Hall Chronicle

2010-06-24T08:14:00.001-04:00

Two birthdays down...Nancy, May 7, see photos. Dean, yesterday, June 23, see photos. Next month, July 20, Natalie. Dean and his twin brother, Dan, were born in the Government Hospital in Kaduna, Nigeria. Nancy and Natalie were born 14 months apart in the SIM Hospital in Jos, Nigeria. All are American citizens by virtue of being born of American citizens overseas.

2010-06-24T08:09:00.002-04:00

2010-06-22T11:00:00.002-04:00

We arrived in Azle, Texas, on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Shane had been born Friday, June 4. Grandmother Natalie had already arrived from Ohio and was with Alesha and Nathan at the time of the birth. Our trip to Texas--where we also visited Jerry & Doris Hall in Longview--was especially to see and hold our first great grandchild. Our course many people are much younger than we are when their first great grandchildren arrive. Shane and his parents are all doing well. In case the location of Azle is a mystery to you, find Ft. Worth on your Texas map. Look to the northwest suburbs. You'll find the metropolis of Azle. Now, go just a bit north and you'll find Pelican Bay. That actually is where the Vines family live.
Just how well the family is doing...Sunday evening we all went out for a splendid Mexican meal in Azle.

2010-06-22T10:57:00.001-04:00

2010-06-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

2010-06-21T15:36:00.002-04:00

This morning while driving to the Post Office I was listening to our local talk radio program. Glenn Beck and his would be humorous sidekick were wise-cracking about something President Obama had said about Zanzibar. Neither of these guys had a clue as to where it is and their asinine conversation eventually led to a discussion about countries in Africa that simply displayed their ignorance and a totally dismissive attitude of that continent. I have increasingly tired of Glenn Beck as a serious and credible interpreter of current events and today led me to wonder if he is as ignorant of everything else as he is of Africa? Of course anyone who has seen his evening TV program cannot help but be impressed by the vast store of knowledge he seems to have mastered night by night. It is well to remember, however, that all of these political pundits have a vast and well-paid research staff and I speak of both the left and the right. The truth is very hard to discern. Truth is a fixed matter but even when we hear, and it is seldom that we do, both sides presented factually and objectively, it is still hard to come to a conclusion that "now I've got it...this is what it is." The BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is an example. Prevailing opinion--both left and right--is that BP is definitely the culprit. The US Congress and Administration is using the terrible situation (and there is universal agreement that it is a terrible situation) for political theater. Has anyone given any thought to the fact that BP operates in this instance in Federally controlled waters, that no drilling of any sort (where of the cost cutting careless kind of not) is done without the express approval of the US Government? This line of reasoning is not to exonerate BP; heaven forbid. If indeed the did cut corners, they ARE to be blamed. However, if the Federal government had been doing its job such corner cutting would have been prohibited in the first instance. What think you?

2010-06-21T15:32:00.001-04:00

2010-05-20T10:51:00.002-04:00

Dean's birthday is coming up soon...It was June 23, 1954 when he and his older brother (by only a few minutes) were born in Kaduna, Nigeria. This is the first photograph of the twins showing also Nursing Sister Stokes. Nigeria was then a colony and protectorate of Great Britain. The doctor who delivered the twins was British as was Nurse Stokes. The cost to us: Zero. That's what national health care is all about. Or, it was then.

2010-05-17T12:45:00.003-04:00

All decorated for Nancy's Birthday. Mom diverted her by asking her to take her to the store. Daniel, Suzanne, and Dad decorated. Suz made cake, Daniel decorated it (do you believe 15?), and we all worked on making chicken curry and all the side dishes. John...in Oxford...so sorry he was not there.

2010-05-17T12:40:00.001-04:00

2010-05-17T09:04:00.002-04:00

After my many years of treating large animals in my veterinary clinic in Urgisstan, I concluded that my grandson, Daniel, could use some horse sense serum. Following the injection he decided he was ready to run in the Kentucky Derby.

2010-05-16T07:27:00.002-04:00

Daniel DeValve who is majoring in Floral Arrangement (just kidding) at Cedarville with flowers he had just picked for his Mom for Mother's Day. Daniel is majoring in International Studies.
Now on an entirely different note, a thought that has been circulating in my cranium and also in my heart is this, "What Gospel have we believed?" Of course we have believed and received the Gospel message that we are lost sinners in need of a saviour and that Jesus Christ, God's Son, through his sacrificial death upon the cross purchased for us our eternal salvation. That we gladly and willingly affirm. But it seems to me that many of us--or I'll limit that to me and perhaps "many" like me--have been taught and perpetuated another "gospel" and I speak now of "truth," not the salvation message, and that "gospel" defines us more by what we are not than by what we are. We have more or less subscribed to the notion that the most important thing in the Christian life is to not be "worldly" and by not being "worldly" we mean that there is a long list of things that are proscribed. And many of them likely should be proscribed, others, however have no more bearing on true holiness than some of the rules concocted by the Pharisees.
We have--and wrongly, I submit--concluded that to not be "worldly" is to be "spiritual." Indulge me, please, for a few moments more. I submit to you this thought to mull over: We have it all in reverse. This emphasis should not be on the avoidance of worldliness but on the thirsting for and seeking for God and His righteousness. If we are truly spiritual (seeking the Spirit's empowering to live holy lives with an ever growing desire to know and love God) then we will not be worldly. But simply to not be worldly does not necessarily equal being spiritual.

