire families through our Vacation Bible Schools and are praying for God to work again through this ministry to reach these precious lives with His gospel.

Thank you for making it possible for us to labor here on your behalf for the glory of our Lord!!  We count it our honor to be your representatives here in southern Portugal.

Serving with you for Him,

Mark Hale

 Camp photos:

VBS photos: