Update on the Hall's

Good Friday in Quito

2011-04-22T15:58:00.000-05:00

The Great Power of Jesus

(I found this crowd shot on the internet but the rest of the photos are ours.)

Quito, Ecuador, has an enormous, grueling Good Friday file-mile procession, second only to the famous one in Spain. The prevailing religion in Ecuador is a mix of indigenous superstition and Roman Catholicism that results in their overwhelming desire to earn God’s redemption and ward off evil spirits at the same time. (The shaman priest influence.) Thus, their rituals are always extreme and sometimes bizarre to evangelical Christians.

Today Stan, Mary and the NILI students attended a huge procession called The Great Power of Jesus in which a crowd of tens of thousands gathers in the narrow streets of Quito Colonial. Biblical events leading up to the crucifixion are enacted in the streets complete with Christ figures and roman guards. In addition, a huge group of cucuruchos joins the procession (they’re the ones in purple).

As penitents, the cucuruchos suffer to show sorrow for their sins and earn their salvation. They wear barbed wire or strap a cactus to their bare back. Others carry branches of nettles (a stingy plant) or knotted rope to hit against their skin. Many strap on large crosses to their back or at least carry a large post on their shoulders. Most walk barefoot causing blisters and sometimes bleeding. Small boys participate as well.

It’s an emotional event to watch, and Mary’s thoughts were mixed. Watching the procession, she got a better feel for what Jesus must have went through, and you can’t watch that as a believer and not be moved. On the other hand, the participant’s intense suffering saddened her. They clearly didn’t understand that Christ took on the suffering of the world so that, by His grace, we only have to believe in and receive the gift of salvation.

Our western culture doesn’t want to be confronted with Christ’s suffering. We acknowledge it but we don’t meditate or dwell on it. We only want to focus on Easter Sunday. But obviously, we couldn’t have Easter Sunday without Good Friday.

The Message of the Seven Words

Tonight, our family will attend a Good Friday service called the Message of the Seven Words. This is a tradition that I’ve come to appreciate. The service is broken into seven sections; each section focuses on one of the last expressions of Christ such as “Father, forgive them…” and “I thirst,” etc. A different person gives a short talk on the significance of each phrase. Christ’s last expressions communicate His side of the story, and it’s a wonderful way focus on the passion of Christ. A special highlight will be Mary singing “The Wonderful Cross” in Spanish.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-01-07T13:07:00.001-06:00

Silent Night, Holy Night. All is Calm, All is Bright

Noche de paz, noche de amor. Todo duerme en derredor (Spanish)

Ô nuit de paix, Sainte nuit. Dans le ciel, L′astre luit (French)

When the earthquake devastated Haiti this year, God sent us a blessing in the form of a Haitian refugee family that fled to Quito: Pastor Frantz, Luz, Rebecca (4) and Juan Ellie (2). God spared their lives but they literally had nothing else as their church and home turned into ruble. Our family has had the great pleasure of helping this precious family get established. Stan offered the couple free classes in Spanish through our NILI program so they could get jobs quicker. One of our Missouri churches gave a generous offering to help the family financially. Recently we had the family over for a Christmas dinner with two other Ecuadorian friends. After dinner and gift giving, we sang Christmas carols. We experienced a little touch of heaven as we all sang Silent Night in our mother tongues (English, Spanish and French) at the same time. What a wonderful reminder that Christ came to save all the nations. It truly was a beautiful moment.

Another unexpected blessing in our lives this year is our local church. Last year we prayed that we would find a church home and that Stan would get more preaching opportunities in Spanish. Boy, did God answer in a big way! Stan was asked to pastor a local church and he’s been preaching almost every Sunday since! While our motive was to find a place of service, what we gained was a beautiful, supportive church family. Together we have gone through months of financial crisis; yet, the church is only stronger because of it. If you’d like to read more about our journey, go to our family blog at www.hallupdate.blogspot.com. Two weeks ago, ten people accepted Christ as their Savior and two people were baptized. It’s fun to watch God work in this local congregation.

We finished the 9th semester of NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute), which is the Spanish study-abroad program that Stan directs. We’ve had over 80 students attend this program since it began three years ago. We praise God for the way He uses this program in so many ways to draw people closer to Him. Stan and Sherri escorted the NILI students on a trip to the Galapagos Islands this November, which was a trip of a lifetime. Snorkeling with sea lions, sharks, rays, and every kind of fish you can imagine was a “bucket list” moment for both of us.

Mary is 18 and is in her senior year. She had the female lead in the high school play, sings and plays the flute in school choirs and the band, and is one of the captains on the varsity soccer team. Pray for her (and us) as she moves back to the States for college this next year. Landon is 14 and is in 8^th grade. Playing his guitar, writing songs and creating videos are his chief past times. He’s also in a drama class at school that he enjoys a lot.

Reflecting on the words of Silent Night, we pray for God’s peace to surround you and yours. May the “son of God, love’s pure light” challenge our hearts to share His “redeeming grace” to those around us in the coming year.

Happy New Year,

Stan, Sherri, Mary and Landon Hall

P.S. We will be back in the States next summer, and we are currently scheduling services. Contact us at stanleyrhall@gmail.com if you’d like to schedule an event with us.

Update on the Carcelen Church

2010-12-09T20:03:00.002-06:00

Dear faithful brothers and sisters in Christ,

It is with awe and thanksgiving in my heart that I give you an update concerning what our Lord is doing through the Carcelen Church School project. As you may remember our project was really overwhelming as we needed to raise close to $40,000 in six months. This was after supporting the school with $13,000 over the past year. Beyond this we are praying to be able to pay off a $7,000 loan that we took out during the school year.

We were able to pay off over half of our debt after three months through a variety of events and through your generous support. Our second payment of $14,000 is due at the end of December. I am happy to report that we have almost raised this amount, still lacking only $5,000. In the past few months many of you have given. This total is $3,800. This past Saturday we held our second garage sale. Items donated included a lot of clothes from several Work and Witness teams and items sacrificially donated from our church family. These items included a family stove and an expensive Sony video camera. We rejoice to report that we raised $841.