2010-05-16T07:23:00.002-04:00

Suzanne DeValve, home from Cedarville University, after completing her freshman year. Majoring in elementary education as did her Mom before her also at Cedarville. She and her brother, Daniel (now a senior at Cedarville University) will be working this summer at the nearby Salvation Army camp, Camp Lahore.

2010-05-16T07:01:00.002-04:00

Pictured above, Mom and Nancy on Mother's Day, at Missionary Retreat Fellowship, Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. What's with the sweater and scarf? Well, the local weather prognosticator became a prevaricator and the warm weather promised was not forthcoming. But now that we are in the hot season in Florida we look back at Pennsylvania and say, "Being cool was cool."

2010-05-07T11:27:00.003-04:00

A couple of years ago the home that stood on this spot burned. It was a beautiful home built early in the 20th century by a Mr. Lovelace. In 1917 it was purchased by my grandparents, Oliver & Vita Wheeler. It remained in the Wheeler family until 1982 or '83 when it was purchased by a great granddaughter of Grandpa & Grandma Wheeler, Julie (Hall) Walker and her husband Gene. They made many improvements on the old homestead and then, mysteriously, one day when no one was at home a fire--possibly an electrical short--broke out. The house was so thoroughly destroyed that it was declared a complete loss and later was reduced to rubble and carted off to a landfill. The structure in the background is the Starrucca Viaduct built about 1846 by the Erie Railroad. The stone was from local quarries. It is an engineering marvel.

2009-09-25T20:51:00.000-04:00

September 24, 2009.
Back again after several months away. Have been involved once again in writing the regional accreditation self-study for Davis College of Binghamton, New York. Also have visited our daughter, Nancy, and son-in-law, John, and grandchildren, Daniel and Suzanne, home from Africa and living now near Scranton, Pennsylvania. Since coming back to Florida have kept rather busy with a home improvement project.

2009-03-01T15:24:00.002-05:00

Sunday, 01 March 2009. It has been ages since I posted anything on this blogspot. I ceased posting items when it became impossible to upload photos. Now, with some computer tweaking, things seem to be working again. The photo that appears here is of my Greatgrandfather, Luther Curtis Hall. He died one winter before the beginning of the 20th century of pneumonia. My Grandfather, Glenn Monroe Hall, was only 12. His widow, Heather Ann Wellman Hall, never remarried. She died in 1926, four years before my birth. My father, Rexford F. Hall, remembered her very well. I have recently researched her family. The Wellman family can be traced back to Massachusetts and back to England. The earliest relative we have a record of was born in the late 1500's.

With recent events weighing so heavily upon all of us who follow the news, I have determined to turn my blogspot into a thoughtful conservative-evangelical analysis of various news items that come from to my attention. I realize that those who disagree will be quick to let me know. I will welcome contrary views as well as the views of those whose opinion coincides with mine.

2007-07-09T20:02:00.000-04:00

Betty at the Flying W Ranch, Colorado Springs, last September. We were there for the western show and supper.

2007-07-09T19:49:00.000-04:00

This photo was taken last September in Yellowstone National Park. Despite all appearance, that steam is not coming out of my head, and thankfully, not out of the radiator!

2006-12-09T19:19:00.000-05:00

2006-10-31T15:04:00.000-05:00

Now in Sebring after a service in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Sunday, then overnight in Florence, South Carolina, and a long drive down 1-95, then US 301 cross country, and down US 27. Good to be home, but miss the West. Why did we leave? Well, we know why, we followed the Lord's leading. Sorry, problems loading photos. Goes just so far...that's it. Will try again at another time.

2006-10-26T10:38:00.000-04:00

Well, after a long, long absence...my true love and I are back. To get to where I am on this blogspot, I had to get advice from West Africa. And then I had to choose a new password. Now, I wish I could post new photos, but today that is not entirely possible. So, when we get home, really home, I promise some photos taken on our long journey.
We left Sebring, Florida, on 15 September this year. Florida is really a big state. By the time one reaches the western most part, the better part of a day has elapsed. We stayed overnight in Hattiesburg, MS. The next day, on to Longview, TX, to visit my brother, Jerry and his wife, Doris, and their kids. We attended church with them and left on Wednesday morning and drove as far as Amarillo, TX. The next day we went on to Colorado Springs and while it was later than our actual anniversary, had our anniversary dinner at the Edleweis in Colorado Springs. The next day it was typically non-Colorado. Rain, rain, and more rain. We used the time to good advantage to visit the ACSI HQ and talk about accreditation for Sahel Academy in Niamey, Niger, where our grandchildren attend. It was a profitable meeting. And, what is more important, Sahel is now making significant progress toward dual accreditation--ACSI AND Middle States as well. Their candidacy evaluative visit will be in late January. If you believe missionary kids should attend and graduate from an accredited school, please uphold Sahel Academy in prayer as they, step by step, progress through the accreditation process. Until later when I can post some photos, this will be it. An ongoing account of our memorable journey will accompany our photos.

