Project Description
BARAKA HALL FAMILY
SERVING IN GHANA
ABOUT
| Baraka | Birthday 10/18 | |
| Melanie | Birthday 09/12 | |
| Baraka & Melanie | Wedding Anniversary 07/22 | |
| Baraka, Jr. | Birthday 12/17 | |
| Malachi | Birthday 08/25 | |
| Tyler | Birthday 06/30 | |
| Marissa | Birthday 01/10 |
Baraka Hall
I was born hearing in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 3½, I contracted spinal meningitis and from that became Deaf. I lost all communication with my family and felt very isolated. As a result, my behavior, as you can imagine, was horrible. At the age of 11, my friend was talking about church. I wanted to go to this Deaf church to be with my friends. So I gave him my address, which he then gave to his bus captain. That Sunday I was on my way to the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana.
After misbehaving on the bus ride home, a lady worker called me to the front of the bus and shared the Gospel with me. I remember that day receiving hope as I accepted Christ as my Saviour. During camp at the age of 12, I felt God was calling me to preach. I surrendered to His will and went forward. It wasn’t until high school that I really struggled with this decision. You see, I played football all four years. I was an all-star captain at a 6A school. I had many college scholarship offers. The University of Florida, the Gators, came to my school to recruit me. I really wrestled with this decision. A godly man came to me and offered his advice. He said if I went to play for the Gators, I might end up messing up my life; who knows? He continued by saying that if I went to Bible college, I could serve God. That struck me—serving God! I put aside all my scholarships and decided to go to Hyles-Anderson College.
It was my second year at college, during a Missions-Emphasis Week, that God began tugging on my heart to be a missionary. I really didn’t want to leave the comforts that I had here in America. However, I told God I would go. I knew God wanted me to go to Africa, but it wasn’t until we had our annual Pastors’
School when the Ghana Team was launched that God revealed it to me. He struck my heart and said, “That’s where I want you to go.”
On my survey trip to Ghana, He confirmed that calling. I traveled with a veteran international missionary to the Deaf. He told me to pray that God would show us some Deaf, because not always do you get to meet them while traveling. On my two-week survey trip, I met over 700 Deaf people. I met Deaf people every day. God showed me His ministry for me.
Melanie Hall
I started attending church at the age of four as a bus kid. I recall hearing the Gospel multiple times in Sunday school, Junior Church, and Vacation Bible School. Each time it was presented, I raised my hand and prayed to make sure I had a home in Heaven. Finally, in third grade my Sunday school teacher at Community Baptist Church of Andalusia, Illinois, made it clear to me that I could never be good enough to earn salvation and I could never do anything to lose it. I understood that gift was Jesus, and He alone had the power to save me. That day I put my faith in Him, and it has been settled in my heart ever since.
I grew up in a very dysfunctional family. My parents are Deaf and Hard of Hearing and were, at that time, very heavy drug addicts. My sisters and I were left to our own doings and were never disciplined. We were our teachers’ worst nightmares. Oftentimes, after sharing my testimony, people have accused me of being the poster child for “Jesus saves.” However, it was different at church. It was a place of refuge. I remember going to church to feel loved and accepted. I thank God for a youth pastor and his family who invested in me. I started going soul winning at the age of 13. My youth pastor and his family would invite me to their home every weekend so that I would be able to work on the bus route with them. They took time to disciple me and show me what a Christian family looked like. They would bring me into their home to eat and fellowship with the missionary family they were hosting. It was at our missions conference that I surrendered to be a missionary. I laugh now, because I told God, “Anywhere but Africa!”
In high school I had a strong desire to attend our Christian school. However, because of my parents’ addictions, they could not afford food, much less a Christian education. At the age of 15, I moved in with my aunt and got a job cleaning empty apartments and the complexes to pay for school. I am so thankful that God gave me this opportunity. I know, without a doubt, that had I not made this change, I would have never attended Hyles-Anderson College.
Our desire is to work with Fundamental Baptist Church International in Ghana, West Africa, to plant a Deaf church. We want to see Deaf people saved and train them to become soul winners. In addition, we have a strong burden to reach their hearing families for Christ. This will be most effective through the ministries of our Ghana Team. Our vision is to train the Deaf and either send them to plant a Deaf church or to work with regional pastors and establish Deaf Ministries to coincide with ministries of the regional pastors.
Crossroads Baptist Church
ourcrossroads.org
5811 Hoffmans Ln
Bailey’s Crossroads, VA 22041
(703)845-0017
FIELD
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Baraka and Melanie Hall Prayer Letter: Let Him That Is Athirst Come
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) We just finished the very arid season of Harmattan. This is where the Sahara Desert wind blows down and coats West Africa with dust. It is a time when a person can guzzle down a liter of water and still feel parched. This is much like the spiritual situation for the Deaf here in Ghana. Even though they attend church services faithfully, they go throughout their lives athirst. They believe that if they just quit sinning, do enough good works, and be faithful to church, they can have a home in Heaven. We praise God for the team of church members that go out regularly, telling these precious souls to “come” and learn of the good news of salvation! We also give thanks to God for the five who came forward in January and February, stirring the baptistery waters yet again.
These past few months, we have had an unusual number of weddings and funerals within the Deaf community. Deaf culture is extremely collective. Deaf people actively seek ways to come together, as they are easily able to communicate with each other. These events are perfect opportunities to share the Gospel. While we still may be outsiders because we are Americans, our church members are very much a part of this close-knit community. Enthusiastically and faithfully, they have taken the Gospel to their longtime friends, whom they may not see every day. We thank God for the many souls who have trusted Christ in this outreach.
A growing, but good, concern has struck the hearts of several of our members, as well as our own children. This burden has been for their hearing family members and friends to know Christ as their Saviour. It has prompted many of them to take action. For instance, our children asked our good friend, Bro. DaCoster Asubonteng, and some of the young men from Fundamental Baptist Church International to go with them in sharing the Gospel with their neighborhood football (soccer) buddies. We praise God for three of their friends trusting Christ as their Savior. At the request of Johnson Owusu, one of our Deaf members, Bro. DaCoster and his crew were able to share the Gospel with Johnson’s father, family members, and neighbors. Upon hearing the good news with Johnson’s family, Ali Rashid, one of our staff man, asked Bro. DaCoster to witness to his family. Several family members and friends trusted Christ. Then, at a follow-up visit with Ali’s family, Bro. Mike Sarver and Bro. David Addo from FBCI were able to answer many questions posed by his family. Praise God, at the end of the visit, those who were still trusting in their good works repented and put their faith in Christ alone!
The year 2021 had many blessings for our church and family. As a result of your partnering with us, we had a total of 70 Deaf souls come to know Christ for the year. We look forward to what God is going to do in 2022 here in Ghana. We are praying for you all to have a fruitful and blessed year.
Your co-laborers for Christ,
Rocky, Melanie, Rocky II, Malachi, Tyler, and Marissa Hall
Bro. Mike Sarver and Bro. David Addo from Fundamental Baptist Church International witnessed to a number of Bro. Ali Rashid’s family, who is one of our staff men.
RECENT
Baraka and Melanie Hall Prayer Letter: By God’s Grace
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Baraka and Melanie Hall Prayer Letter: The Work and Workers
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Baraka Hall Prayer Letter: Abounding in the Work of the Lord
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