One of the most encouraging things in my time in ministry has been seeing the response of the Carcelen Church. As the new pastor of this church, I said all the right things to encourage them that God was bigger than any problem. I said things like, “We will be faithful and do our part and God will provide the rest.” I believed these things when I said them. I believe them more now. While we have worked hard to raise money to pay off our debt, we have also continued to give to others raising a significant offering for World Missions, helping several families experiencing financial problems, and paying our district obligations of 5% of our offerings.

We lost of few families in the beginning of this process, but the overwhelming majority have followed our leadership and have worked, given, and prayed week after week for a year and a half with, I confess, more faith than I possessed. During the past year our church has grown and we now have people attending from nine different countries. Over and over I have heard people’s encouraging words, “Pastor, don’t worry. God will provide. We know he will,” and “God will turn this crisis into a great victory.”

With this in mind, we are looking forward to the first Sunday in January. We are planning a huge celebration to acknowledge that God is bigger than any problem. We are going to sing, eat and hear testimonies. But more than anything, we are going to mark this day in our memories so that when we face problems in the future, we will not panic or complain or run away, but we will know with all confidence that God is faithful and that we can trust in him, no matter how big the problem.

I want to thank you again for your prayers and help with this great act of God. Is it not overwhelming to be part of this? Please keep us in your prayers as we are near the end of our last payment. If you’d like to help us, you can do so by clicking on the following: http://web.nazarene.org/goto/stanhall <http://web.nazarene.org/goto/stanhall>. I’ll continue to keep you informed of all that the Lord is doing. Next time I’ll send a photo of our great feast.

Blessings,
Stan

Did you know?

2010-10-15T17:13:00.001-05:00

Did you know that every Friday, Sherri writes and emails a prayer mailing for the North Andean Field (which includes prayer requests for the missionaries and the ministries in Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela). If you would like to receive this weekly prayer mailing, please click on the "Email Us" link on the right of this screen, and let us know.

Living Abroad and Politics

2010-10-12T13:15:00.001-05:00

Recently Ecuador had a political situation that was splashed all over the news, Facebook, etc. We requested prayer for safety of our family, and we received a lot of emails and calls asking about the situation. Some people wanted more information than we were willing to give.

Why? North Americans living abroad, and especially missionaries, are visitors and we must respect the political situation of our host country no matter our personal opinion. In fact, we are to be careful NOT to express our personal opinion or to be involved in anything political. We also have to carefully choose our words especially avoiding certain trigger words.

Today the political climate in the US encourages its citizens to voice your opinion openly, firmly and sometimes loudly! So some people don't understand our "neutrality." However, if we want to live peacefully as a resident visitor in another land, we must keep our personal biases to ourselves.

Now you know the rest of the story!

God has performed a miracle!

2010-10-08T12:13:00.001-05:00

For many months, we have been praying for God to work a miracle for the Carcelen School Project. This weekend, He did! Because of political issues in Ecuador we almost decided not to do the garage sale. However, things were calm on Friday, and this Saturday had been set aside on many calendars for a long time, so we went ahead with the event. A large part of the church helped, bringing clothes, furniture, food and other items. Missionary families, professors of NILI, and others donated. We were also able to sell items from the school which we currently do not need.

Two donations particularly impacted me. We have a very poor, older lady in the church that everyone simply calls ‘grandma.’ She bought some new children’s undergarments and gave them to the church to sell. Very humbly she said, “This is all I have. Would it be okay to donate this?” “Of course,” we said. We all thought of the parable of the gift of the widow’s mite.

On Friday night I got a call from a Haitian Nazarene minister who came to Ecuador after the earthquake. He’s been attending our church since January with his wife and two small children. The roof fell and destroyed their house during the earthquake. All of their neighbors were killed, but the Lord spared him and his family. He is starting over here in Ecuador because “there is nothing left in Haiti. Everything is destroyed.” We’ve offered them free Spanish classes through NILI to help with their adjustment. We’re hoping that he will be able to start a new Haitian Church with a considerable Haitian population in the north part of Quito. Anyway, Frantz called me Friday night around nine. He was on his way to work as a security guard—the only work he can find. It takes him an hour and a half one way by bus to get to work to make $14 a night. He told me that he went to the church that night and donated an oil based painting that he had brought from Haiti. I didn’t understand until I saw it the next morning. It’s quite nice and in a beautiful frame. I’ve been in their apartment. They sleep on mattresses on a concrete floor and have one small table and two plastic chairs. Yet, they gave the church the one item of value they had so that the church could sell it. A price of $50 was put on the picture, so I quickly bought it. I don’t really know what to do with it other than be amazed and reminded of their sacrifice.

Pastor Salomon, assistant pastor, preached Sunday morning. In a truly inspiring sermon, he challenged the church that what we need today more than ever is strong, sacrificial Christian leadership, both in Ecuador and in the Carcelen Church. On Saturday we were able to pay the first half of the liquidation to the professors from the school. That amount was close to $17,000. He mentioned that we were half way there, and that we only needed to work hard 90 more days in order to put the school debt behind us. Then he announced that beyond anyone’s expectation, the garage sale raised more than $2,000. A spontaneous applause broke out with many people saying, “How did we do that? How did that happen?” More than this, he told us that there was a whole room full of stuff that didn’t sell so that we’re going to do this again in December before our other big payment. Everyone is saying that our church is like the boy with five small loves and two fish. We’re giving what we can and the Lord is providing the rest with food left over, or in our case, resources left over to sell.

I want to thank you for your prayers and help with the Carcelen School Project. I’ll continue to keep you informed of all that the Lord is doing to help us.
Amazed,
Stan

Carcelén School Project

2010-09-24T13:15:00.002-05:00

Acts 2:44-45 (NIV)
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

The purpose of this letter is to recruit 100 friends who will help with a crisis situation here in Ecuador. Let me briefly explain the rather complicated, sensitive and urgent mission challenge that is affecting our local efforts to reach people for Jesus Christ.