2006-08-16T08:09:00.000-04:00

The day that Betty and I dreaded, dreaded fiercely, could not be held back. The earth rotates, day dawns, evening comes, night falls, another day. The dreaded day--dreaded by us as parents anyway--was August 10th, 2006. That was the day our daughter, Nancy, her husband, John, and our two grandchildren, Daniel and Suzanne, were departing yet once again for their outpost in the arid, dusty town of _______________ in the ________ part of the Republic of Niger. The John & Nancy DeValve missionary family is pictured above along with out Aunt Jeanette Hausser. The history books will record that this day, August 10th, was the day that airlines to and from Britain went on RED ALERT because a terrorist plot had been revealed and, fortunately, through the joint efforts of Great Britain, the United States, and Pakistan, had been foiled.

The DeValve Family along with their 27 pieces of excess luggage were on their way to JKF Airport in New York. The pastor of Grace Bible Church, Dunmore, Penna., Pastor Terry Ribble, had kindly offered to transport them to the airport using the church van. There had been some question right up to almost the eve of their departure about so many pieces of luggage, but finally confirmation from the airline was received that all pieces would be accepted and shipped via Paris right on to Niamey, Niger. All the pieces were falling into place. Well, almost.

Massive delays and missed flights and big lines at airports were the order of the day, that day. The security was tightened. Carry on luggage became a thing of the past. Actually, except for the Government of Israel, the governments of the world are still trying to keep one step ahead of terror perpetuated upon airlines and airline passengers. But rather than one step ahead, they are always one step behind--always in a reactionary mode, not an anticipatory pro-active mode whereby they anticipate the terrorists next tactic. Well, enough of that. As it turned out, due to waiting for passengers who'd come into JKF late, then a big storm moving into the JFK area, the DeValve Family and all passengers on board that Air France jumbo jet sat in the plane, on the runway, for six or more hours before departing for Paris. Result? They missed their connecting flight to Africa which is not a daily flight--maybe it is once a week, I don't know. So, they had some unexpected, but not unwelcomed time in Paris to get some much needed rest. They finally got out on Sunday afternoon, the 13th, on Air France to Casablanca with a layover there and then a connecting flight on Royal Air Moroc on into Niamey where they arrived on the 14th. Also, 25 out of their 27 pieces of luggage arrived (we presume the other two have by now turned up) and all were cleared through customs without a penny of duty being levied.

While we dread these goodbyes and departures (Nancy's missionary service dates back to 1982, so there have been many goodbyes--they get no easier!), yet we Praise God that they are taking the Gospel of light to those sitting in the shadow of death. God has honored their Christian witness and their humanitarian work during times of famine and He is in the process of raising up a people for his Name. So, our distress at saying goodbye is also mingled with joy.

2006-08-15T13:54:00.000-04:00

This administration/academic building was built on a solid, stone foundation, of cement blocks made one at a time on location. The metal bars for the windows, the casement window frames, the metal doors and frames were fabricated on location with a welder purchased by a donor in the USA. Each classroom is built to accomodate up to 30 students.

2006-08-15T13:31:00.000-04:00

In the year 2001-2002, Betty and I had the inestimable privilege of serving God in Ethiopia. We were posted to the Ministry Training College of the Kale Heywet Church of Ethiopia, in the town of Hosanna, in the southern mountains of that nation. We were struck by the great need of the college to have a campus of its own. The buildings there were using were on loan to them by the local district of the KHC denomination and while they met the needs of the college on a temporary basis, a long-range plan and solution were needed.

We worked with the college administration, along with our teaching (Don) and library (Betty) schedule, to a long-range campus development plan. The first new building proposed would be a combined academic/administration building. When we returned to the USA we began to make the needs of Hosanna known and one couple, in particular, responded immediately. A retired pastor he told us, "I love to raise money." And between him and his wife and their contacts and Betty and me and our friends we saw around $40,000 come in rather quickly. Less than two years after leaving Ethiopia in 2002, we were back, with our pastor friend, for the dedication of this new building. Pictured above, we are in front of the new building, with one of the students we had grown close to during our altogether too brief tenure at Hosanna.

Since the dedication of this building--four administrative offices, four faculty cubicle type offices, there are two very nice classroom--two more buildings have gone up. One a men's dorm designed for 40 single men and a dinning room/kitchen building. We Praise God for the way He is building this campus for a ministry training college that meets a vital and strategic need of the growing and developing Kale Heywet Church of Ethiopia--the daughter church of SIM.

2006-08-03T08:17:00.000-04:00

These are the first photos taken digitally. What can I say? Only this, the upload is far, far inferior to the actual photos. And that is true, too, of the uploaded photos I've seen on other blogs. What's going on? Ban sani ba!

Anyway, the first of these three photos is Betty and it is my custom when buying a new camera that the very first photo is of her and the second is of me. How many new still cameras have we ever had? Three. The first, with money given to us by the Brethren Chapel in Mishawaka, Ind. was an Argus C-3. Anyone out there in cyberspace remember that camera? Almost every American missionary of that era had one. Good, tough, reliable, inexpensive and wonder of wonders--but the usual in 1952--it was American made. Our second 35mm camera was a Pentax K-1000. Again, inexpensive, but tremendous value for the money. If you can get your hands on a good K-1000 these days, and reasonably, get yourself one! Even in the digital age, film cameras are not yet relics. I hope not. I have my Dad's Minolta. Heavy, but excellent camera. As for camera number three--well, I've not exactly leaped into the age of digital photography. Let's say I've stumbled into it, about the last citizen of Planet Earth to do so. But here we are with a Canon Power Shot A-620. It can, once I get it figured out, do about as many mysterious and eye-popping things as my computer. Please don't judge my camera, or my abilities by the quality of the photos on this blog. Oh, by the way. "This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice! And, be glad in it!"

