Project Description
BARAKA HALL FAMILY
SERVING IN GHANA
ABOUT
| Baraka | Birthday 10/18 | |
| Melanie | Birthday 09/12 | |
| Baraka and 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
5811 Hoffmans Ln, Bailey’s Crossroads, VA 22041
(703) 845-0017
FIELD
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LATEST
Baraka Hall Prayer Letter: COVID Can’t Stop God
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1) Praise God for the past two months we have been able to meet as a church! With the restrictions, we were limited to one-hour services and had to adhere to social-distancing and mask protocols. Get ready to lift up a shout, because we know COVID-19 has not restricted God’s power! God brought an abundance of visitors, and we had a record attendance of 61! We have seen 10 souls saved and 6 baptized in these past 2 months. What a MIGHTY God we serve! Last night the president of Ghana announced an ease of the restrictions, allowing up to two-hour services. Please continue to pray, as we will need to adjust services again.
With the uncertainty of flights and not having church services for three months, I have come to the conclusion that we will need to delay our furlough. We were halfway through with filling our schedule when everything was shut down. Please pray that God would give us wisdom as to when to reschedule. He knows the best time.
We were glad to see two very special children come to trust Christ as their Saviour, Elijah and Blessing. My wife has taught both of these children, who came to us with zero—literally zero—language, in our home. Elijah has lived with us for about two years now. My son was being silly and joked with Elijah about Hell. After rebuking both of them, I explained to Elijah that he was a sinner and the punishment for sin was a very real Hell. I left it at that because I wasn’t sure if he understood what I meant. A little later, I found that he had put himself to bed and was crying. I asked him what was wrong. He said he was scared, and he didn’t want to go to Hell. This was a clear indication that he understood, and it was time to share the good news of the Gospel. Both my wife and I carefully explained that only Jesus could take away his sins. He said, “I want Jesus.”
Later my wife asked Blessing to come on a Saturday. I had previously explained salvation to Blessing with one of our men. Melanie wanted to be sure she understood and also talk to her about baptism. Blessing understood she was a sinner and that there was a penalty for sin. However, she wasn’t quite sure how she could be forgiven of her sins. Melanie gently led her through the Scriptures, and Blessing trusted Christ as her Saviour. Melanie went on and explained to her about obeying the Lord in baptism. Elijah jumped into the conversation and said he wanted to be baptized too. Both Blessing and Elijah were baptized the very next day.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. I want to ask diligent prayer for a specific event. We have planned an outreach event, partnering with Missionary Joshua Brown and local pastors of nearby villages. Our goal is to supply 50 Deaf villagers with provisions, as well as meet their spiritual needs by sharing the Gospel. This is no easy task, as the majority, if not all of them, have never been to school and hence have no formal language. Praise God that we don’t have the one-hour restriction, and we have a few Deaf men who grew up in the village who can “interpret”; however, we really need God’s hand around us. Please pray that God would bind Satan and that the Holy Spirit would work so these precious people would understand the Gospel.
Your co-laborers for Christ,
Rocky, Melanie, Rocky, Malachi, Tyler, and Marissa Hall
RECENT
Baraka Hall Prayer Letter: For the Sake of the Gospel
God is still good, the Gospel still works, and Jesus still saves! On March 15, after our last service before the social-gathering restrictions were pu [...]
Baraka Hall Prayer Letter: Augustine Kyei
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not a [...]
Baraka Hall Prayer Letter: The Reason for the Season
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! The Lord has certainly been the reason for the season here. We are thankful for His continuou [...]