The Situation

This past June the Carcelén Nazarene Church here in Quito had to close the operation of its school called CEN (which stands for Nazarene Education Center). This school was an important ministry tool to educate and reach local children in this part of Quito. The principle reasons were:

CEN started the school year in debt from a poor enrollment the previous year.
CEN’s enrollment was about down 40% from previous years because of newly implemented governmental financial incentives, which had the result of encouraging parents to put their children in public schools.
Despite careful administration of CEN and drastic cuts, the 2009-2010 school year ran $20,000 in debt. This was paid for with church funds and loans.
Finally, the government passed a law that mandated that all teachers’ salaries be doubled. This law closed all possibilities of continuing with the school.

I was brought into the situation in an advisory role a year ago in August when I came back from furlough. The previous pastor resigned the church a few months later. In January I was appointed to give leadership to the church to help them transition through this crisis.

The decision to close the school was especially complicated because Ecuadorian law requires that we pay all teachers a severance pay based on their years of service. This total is $38,000. Money was never set aside to anticipate this. Thus, the church was in a situation where it could not afford to run the school, but also could not afford to close it. Given the doubling of the cost to run the school, it was decided that we could not continue and would seek money to pay the liquidations/severances. This was due on June 30. Obviously we did not have this money at that time. After some rather intense negotiations, the faculty agreed to accept their severance in two payments, the first at the end of September and the second at the end of December.

The Church’s Response

There are considerable legal consequences associated with not paying the debt which not only affect this local Nazarene church, but the reputation of the Church of the Nazarene in Ecuador and its ability to minister here. In addition, the church could lose its property and assets if taken to court for non-payment. For this reason, we have pursued every means possible to raise the money. These efforts include:

The local church gives 75% of its income toward the debt. The rest provides for utilities and other necessities.
The Church of the Nazarene here in Ecuador has sold several pieces of property and others are for sale.
We regularly sell lunches after church events. This raises about $60 a week.

There are other fund raising events planned including a garage sale in a few weeks, but this is a large debt, especially in the economy of a developing nation where the average wage is $250 a month.

Request

With this explanation, I am praying for and seeking 100 friends who will give $150 toward this project. Will you be one? By doing this, you will help us get out of debt and help us focus on our principle purpose of reaching lost men, women and children and making Christlike disciples.

The church’s goal is to first pay off the faculty liquidation/severances. Second the church needs to pay back a $7,000 loan, which was taken out during the past school year. We are praying that we can be debt free by the end of 2010.

How to Help

To make it easy to give to this project, I have set up an online payment system. You can go to http://web.nazarene.org/goto/stanhall. Once here, click on the box that says, “Make a Donation.” From here, follow the directions. If you want to write a check, make it out to “General Treasurer” and send it to: Church of the Nazarene, Global Ministry Center, 17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, KS 66220. In the memo section write, “Work of Stan Hall.” Your donation is tax deductible. For Nazarenes, this project qualifies as a 10% giving project.

Seeking 100 people to give $150 seemed to us like a reasonable way of spreading out this debt over a number of people. Obviously, a gift of any size is appreciated. Also, if you know a friend who would be interested in this project, please send this email to them.

Thank you so much for your love and help in the global work of God, your friendship, and your very best financial investment. I will keep you informed on how our Lord used you to provide a miracle for these Ecuadorian saints.

Blessings from one rescued by Jesus Christ,

Stan Hall

Greetings from the City of Eternal Spring

2010-03-22T00:10:00.005-05:00

We haven't posted anything for nearly 3 months, but that doesn't mean life has been uneventful. Just the opposite--we're busier than ever. Stan has been serving as the interim pastor for a local church in crisis in addition to his regular busy schedule. It is a congregation that is full of dear people wanting to serve the Lord and to develop leaders from the laity. The NILI semester is a large group of traditional university students and NILI Professional students. God has blessed us with a great group of students who make our jobs a lot easier.

Sherri continues to homeschool Landon and is enjoying getting to know her son better and watching him blossom. He is writing a full-length novel and has written 6 chapters so far. Mary continues to do well in school and stays busy with school activities: choir, band, drama, soccer, ministry, and the list goes on!

We celebrated Carnival at the end of February. It is called "playing carnival" and by the pictures I think you'll understand why.

God always provides--He is faithful to our needs and He continues to protect us every day. Sherri had a fender bender with a bus last week. Not a lot of damage but, since it was her fault, it could have been very scary. But within a few short minutes of the accident, Pastor Rodrigo, one of national leaders and head of security at the Seminary, happened to be driving by and pulled over. He was able to negotiate with the bus owner and deal with the situation far better than any gringo could have. Some would say that his timing was a coincidence--but we know better! God is good.

Sherri's computer had some issues lately. In December, she discovered her battery was faulty and it stopped working, and she was able to get a new one without cost. Then in February her hard drive crashed. Guess what? It was still under warranty, so she was able to get a new one without cost. We don't have current funds to replace an expensive item, so we were thrilled that God provided yet again.

We will be on Home Assignment this year from June 25 until August 18. As usual we will be traveling across many states. We would love to come and share our ministry with your church. We still have several dates open depending on where you're located. Email us at stanleyrhall@gmail.com if you'd like to schedule something. We do Sunday and midweek services, Faith Promise conventions, zone rallies, camps, youth meetings--whatever you need.

Thank you for following our ministry and for praying for our needs. We appreciate you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-12-25T12:06:00.001-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Another year has passed and we stand amazed. In January 2010, we will have completed our 5^th year as missionaries. God’s grace abounds both in our lives and in our ministries. He has proven His faithfulness to us many times over this year, and we are so thankful.

We just finished the 6^th semester of NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute), which is the Spanish study-abroad program that Stan directs. This past year we had 14 university students and 10 professional adult students. Next semester we’ll have 14 students. God continues to open doors and change lives through this program.

Anyone we’ve talked to in the past year has probably heard the incredible story of how God healed a man Stan thought was dead and protected Stan from going to jail this past June. If you haven’t heard the story, go to our blog at www.hallupdate.blogspot.com and read this incredible testimony of God’s mercy. This year we also faced landslides (from too much rain in the Spring) and three fires (from not enough rain in the Fall) on our property. Again, God protected all of the buildings including our home on our property.