2006-08-02T19:19:00.000-04:00

2006-07-28T08:06:00.000-04:00

Hall Chronicle
First, I have to confess that I have no photos to post that haven't already been posted by other family members. In other words, every photo I have on my computer has been given to me by family who have a digital camera. But that is about to change. Betty's and my digital camera is on its way. We ordered a Canon Power Shot A-620. That's a 7.1 megapixel. Our friend Tim Geysbeek was here last week doing interviews and he had just got one and it seemed a good choice. Later than most everyone else, but finally stepping into the age of digital photography. However, we've not always been the last to get things new. We were among the very first to buy a rotary lawn mower. Uncle Oliver hired me when we were doing pre-field ministry to go out to Nigeria, and living in Uncle Clyde's house in Lanesboro, to mow the entire cemetery in Lanesboro. So I bought one of the early model, 2 cycle engine, mowers from Sears. Later sold it to my brother Dave when we went to Africa. Will we be not the first among all people, but the first in our family to buy a hybrid car? I don't have great confidence in battery powered equipment, but it is surely tempting. It would appear that Toyota's product has been well tested and its reliability well established.
Recently finished reading "The Royals" (England's "royal" family) by Kitty Kelley. Yes, yes, I know she has a reputation for digging up all the dirt. Well, she certainly has in this book. How wise our many, many ancestors were to leave it all behind back in the 1600 and early 1700 hundreds. The Halls, Wheelers, Pages, Wellmans, Carsons, Lees, Carswells, and so forth. And later to shake off the ruling hands of crazy old King George. What a circus they are! English are they? They're more German than English. Good grief, my family and I are MORE English than the Queen of England. But this I'll say, they're good for something...tourism.

2006-07-25T09:19:00.000-04:00

Hall Chronicle
Can it be? Late July already? I feel sort of like Rip Van Winkle. Where has the summer gone? Of course with dear old Rip, it was several summers--and winters. Now that August is creeping up on us Betty and I are daily reminded of a few things that bring us a combined sense of sadness and gladness and, as we suppose, some sense of the same for those most directly involved.
Do we ever, really, get accustomed to saying, "goodbye"? To separations from loved ones? This coming August 11, John, Nancy, Daniel, and Suzanne will return to their mission post on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. Blistering, unrelenting heat, dust, dirt, persisting poverty of a people who ask nothing more of God than rain, disease, premature death of children who are without adequate medical attention. Who would go there? Who would leave the verdant mountains of Pennsylvania and there? Only those called of God. But of course that is not entirely true. Peace Corps members go there, too. But those called of God go there to see God's redemptive purposes accomplished in the lives of those--and relatively few there are--who say "Yes" to Jesus. They go there to see a group of local believers forged into a vibrant body known as the church. But does all of this make it easier to say "goodbye" to our precious children and grandchildren? Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. We praise God for their willingness and their ability to serve God where few would stick it out for as long as they have. But are we sad? Yes, that too. Another big event is that granddaughter Erika will be going off to Cedarville University to study nursing. Granddaughter Alesha will be finishing up her summer work as a wrangler at a Christian camp and waiting on God to show her what is next. Jeremiah will be starting the 11th grade and has his sights set on going to college somewhere to study either electrical or civil engineering. Jake has worked hard this summer taking two math courses and improving his English. Dean missed out on going to Israel by just a few hours--the trip was called off, not by him, but by his company because of the war. Jason is on the verge of being returned for a second time to Iraq while his wife, Gabby, is studying nursing at Ft. Sam Houston Army Hospital. And my cousins, John and his sister Jeanne, face major surgery the 22nd of August. Jeanne will be donating a kidney to her brother John. We are much in prayer for them and their Mom, our Aunt Jeanette.
So, as I said, August is a big month with many and very varied things occurring.

2006-06-19T11:13:00.000-04:00

This is our very tall grandson, Robbie, with his cousin, Suzanne. This photo, taken this past Christmas, does not show his full height of 6 feet 4 inches. It was not inherited from his father and certainly not from this grandfather.

2006-06-19T08:01:00.000-04:00

Today I seem unable to publish the photo I wished to place here, so I'll just get on with a few comments. A week ago I wrote about the Judge and Prophet Samuel imploring the people of Israel to RETURN to the Lord, their God, then to REJECT their foreign gods and their evil practices, and following that to PREPARE their hearts before the Lord, and finally, to SERVE the Lord and to serve Him only. In the New Testament the writer James, the half brother of our Lord, wrote something similar insofar as the sequence is concerned, he implored his readers to first SUBMIT themselves to God and to then RESIST the devil.
And these steps have caused me to reflect a great deal on the subject of SURRENDER. The Lord's chosen people, Israel, and we, His Church, and particularly when it comes down to the individual, me, and you, find it difficult to fully submit, to fully return, to fully reject the foreign objects of our affection, and to fully resist the devil. And the question is why? Why is full surrender so difficult? Obviously if I knew the perfect and full answer I would likely be a much sought after sage. But I do have a few thoughts.
Why would one hesitate or be reluctant to fully surrender ones' all to an all-wise, all-caring, all-loving, all-powerful Heavenly Father? What is their to lose in such surrender other than our inner turmoil, our vain struggles, our futile efforts at self reform? It would seem to be such an obvious win-win that people would be lined up to enter into such a transaction with the God of the universe. But, alas! It is not so. One reason that occurs to me is trust. We know the right concepts about God, we've mastered the theological vocabulary, but do we fully trust Him? Oh yes, we've trusted Him with the eternal destiny of our immortal soul. That's then. Full surrender of my life and my will and my plans and my possessions, well, that's not then, it is now. And now is the realm in which I live. And so it is what I perceive it costing me right now that causes me to draw back. And is it not because I do not trust God enough to believe He will do better for me than I can do for myself? If I surrender all, might He not require of me something that I either can't do or would not wish to do? As the old song goes, "Please don't send me to Africa!" Isn't that kind of thinking more or less as the heart of the matter? I can't really trust God to let me do what I want to do. He'll require me to be and to do what I don't want to be and do. To think that God is forging some kind of plan for my surrendered will and life that is designed to make me forever misrable is to distrust God as being all-wise, all-loving, all-caring, and all-powerful. There's more to be said, but think about this. As the saying goes, "chew on this for a while."

2006-06-15T07:36:00.000-04:00

This is the hotel where we stayed our last time in Hosanna, two years ago, when we went out there for the dedication of the new building. Since that time two more buildings have been built and they were talking about three more and then having a dedication of buildings this coming January. Marvelous in our eyes has been the Lord's provision in the building of this much-need Bible college there in Hosanna.

2006-06-12T08:03:00.000-04:00

This is the Wilkins Family and from left to right is Duane, Miah (now days taller than his Mom), our youngest daughter, Natalie, Erika (a bit taller now), and Alesha. As already mentioned, they served for years in The Gambia, West Africa, and are currently on a leave of absence from ABWE. Currently they live in New York State.

As you have read God's Word, have you ever given consideration to the importance not only of the very words, but their sequence. In the book of First Samuel we read in the fourth chapter of Israel going to war against their enemy, the Philistines. Although God had given them a prophet who had been duly recognized as such throughout the land, from "Dan to Beersheba" as Scripture says, there is no record that Israel bothered to consult him, or to pray, or to in any fashion seek Divine guidance. They then suffered a crushing defeat. As is common when we have been defeated, we scramble to come up with a better and improved plan. Their brilliant plan was to send to Shiloh, some 35 miles north of the battle front, and have the Ark of The Covenant of God brought to them. Accompanying the Ark were two notable bums, total losers, but these qualities not withstanding, they were ordained priests and the sons of Eli. The names of these two profligate and undisciplined lads were Hophni and Phinehas.

With a great deal of hoopla and confidence the soldiers of Israel again marched into battle against the Philistines and this time with their secret weapon, the Ark of God. The battle was exceedingly short, or at least the Bible's description of it is. Again Israel was defeated and even worse, the Ark was captured by the pagan, profane Philistines and Hophni and Phinehas were killed. This devastating news was taken back to the 98-year old and very obese Eli who fell from his chair upon hearing the news. The fall broke his neck and he died. The wife of Phinehas was pregnant and went into labor and died in childbirth. Before taking her last breath, she cried out, "Name the baby, Ichabod!" The meaning of Ichabod is, "the glory has departed." She was referring to the Ark being taken from Israel and falling into profane hands.

Chapter five of First Samuel describes all the grief that came to the Philistines during the seven months the Ark was in their possession. Chapter six tells how the Philistines managed to get the Ark back to Israel and in Chapter seven we are told that the Ark is back in Israel and placed in a private home where it remained for the next 20 years. Now, after being defeated twice in battle and losing the Ark of God to their enemy, Israel is prepared to listen to Samuel. Verse three reads, "If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." Notice first of all that this is one of those IF/THEN propositions. But it was the sequence of the words I wanted to point out. This verse can be summarized in this way: RETURN, REJECT, PREPARE, SERVE.

To wander from God seems to be our natural disposition. "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love," is how the hymnist put it. And the farther and longer we wander the more we adopt the pagan and profane ways of the culture surrounding us. It was true of the people of Israel, it is true of us. Realizing that we are His and should walk in His ways we often forget that God's pathway to Him is today the same as it has always been. RETURN. To whom or to what? To the Lord. It is from Him that we departed, it is to Him that we must return. Our wayward and downward journey began in the heart, our return must be a return of the heart. It is a heart matter. And it must be with ALL our heart. You doubt it? Go back and read the verse. Next, REJECT. As Samuel said, "put away the foreign gods and Ashtaroth (a goddess of sex that was particularly loathesome to God) from among you." All four steps in this sequence are essential, none can be skipped over. One cannot RETURN, PREPARE, and SERVE and say, "I'll come back to the REJECTING part later and REJECT my vicious and vile addictions later one by one, gradually, as God enables me."