Mary is 17 and is in her junior year. She was in the school production of “Taming the Shrew” and is currently singing in the vocal ensemble and playing her flute in concert band. She enjoys being the defensive lead on the girl’s varsity soccer team, and she is a mentor to 8^th grade girls in a weekly ministry through the school. We know that her time here with us is short, so we are enjoying every minute we can. We are also thankful that her health has been much better this year—we know as a result of a lot of prayers.

Landon is 13 and is homeschooled this year. This gives him more time to develop his musical talents and his video productions. He recently performed one of his songs on guitar at a coffee-shop event and was well received. By the way, Landon’s on his way to being taller than Stan—and he won’t let his dad forget it!

Sherri continues with her writing projects, supervises Landon’s schooling, and tries to keep everyone organized. Susie, a Seminary student that Sherri had mentored for several years, graduated this year. This is part of the life of missionaries and students—many people come in and out of lives, and we just enjoy our friends while we can.

This past year we were praying for direction from God as to where we should attend church as a family. At the same time, Stan felt that God was challenging him to preach more. Although he had done a lot of teaching in Spanish, he hadn’t done a lot of preaching in Spanish. As soon as we returned to Quito this Fall, God has given Stan many opportunities to preach, and he also answered our prayers about a local church. One of the churches near us has been in crisis, and the board asked Stan to sit in on meetings and serve as a mentor during this time. Landon also plays his guitar with the praise team. We thank God for answered prayers.

We enjoyed meeting and reconnecting so many wonderful Nazarenes at the General Assembly and Conventions. While on Home Assignment we literally crisscrossed the states, enjoying the hospitality of many churches. We also served at the South Florida teen camp.

God takes care of even the little things. When Sherri’s computer battery died, we were able to get one delivered to us in about 3 days. That’s unheard of when living in a developing country! This week, we coordinated a team of former NILI students who returned to work on the construction of a house for the Seminary rector. We travel frequently throughout the year with students and visitors, and God always protects us—even when we don’t know it! Every un-eventful driving experience in Ecuador is a sign of God’s protection.

We will be back in the States from June 30-August 19, 2010, and we are currently scheduling services. We are open to all kinds of events: faith promises, weekly services, zone rallies, teen/children rallies, camps, etc. Please contact us at stanleyrhall@gmail.com if you’d like to schedule an event with us. We’d love to share with you what God is doing in Ecuador and beyond!

Our prayer during this season was penned by Robert Louis Stevenson: “Loving God, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.”

Merry Christmas to you and yours,

Stan, Sherri, Mary and Landon Hall

Family blog: www.hallupdate.blogspot.com

Mission blog: www.andeanadventure.blogspot.com

Three Fires in Three Days

2009-09-18T16:57:00.008-05:00

(The full article follows the photos below.)

Members from the Nazarene church trying to put out the first fire which was behind their property and moving towards the mission Work & Witness property and the Fischer's home.

One photo of the fire as it was moving behind the Work & Witness center.

A picture after all three fires which shows how close the fires came to our property.

The roofs in this photo are the Hall's garage and house. Again, you can see how close the fire came!

Throughout all three fires, Landon often served as a sentry to help us know which way the fire was moving or how close it was. Although he's posing a bit silly here, he took this responsibility very seriously, and was a big help.

On Sunday, 9/13, at around 1:00 p.m., we received an urgent telephone call alerting us to the fact that a fire was raging in the forest that backs up to the Work & Witness property (which is where we live). Stan, Mary and Landon began watering as soon as we heard the news, while Sherri began loading her car with a few valuables such as our passports, computers, baby pictures, etc. We also gathered the gas tanks around the property and relocated them to a safer place.

The fire was coming down the hill that leads to our property, and many people were helping put the fire out behind the Nazarene church that sits next to our property. (See photo 1). Soon after, we were joined by the Howard family and Dwight Rich. Sherri also began taking off all the curtains in our house and began taping the insides of our windows to prevent smoke from getting through the windows. Although the Fischer family was away with a team, we were most concerned about their home because the fire seemed headed in that direction. Also, they have two huge trees that are very close to their home. We just continually doused the area with water. After about three hours, the firemen arrived and stopped the fire. We knew, however, that because it was so very dry, another fire could start at any time.

Sure enough, the next evening, the winds picked up and the fire began where it had ended on Sunday. Stan estimates that at one point the fire was 40 feet wide and 100 feet tall as it marched towards us. Again, we started dousing our property, focusing on the Hall’s backyard since this was where the fire was headed. (See photo 2.) This time, however, everything was over within an hour because the firemen got to the fire very quickly and the winds died down suddenly. We were thankful for God’s protection yet again, but knew that the conditions were perfect for yet another fire.

The third fire came on Tuesday around 1:30 p.m. Sherri and Landon were the only ones at home, and they heard someone whistling very loudly outside of their home. When they went to check, the guard from the neighborhood across the ravine was signaling yet another fire. Sherri couldn’t believe her eyes because this one was already very intense and it was closer to their home than the other two had been. She and Landon flew into action even though it was only the two of them. She called for backup, though, and within 20 minutes a team of men was there to help. Photos 3 and 4 show how close it came to the back of the mission property. (These are taken afterwards. The roofs in the foreground are to our house and garage.) Thankfully, God’s protection continued to cover us, and the firemen were able to put out the fire before it actually reached our property (though it was really, really close). Then that evening God sent rain and we were thankful to the point of tears. (There is a rumor that Sherri did a “thank you God for the rain” happy dance, but she’s not confirming it.) It has rained everyday in the following days, and we are thankful for God’s tender mercies to our family during this time.

We are so very proud of how hard our children fought the fires with us. They both immediately manned the hoses and wouldn’t give up, even after several hours on the first day. Landon also served as our sentry as he’d climb up on the roof and give us updates on the path of the fire. (Photo 5.) We are also thankful for our Nazarene family that just dropped what they were doing and rushed to help us. This included both Latinos and North Americans. There were no barriers—everyone did what they could to save the property.

Stan speaks at 10th Anniversary

2009-09-08T12:48:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, 8/30, Stan preached at the 10th anniversary service of the Spanish-speaking Otavalo church. (All of the other churches in this area are Quechuan indigenous churches.)