No! A thousand times, No! That is not God's way. God's way is to RETURN whole heartedly to Him, then to view those vile, pagan, profane foreign gods and the goddess of sex as He views them. To utterly hate and despise them. To totally REJECT them. You doubt it? Go back and read the verse. Then we are at the place where we can PREPARE our hearts before the Lord. We can absorb and interact with His Word in our hearts. Heart preparation. The hardened, packed down soil of our heart can and must be broken up to accept the good seed. Finally, we are refitted and outfitted to SERVE the Lord. This is the sequence. Is even the sequence of the words of Scripture divinely inspired? Yes.

One more thing from this seventh chapter. Well, two more things. First, the people of Israel did as Samuel instructed. They returned, rejected, prepared, and served the Lord. And Samuel gathered them together at Mizpah, that is, "Watchtower." How very significant. Having returned to the God we love, we must ever be vigilant, on the watch. We never want to stray again. And there at they "drew water and poured it out before the Lord." This, we must conclude, is symbolic of something, but of what? I submit to you that it was symbolic for them of what they had just done, it was symbolic of the spiritual transaction of returning, rejecting, preparing, and serving. Think of it. Think of the importance of water. Think how it slakes the thirst and refreshed and renews. Then picture taking a pitcher of clear, clean, cool water and instead of refreshing yourself, you pour it out onto the ground and there it is absorbed. Now, put the water back into the pitcher. It cannot be done. Your action of pouring out is irreversible. In a word, you have surrendered the water in totality and finality to the ground before you. That is surrender. That is the symbol. That is the picture. Are we prepared to do this with our lives, our wills, our plans, our future, our family, our all? All to Jesus to thus surrender?

2006-06-11T15:54:00.000-04:00

To the left is our oldest grandchild, Jason Hall, lighting the Advent Candles at a Christmas celebration a while back. To the right is his brother, Robert (Robbie) Hall. Jason has been in the U. S. Army for over ten years and is a sargeant and an avionics specialist. He and his wife, Gabriella, have done their time in Iraq and are now in the United States; however, Jason is being redeployed to Iraq for a second time while Gabriella is at Ft. Sam Houston getting additional training as an army nurse. Robbie is currently getting himself into top physical condition for his upcoming induction into the U. S. Army. He intends after basic training, to specialize in the same area of avionics as his brother.

This is a much nicer photo of our granddaughter Alesha. She and two of her second counsins sang some very nice trio numbers for us at our anniversary celebration.

2006-06-09T07:58:00.000-04:00

These are my two brother, Jerry, the younger to the left and Dave, the elder of the two to the right. Jerry works a fulltime job, even though he could retire, as a draftsman in Texas and Dave has tried retirement once or twice and now works a fulltime job with his wife, Gerry, at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center. We all grew up in Susquehanna and graduated from the same high school our Mom, uncle, and aunt had graduated from.

2006-06-06T07:27:00.000-04:00

Grandsons, Daniel DeValve, on the left in the photo on the left and still wearing the dentures with Miah Wilkins on the right. Both in son Dean's red Chrysler convertible with the Mercedes medallion.

Altogether too soon the DeValve family will be returning to Niger for another term of service. As unbelievable as it seems to us, his grandparents, and to his parents, I am sure, this will be his last year of high school. Then he will be returning to the USA to attend a Christian college...somewhere. In the photo to the right and pictured on the left is Suzanne DeValve who is very thankful she is not the one currently wearing the dentures. She has by now grown taller and with her brother and parents will be returning soon to Niger. To the right is Erika Wilkins. Erika is a high school senior this year and will be graduating from High School in New York State this June 22. She will be attending Cedarville University and intends to major in cross-cultural nursing. Cedarville has an excellent B.Sc. in Nursing programme. Check this blog to read more about Miah and Erika: http://Dusty-Penguin.blogspot.com

Check this blog to read more about Daniel and Suzanne: http://Hannatu.blogspot.com

More family photos will appear on this blog in the near future. In the meantime, let us pray that a peaceful solution can be found to the situation now brewing in Iran. One thing we do not need is one more war to fight.

2006-06-05T09:17:00.000-04:00

To the left is our son, Dean, the younger twin. He was born in Kaduna, Nigeria, under the Union Jack. He also served in West Africa for several years putting a spanner to work on the airplanes of SIM-AIR and did a fair amount of piloting people around various West African countries. He is now engaged in the aviation industry as he has been since he was a teen. Here we are, father and son, sitting outside the General Store at the foot of Walton's Mountain. We're just waiting for John Boy to come down and have hopes we can hitch a ride with him into Charlottesville and just hang out with him for a while.

2006-06-05T09:02:00.000-04:00

Now I told you before, didn't I, that these dentures got passed around quite a bit. Folks, it's like this. When you're poor and you're just poor white folk from the hills of Pennsylvania, actually Susquehanna County to be exact, you can afford only one set of dentures. So, they get passed around. Pictured here is our grandson, Daniel, now four years older and much improved in looks, and also our granddaughter, Alesha, likewise four years older and likewise much improved in looks. Posted earlier, Suzanne, the youngest of our three granddaughters and now four years later, she has grown new teeth and doesn't need the dentures. She too, along with Erika, who refused the dentures, and all the rest is a truly beautiful child. But why, you ask, would children need dentures. Well, is our part of the country when you don't brush your tooth, it might fall out. You said "tooth" don't you mean teeth? Nope, I told you we were from the hill country of Pennsylvania. Figure it out.