Pastora Marcela shared a moving testimony about the current church's location. About 11 years ago when the property was purchased, many people in the town could not understand why that particular location was chosen because it was not in the center of the town, but rather in the unpopulated outskirts. But God knew! Over the years the town has grown and now the church is centrally located with five neighborhoods located around it. The Pastora praised God for His foresight and direction. She also expressed thanks to the two Work & Witness teams, made up of team members from Texas, Arizona and Kansas, that built the church ten years ago.

An elderly man, who is also a founding member, played two special songs on his harp. (See photo 1.) During the sermon, Stan challenged the church to go into its next ten years as a church of faith. He then led the altar call in which the entire church responded. Many said afterwards that God has spoken to them through the sermon and knew God would meet their needs. (See photo 2.) It was a great day of celebration, and we were excited to be a part of it. A photo of Pastor Marcela, her husband, Oscar, and their two boys are pictured in photo 3.

The congregation enjoyed a cake reception after the service.

Introducing Rocky Balboa

2009-08-26T19:28:00.002-05:00

Our new puppy, a miniature schnauzer!

Miracle on the Pan American Highway

2009-06-05T14:26:00.003-05:00

“Don’t panic. I’m okay. God is with me.” These were the first words Sherri heard when Stan called her to say that he’d been in an accident and had hit a pedestrian. Fear gripped her heart because the traffic laws in Ecuador are very severe and rigid. If a car hits a person, the driver is always at fault and taken directly to jail. We’ve known several people who have had their cars impounded and spent up to a week in jail before the courts settle the matter. It is the country’s way of insuring that the guilty party will pay for all damages. As she tried to pray, all she could utter was “God, I don’t understand. I just don’t understand.” Her mind filled with the thoughts of Stan in jail, missing his son’s 6^th grade graduation and camp-out, wondering if he would be out in time to fly to the States the next week. Did he need money? Food? What was happening to him? Meanwhile, God was performing miracles all around Stan.

Stan was driving from Shell to Quito. In addition to coming back for his son’s graduation, he was bringing Mike, a Work & Witness team member, back to Quito because he was very sick. They were traveling the Pan American Highway when a young man stepped right in front of the van without looking. Stan braked hard but couldn’t avoid hitting him. He went flying in the air and eventually his body dropped about forty or fifty feet away. Stan’s first thought was that the guy was probably dead. “I’m going to jail. But what will I do with Mike who speaks no Spanish?”

Immediately, a crowd formed around the van. Some were screaming and crying; others were talking excitably and pointing. As Stan tried to pull off the highway, one woman got in front of the car thinking he was leaving. Another man tried to take the keys out of the ignition. Almost immediately, there were four policemen at the scene asking for his driver’s license and registration and asking questions of the people who witnessed the accident. Praise the Lord, many of them said that the young man didn’t look but just ran out in front of the van. In the meantime, the policemen picked up the man by his arms and feet, tossed him in the back of their pickup and took him to the hospital.

Stan told Mike to put on the mask that the hospital given him and to start praying. (He was given a mask in case he had swine flu.) Meanwhile, Stan began to make calls to people who had connections with the police. One friend works for the U.S. embassy. He told Stan to be prepared to go to jail for some time. Then a policeman told Stan to get out of the van because he was taking him to jail in the city of Latacunga. Stan explained that he had a student who was very sick, who didn’t speak any Spanish and needed to go to Quito. Stan also mentioned that his son’s 6^th grade graduation was tonight. The policeman told Stan that he wouldn’t be going to that and that they would be impounding the van. This was another problem as the plans were to return to Shell the next day with the van to pick up the team.

After receiving the initial phone call, Sherri called her sister in Texas to ask for prayer. Sherri had to collect herself and break the news to the kids when she picked them up from school. Upon hearing the news, Landon asked how far away his dad was and what time did he need to leave there in order to make the graduation on time. Then he said, “I want to go to the car and pray now. Dad will be at my graduation.” Sherri didn’t have the heart to correct him and sent him on his way. Mary responded similarly as she began texting her friends to start a prayer chain for her dad. The kids didn’t want to accept the fact that their dad would be in jail for a few days at best.

After convincing the policeman that Mike was really sick, he allowed Stan to go to the hospital before going to the police station. The plan was to determine the condition of the young man and proceed from there. The police wanted to drive Stan in the police truck but finally agreed to let Stan drive his own van with the policemen sitting in the seat behind him. Stan recalls, “Because the hospital was about a 30-minute drive away, I purposely drove slowly to the hospital hoping my ‘connections’ would beat me there. We talked about the policeman’s family. I pleaded with him to tell his kids to look both ways before crossing the street. I talked about the Lord and how we never know when it is our turn to leave this earth. Throughout this time, I also made and received numerous calls trying to get help.”

At the hospital, Stan asked the doctor how the young man was, and the doctor responded, “Not good,” and shook his head very gravely. Stan asked the police to show him the young man and asked if he could pray with him. With their permission, he walked over to the bed and said, “I’m really sorry for what happened, but I braked and there was nothing that I could do. I’m a pastor and believe that Jesus Christ heals people. Would you like me to pray for you?”

A wonderful thing about the people in Ecuador is that they have a fear of God that doesn’t exist in many places in the States or the Western world. Instead of distrusting Stan, he simple said, “Yes.” Stan asked him where he hurt. He said his head and back. Stan prayed, “Lord, we are in a crisis and we need Your help.” Then he specifically asked the Lord to heal his head and back.

As Stan walked out of the emergency room, he was surprised to hear, “Hola, Stan,” because the name “Stan” is a hard name to say in Spanish. The stranger continued, “I’m Freddy and a Christian. What do you need?” Earlier Stan had talked to Pastor Rodrigo, one of our pastors from Quito, and Rodrigo told Stan that a Christian brother was on his way to the hospital. Stan was amazed how quickly the stranger arrived. Then, almost immediately, a dignified man walked up to him and said, “Good afternoon, Stan.” He was the Colonel of the Firefighters in Latacunga and another Christian that God had sent to help.