2006-06-05T08:55:00.000-04:00

2006-06-04T12:50:00.000-04:00

And this is our beautiful daughter, Natalie, aka Yvonne, aka Penguin. Unbeknownst to us, she planned with other family members our wonderful 50th Anniversary and coordinated and enlisted the help needed to make it a smashing success. In the background is our son, Dean. Natalie is married to a great guy, Duane Wilkins, and they have children named Alesha, Erika, and Jeremiah (Miah). They served on the mission field in West Africa for several years in the country known as The Gambia. It was formerly a British Colony established as a resupply depot for British ships. This party/celebration was held at the Little White Church in Conklin, N.Y. which was our home church and sending church for many, many years.

2006-06-04T12:47:00.000-04:00

2006-06-03T08:41:00.000-04:00

And these are our progeny: left to right, daughter Nancy, me (Don the aged), Dean now the eldest who also was born in Nigeria, in Kaduna in a British Colonial Hospital, Betty (and no, she does not dye her hair!), and our baby, Natalie, born in Jos, Nigeria, just 14 months after Nancy in a year that we shall not disclose (unless bribed!). We love our family, we strive to keep close to each even as we strove to stay close to our parents when they were still living and to our siblings who yet remain. Betty and I have lived everywhere, man. In addition to several places in Nigeria, Ghana, and briefly, Ethiopia, in the good old USA we have lived in Colorado (five years), South Carolina three different times--twice in Columbia and once in York County just south of Chalotte, N. C., in Pennsylvania, Ohio twice, Indiana, and New York three times. My father always lived in Susquehanna, Pa., and Betty's parents always lived in Mishawaka, Indiana. We have literally worn out more than one automobile traveling back and forth to keep in touch with our family. And they have done as much for us.

2006-06-03T08:23:00.000-04:00

And this is the one, our daughter, Nancy, who has set off this family frenzy of blogging! Thanks, Nancy! When Nancy came into our lives Betty and I were in the dark valley of sadness and despondency. Almost immediately after we had learned that Betty was expecting, we lost our four-year old son, Dan. He was the elder of twin sons. Dean is his surviving brother. All the joy of expecting a new child was swallowed up by our daily sadness. But then on the seventh day of May of a certain year, in Jos, Nigeria, all the joy we had not experienced came bursting into our lives...Nancy Evelyn Hall. She filled our lives with joy then and has done so continually ever since. She and her husband, John, have two children who, likewise, bring them great joy as they do us, the grandparents.

2006-06-03T08:11:00.000-04:00

It runs in the family...anything for a laugh! Actually, at this particular party at one time or another all of our grandchildren had these teeth in their mouths. Since they all survived, we assume they were not passing along some sort of infectious disease.

2006-06-01T08:51:00.000-04:00

Hall Chronicle
Since it is the first day of June, perhaps I should bring this blogspot up to date. As you the readers will note, I've been successful in placing a photo into the text. It is not that I'm clever at doing these things, it is that I have clever children who guide me step by step. Thanks Hannatu and Dusty-Penguin. This photo of Betty and me was taken a couple of years ago at my Aunt Jeanette Hausser's 90th Birthday Celebration where I served as MC. Why me? Well, that's the question I asked of my cousin, Becky. Her reply was, "The Matriarch of the family has spoken!"
Just a thought that came to me yesterday as I led Wednesday's session in "The Ten Days of Prayer" leading up to Pentecost (50th after Passover). We were discussing the CALL of God...His Call to we poor sinner through His Word, the Bible, effectuated by the Holy Spirit and then His Call to us, His children, to serve Him. Our discussion led us to consider those who've gone to dark and distant and lonely and hostile places on this planet to carry the "good news", the Gospel. Upon arriving many of these intrepid pioneers have found not only sinners needing to be saved, but people who are not just illiterate, but have a language that has not been decoded and put into writing. So these people, these missionaries who have come from the most ordinary and humblest of circumstances and, for the most part, without any distinguishing academic or intellectual achievements have taken on the work of linguists and translators and have put God's Word into the language of the people to whom they have gone. And, I ask, is this not a remarkable feat? Where did such enormous talent, yes, let me call it what it actually is, genius, come from, not to speak of their dedication and commitment to completing the task? Well, you say, it came from God, of course. And then I ask, would they have had this ability, this genius, had they not answered the dual call of God? I will answer this for you. Yes, but it would never, in all liklihood, have been discovered. It would have lain latent within them. Going to a foreign mission field did not create the aspect of genius they displayed. It was there all the time. It was the willing and positive response to God's CALL and to His will, it was the need their situation thrust upon them, that brought out what was within all of the time. And this goes not just for those who have put God's Word into writing, it goes for everything we do for Him. He takes the unnoticed, the unlettered, the ordinary peasant classes of this world to serve him in ways that are most remarkable. How sad when God calls men and women, boys and girls to salvation, and they reject His call. How sad when His children refuse to obey His call to service and spend their lives puttering about with mundane things when God intends something for them that in their wildest dreams they never could have envisioned. And that, dear ones, is the thought for the day.