Shortly thereafter, Stan received the news that there didn’t appear to be anything wrong with the young man who earlier went flying through the air and rolled on the concrete before passing out. They needed to wait for a few more tests. After another 45 minutes, the doctor certified that nothing was wrong with the patient; however, he recommended that Stan pay him one day’s work as recompense. Stan happily paid the young man for a whole week. Then the police gave Stan back his license and vehicle registration. Stan thanked them and his new Christian brothers.

The number of miracles God performed that day were staggering. Stan never made it to the police station—no booking, no jail time, and no fines. Even more miraculously, the young man fully recovered within about two hours’ time. When Stan and Mike were on their way back to Quito, they saw a rainbow. Mike reminded Stan that it is a symbol that God always keeps his promises. Landon’s faith statement came true: they arrived at the graduation just minutes before the ceremony began. God’s faithfulness endures forever. Amen.

Family Update

2009-05-26T20:34:00.002-05:00

God Is Changing Lives!

“NILI was amazing! I’ve never been able to hear God so clearly. Changed my life COMPLETELY. Glory to God.” These are just a few of the comments from the last group of NILI students. Advise for future NILIs includes: “Don’t miss a chance to do God’s work. Listen to what God is telling you. If you allow him, he will change your life.” God is at work through NILI, and we stand amazed.

Through NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute), North American university students come to Ecuador seeking a Spanish immersion program that provides various travel and culture experiences. But, praise God, they’re reporting that an encounter with God has made the biggest impact on their lives. The NILI program is far more than an academic program. The students eat, room and fellowship with our national Seminary students who are preparing to be ministers. The NILIs are actively involved in ministry events that often confront their levels of faith. All the glory belongs to God. Pray for Stan as he directs this program and his staff who work hard to make it a program of excellence and integrity.

Testimonies Abound!

Testimonies tell the story of God’s work around the world. Check out our web sites for personal testimonies and Jesus Film testimonies. Our family blog is www.hallupdate.blogspot.com. Our mission blog is www.andeanadventure.blogspot.com. In addition, Sherri emails the prayer requests for the mission every Friday. If you would like to be a prayer partner, email Sherri at thehalls4@gmail.com to request the brief weekly mailing.

Prayer Requests

· Mary has been struggling with her health. Her immune system is worn down, and she’s had bronchitis, a bad cold or flu since November. She is getting shots to help build her immune system. Pray that God will completely heal her system.

· Landon graduates from the 6^th grade next week and Mary has a full week of final exams the following week. Pray that they finish their school year well.

· We will be driving from Colorado to Florida to Texas and all of the States in between. A lot of miles, so we need God’s traveling mercies and a lot of patience as we live out of a suitcase for 9 weeks.

· Pray for a spiritual revival in our field: Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit among our workers and for more souls to be saved.

· Pray for our Seminary students and for God’s wisdom and direction for Stan and Sherri as we work with these students.

Home Assignment Schedule

We soon return to the States for General Assembly and Home Assignment. We would love to see you if we’re in your area! Here’s our schedule (so far):

6/14     AM            Florence, Colorado
6/14     PM            Colorado (open)
6/16                 Westminster, Colorado
6/21     AM            Poplar Bluff, Missouri
6/21     PM            Missouri (open)
6/23 – 7/3            General Assembly, Orlando, Florida
7/5       AM            Braedenton, Florida
7/5       PM            Florida (open)
7/6 – 10            So. Florida Teen Camp
7/12     AM            Wike, Arkansas
7/12     PM            Ashdown, Arkansas
7/19     AM            Northside Forth Worth, Texas
7/19     PM            Texas (open)
7/26     AM            Festus, Missouri
7/26     PM            Fenton, Missouri
8/2       AM            Neosho, Missouri
8/2       PM            Springfield, Missouri
8/9       AM            Durango, Colorado
8/9       PM            Colorado (open)
8/15 & 16:            Faith Promise, Gunnison Valley, Colorado
8/16     PM            Colorado (open)

We still have several dates open. If you’d like to schedule a service, email Stan at stanleyrhall@gmail.com. To call us while we’re in the States: 636-459-7834.

God bless you for your prayers and your support of our family and our ministry.

To add or remove a name from our mailing list, please send an email to thehalls4@gmail.com. Thank you.

Mother's Day Lunch

2009-05-10T19:17:00.003-05:00

For a special Mother's Day lunch, we went to Pim's which is a very nice restaurant in the old town section of Quito. Pim's is located at the top of a hill which is called the Panecillo. The hill also has a huge statue of a virgin with wings that overlooks the city. Because the Panecillo is about midway between the northern and southern sections of the city, you're able to see an incredible panoramic view of the city. Today the sun was shining, so you could see forever. Incredible, fun day.

Mother's Day Service

2009-05-10T16:29:00.004-05:00

For Mother's Day we attended one of our favorite churches in Quito, Comite del Pueblo, which translates as Committee of the People. This town is called that because it is an invasion community. Thousands of people organized and "took over" this part of Quito almost overnight. Much like squatters, each family took over a plot of land and settled there. Now this "suburb" of Quito has one of the largest populations in a very small area. The church is full of loving Nazarenes who know how to worship. We always enjoy going there.

Today, several different groups performed either a song or dance in honor of Mother's Day. The adults danced an indigenous dance dressed as Otavalons (see photo 1). A group of children performed a rap dance (see photo 2). It was a great service.

More Glimpses of Ecuador

2009-05-07T21:53:00.004-05:00

Pictures:

#1: Mary and Landon at the indigenous museum on the equator near our home. If you come to visit us, we promise to take you. You'll be able to do several fun experiments which prove that you're on the equator.

#2: Chimborazo: You see this volcano when you travel to Riobamba, about 4 hours south of Quito. Stan and Landon have climbed up almost to the top.

#3: Cayambe: Recently when driving around Quito, we got a rare glimpse of this beautiful mountain.

#4: This cathedral is found on a town square in Riobamba. When you travel through Ecuador you see the remains of the Spanish conquistadors that overthrew the Inca empire. This is one example.

Spring Break

2009-04-20T12:05:00.005-05:00

This year, Mary was in the high school play which meant a lot of late nights. So when the Spring Break came the next week, all we wanted to do was relax. One day we decided we wanted an American hamburger and american food like onion rings, corn dogs and coke floats. Except for one place owned by an American, you can't get this kind of food in Quito. So we made a celebration. The first picture includes Mary's friend, Michelle, who joined our excursion. The other pictures are my "mature" children playing with the toys in the garden. And is Mary being a spy?????

Stan preaches in evangelistic campaign

2009-04-05T22:30:00.003-05:00

A church in Otavalo has been holding a Kids Club for awhile and it runs about 50 kids each week. This weekend the church had an evangelistic campaign to get the parents of these children to attend. The weekend events culminated in an evangelistic service in which Stan preached. He reports that about 30 new families attended and the church was full. Please pray that these new families will return and accept Jesus as Savior.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration

2009-03-17T22:09:00.005-05:00

Landon has always enjoyed celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Maybe it is because he has red hair. Maybe it is because he's part leprechaun. Who knows. But mom decided to surprise the family with a St. Patrick's Day meal. No it wasn't traditional corned beef and cabbage. Instead it was grilled pork chops, homemade drop biscuits, cream of spinach soup and pistachio pudding. The kids got a kick out of coming to the table to find so many of their foods were "green." It was a fun supper.

Pichincha Adventure

2009-03-08T17:23:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, Stan, Mary, Landon and Glen Sanderson climbed up to the top of Mount Pichincha, the closest mountain range near our home. It was a beautiful, sunny day. From their birds'-eye view they could see several mountain/volcano ranges: Cotopaxi, Cayambe, Antesana, Imbabura and another mountain that they couldn't identify.

They drove most of the way and then climbed another 200 feet to the top. It is 4,776 meters at the very top. They started the day in t-shirts and ended up in coats, hats and gloves because the temperature drops very quickly as you get to the top.

They were able to get a good view inside the crater. It was "smoking" which is the steam vapor escaping the volcano. In several of our pictures, the kids were jumping as if they could fly. It must be the natural thing to do when you're that close to the heavens!

Glimpses of Quito Colonial

2009-02-06T17:59:00.004-06:00

The Basilica against the backdrop of the city.

A bakery . . . there's literally one on every corner ... hmmmmm!

A view of El Panecillo, a statue of a virgin that overlooks Quito Colonial.

A palace on the government square in downtown Quito.

A monument commemorating the independence of Ecuador from Spain, found in a downtown park.

Missouri Teens Minister to 150 Shuar in Ecuadorian Jungle

2009-01-25T17:02:00.005-06:00

The Shuar women who welcomed the teen group with a traditional dance and singing. The beads they are wearing around their waists and ankles make a percussion sound when they move.

The crowd was so thick when the van first pulled in that the team could barely get out of the van! The women pictured here is Pastor Deb Laws, former missionary to Spain, who was the Bible teacher/song leader of the group.

The crowd was huge both days!

Facepainting....

Puppets.... Mary was a big help to Deb. She sang, translated, read from the Bible or the puppet script.... whatever was needed! Landon also helped by playing games with the kids and holding a lot of babies....

*******

For two days in the jungle of Ecuador, 150 children and their parents, many of whom walked 1-to-2 hours from their homes, descended upon Centro Yuu, an indigenous Shuar village. As the Work & Witness team vans drove into the village, joyful children running alongside immediately surrounded the vans. In fact, the team had a hard time exiting their vans because of the crowd!

On Dec. 29 & 30, a group of teens from the Eldon, Missouri, church along with their adult leaders traveled to the Shuar village for a two-day kids ministry event complete with clowns, face-painting, balloons, puppets, games, and Bible stories. Pastor Deb Laws (former missionary to Spain) and youth pastor Mike Edinger led the activities along with Mary Hall, daughter of missionaries Stan & Sherri Hall, who also served as translator.

The Nazarene church is the only evangelical church serving in this jungle area. Several villagers kicked off the event with singing and an indigenous dance to welcome the ministry team.

While the teens pray that their messages influenced these children and their families, several commented that their lives would never be the same again. Kristi Mueller shares how God expanded her faith: “We were running out of bread and Coke to share, and I prayed there would be enough, that no one would be left out. By the time we got through, everyone had gotten some, and there was some left. It reminded me of the story of Jesus and the bread and fishes. He did it again!"

The teens distributed over 175 health/toiletry kits to everyone in attendance. In addition, another 50 family kits were left with the Shuar pastor to distribute to families in the future. Another teen, Erin Vernon, conveyed the impact of this trip: "We have so much in this country, and they don't even have their needs met. And yet, they are still happy with what they have. I have realized that I am spoiled, but I am changing.”

Work & Witness Team Ministers to Several People Groups

2009-01-25T15:56:00.004-06:00

The entire 34-member team from Eldon, Missouri.

This is a family from the Shuar mission church and they are the key leaders in the church. They are standing in front of their "house."

In this picture, the team is bending rebar into frames that will support the columns.

Because they were pouring the 4th floor, the concrete had to be mixed on ground level and hoisted up by crane to the top floor. It was a lot of work!

The completed job ... drying in the rain!

*********

The following is an article Sherri wrote for our mission blog. But since our family was the missionary family working with the team, we wanted to include it here as well. Each of us had a fantastic time working in different areas, and we felt God's blessings upon our lives. This was a huge group to coordinate housing, meals, work, trips, etc., but God was faithful!

==============

The Missouri team that recently worked in Shell, Ecuador, came with a big mission—to seek as many ways as possible to impact the community with the love of Jesus Christ. God answered their prayers as they ministered to several people groups in and around this jungle town: the Mestizo, the Shuar and the Waoroni.

Part of the team included 9 teens and their leaders who held a two-day kids’ event in Centro Yuu, a Shuar village. They shared the gospel with over 150 children and their parents. The rest of the team constructed and poured the fourth floor of the school building for the Shell Church of the Nazarene. The school children are from the nations of Shuar, Waoroni, Ashuar, and Cofan. The team also brought and distributed clothing, toiletry kits and school supplies to the church and its community.