2006-06-01T08:13:00.000-04:00

2006-06-01T07:53:00.000-04:00

2006-05-27T13:44:00.000-04:00

Hall Chronicle
Saturday, May 27. So much sadness in this world. A dear missionary friend, Dr. Jim Kraakevik, who went back to Nigeria as a widower to help get Bingham University up and going was felled by a massive stroke Wednesday morning and has been flown to a modern hospital in South Africa for recovery and therapy. Then this morning we learned of Arlene Coulter's father being felled by a stroke. We pray God to lay His mighty hand of power and restoration on these, His servants.
So glad our daughter, Natalie, has joined the rest of the blogging family. Welcome, Natalie!
Now, it's back to work on Touchstone!

2006-05-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

Hall Chronicle
Today, May 24, 2006. Just another day? No, never. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. But it will be another day of working on the Touchstone magazine. I have information from Joe Lee, a former student of mine at Davis College, who for several years now, along with his wife, Dawn, work amongst the Navajo Indians near Gallup, New Mexico. I will be writing an article on them and their ministry.
This time with Touchstone I'm taking a new approach. Formerly we have always asked a variety of authors to write an article. We provided basic information such as the theme and the length and trusted each one to produce something that was publishable. What this did was to produce a lot of fear and procrastination in the lives of some of them and sometimes the article had to be heavily edited and if they wrote too much, shortened. Others kept to the length suggested and wrote a publishable piece. But, overall, the quality varied and it made for some rather formidable editing challenges.
The new approach is to assign a few articles to be written by others, but for the most part, I am assuming the role of a reporter doing an interview and then writing the story. Of course the stories that will appear in this coming issue of Touchstone will not have the writer's name attached because if that were the case, almost every story would have my name attached! Now, we can't have that, can we?
Starting tomorrow and for the next ten days leading up to Pentecost, I will be leading a prayer meeting at one of the SIM Village apartment buildings. We will have a one-hour session each day. This responsibility was thrust on me rather suddenly as the person originally scheduled to do it is physically unable at the present time.
Yesterday Betty and I discovered a little Italian restaurant just off the circle in downtown, historic Sebring. Having grown up in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, and with Binghamton, New York, being so close by I practically grew up on Italian food. And for 11 years we lived in either Binghamton or Johnson City. If you are from there, or probably most any other place in the Northeast, you know that the best popularly priced restaurants are Greek or Italian. Well, this one we discovered here in Sebring, Cafe' Divino, is excellent and the prices are very reasonable. Visit us in Sebring and we'll demonstrate to you that "seeing is believing."

2006-05-23T11:02:00.000-04:00

Hall Chronicle
Well, I'm back from taking Sam to the dentist. The dentist wants so see me and as soon as I muster the courage, I'll get the work done he's recommended. Being a coward at heart and admitting as much to every dentist I've ever visited, I have to say it is not my favorite chair to sit in. But better there than in a chair on the witness stand! And speaking of witness chairs reminds one of the judicial system and that reminds me of the Prison Ministry I have.
Generally, when at home, I go at least once a month with fellow SIMer, Earl Day, to the prison. We have no way of taking musical instruments into the prison, so Earl takes a tape recorder with recordings of well known hymns sung by the late SIM Missionary George Beacham. So, we get by with that. Then I do the preaching. We have two services on a Sunday morning, one with the women prisoners and then one with the men. About 12 to 15 women attend and about 20 to 40 men attend. They are expected to go back to the cell block immediately after the service and there is a guard making sure they do. Hence, there is no opportunity of any one-on-one counseling. We trust that the Holy Spirit will use God's Word to bring about conviction and conversion.
Our next service is coming up this Sunday, May 28th.
Right now I'm busy writing articles that will appear in the next issue of the Touchstone Magazine of Davis College, Johnson City, N. Y. I am the founding editor of this magazine that began 20 years ago. I serve today as the Managing Editor and our daughter, Natalie G. Wilkins is the editor. Normally she does most of the heavy lifting, but asked me to take over for this issue. Anyone reading this blog who would like to subscribe to this magazine "of information, inspiration, and Christian thought" may do so by contacting: touchstone@davisny.edu
The mailing list manager, Sharon O'Connor will be happy to add you to the list of subscribers. There is absolutely no cost and you will not be solicited for funds. Davis College is a college of Bible and Ministry and has operated continuously for 106 years training men and women for ministry. Well known graduates include Woodrow M. Kroll (Back to The Bible), Ron Hawkins, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of Liberty University, and many others. Davis College was formerly known as Practical Bible College and before that as Practical Bible Training School. The name "Davis" is for the founder, Dr. John A. Davis. He was trained as an evangelist by D. L. Moody. His honorary D. D. degree was from Taylor University. So that gives you a bit of an idea as to the kind of college it is. Betty and I served there for 11 years and after retiring, I went back for two six month periods to help the college achieve Middle States regional accreditation.

2006-05-23T08:51:00.000-04:00

Yes, every journey has a first step. This is my first step at, what is the term, blogging?
The title of "our" blogspot is Hall Chronicle. When I say "our" I am referring to Don & Betty. It will be our blog. Being something of a history buff, our blogspot will have that tinge to it. Being a politically opinionated person (Don, that is), I suppose some controversial opinions will be shared and reaction to these opinions is invited!
Well, for today, that's it. I have to take a friend to an appointment and I dare not be late.