The team attended a Sunday service in the Shuar village. This mission church is an offspring of the Shell Church of the Nazarene and is the only evangelical presence in the area. It was a night of two cultures sharing together. Rev. Angel Lemache, pastor of the Shell church, and Rev. Jerry Frye, pastor of the Eldon, MO, church, each shared with missionary Stan Hall translating. The Shuar church sung in both Shuar and Spanish, followed by the team singing in English.

When the team asked Pastor Angel how they could further the work in Centro Yuu, he mentioned two projects: water purification and discipleship. The water source is a small dirty pool of water from which people bathe, wash their clothes and drink. Regarding discipleship, the pastor wants to see people baptized and to have their own Bibles and notebooks for teaching. The team left with a burden to help in some way in the future. Ray Pinzke said, “I complain if the water is not hot enough, and now I’m just thankful for pure water.”

Shell, Ecuador, is steeped in missionary history, as it was the headquarters for the five missionaries who were killed by the Auca tribe in the 1950s. The Aucas are now called Waoroni. Several team members met and prayed with Omari, the female leader of the Waoroni. This people group consists of 35 communities, 10 of which have a strong Christian influence and 25 that are without Christ and still live violent lives. Omari’s sister and brother-in-law were speared to death trying to reach one of these communities for Christ. Yet, Omari is committed to going back into that community and she requested prayer from the group. Although Pastor Angel hadn’t met Omari, he plans to follow up with her. Team member Kay Webery shared, "I was moved by her [Omari’s] commitment to sharing the gospel. She was willing to risk everything to share the Gospel."

Another way the team contributed was to rent a hostel serviced by the local Nazarene church. The hostel employs several local church members along with raising funds for the salary of the school’s teachers. In addition, team members donated their own personal funds to pay for a cornea transplant operation for the pastor’s wife who is going blind. Although we don’t know the full results of their generous spirits, we know the God will continue to bless the seeds sown in these different communities.

Our pretty babies.....

2009-01-24T21:02:00.002-06:00

¡Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año!

2008-12-23T17:57:00.005-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a whirlwind year for us. The first 3 years we were in Ecuador prepared us for the challenges of 2008, and we’re thankful for God’s preparation, timing, blessings, and direction in our lives.

In January the first NILI students arrived! Stan is the director of NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute), which is a college semester study abroad Spanish program. The goals are twofold: (1) to provide North American students an excellent, Christian Spanish program and (2) to use NILI tuition to raise funds for Seminary student scholarships and Seminary campus improvements. The Seminary has a goal to be self-financed, and NILI is helping to achieve that goal.

God has answered our prayers beyond anything we could have imagined! The Seminary hired an Ecuadorian president for the first time in its history. He brings many talents and experiences to the position, and we are thankful for his leadership. Also, the NILI funds sponsored many more Latin students to attend the Seminary. At times we had over 100 students living on campus! Finally, God has greatly impacted the lives of our NILI students. Many received a call or a confirmation to a call to missions while in Ecuador. Others expressed that God was working in their lives during their time in Ecuador.

This summer we traveled through 22 states on our deputation tour! We are grateful for the love and care given to us by our own families and our Nazarene family wherever we went. Some personal highlights during the summer were visiting Dallas, Washington D.C., Boston and Niagara Falls.

This Fall flew by as Stan continued directing NILI and taught three classes at the Seminary. Stan also created the NILI-Professional program for adults who want to learn Spanish while living in Ecuador. We had our first couple come in October.

Mary played varsity girls soccer and grew as a team leader. She learning to play the saxophone along with playing the flute in the varsity band and sings in both the choir and the vocal ensemble. Landon takes both guitar and piano lessons. What he enjoys most, though, is writing songs using the Garage Band program or playing them on the guitar. Sherri continues with several writing projects, but mostly tries to keep up with her family!

As we finish 2008, we look forward to hosting a 32-member team from Eldon, MO. We will be in Shell, Ecuador, to continue building the church’s school, and we will take the teen group into an indigenous Shuar village for a VBS-type program. We are very excited to see how God moves in and through this team.

God has been so good to us, and a BIG part of that blessing comes through you, our friends and family. We cannot express how much your prayers and support mean to us. We love to hear from you so keep the emails and letters coming.

Love, Stan, Sherri, Mary and Landon

Sweet 16 Luau Party

2008-12-17T09:39:00.004-06:00

Our baby, Mary, turned 16 and we had a luau birthday party to celebrate. It was supposed to be outside, but the rain wouldn't go away. We still had fun.

Photos:

Our 16 year old baby girl
Our family: we had a time to honor Mary and different people shared what Mary means to them. In this photo, Landon is sharing.
The menu was complete with roasted pig and fruit salad. Of course, birthday cakes too.

My Baby's Sweet 16: Part two

2008-12-17T09:27:00.004-06:00

Guests included friends from the mission and from school. At the end, the rain let up and we were able to light our luminaries and to roast marshmallows over our bonfire. A magical ending to a fun night!

New Thanksgiving tradition--the Beach!

2008-12-04T10:26:00.002-06:00

We usually try to get to the beach for a family vacation at least once a year, usually during Christmas break. This year, however, we went at Thanksgiving. Because Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here, this was considered "off season" so we had our rented condo and the beach to ourselves. It was paradise! Although we'd rather be with our families at holidays, this is a great "plan b."

Pictures:

View from the kitchen window: This is the closest we've ever stayed to the beach. It was incredible.

A dad and his son: riding the waves . . . all afternoon!

A boy and his dog: Landon and Snuggles relaxing poolside.

Mary at the pool . . . chilling.

Snuggles as guard dog . . . he thinks he's so big!

Soccer Season--came and went too fast!

2008-12-04T10:13:00.005-06:00

Mary has been playing varsity girls soccer since the 7th grade. With any sports team, some years are better than others. This year was a fun year (even though the team was young and they didn't always win) because Mary emerged as a strong leader on the team. In fact, she won the award for "Best Defensive Player" for the team. We are proud that she's not only coaching the younger players in the game but is a big sis for them too. As a mom, it has been fun to see her grow in this way.

The pictures:

Photo of her team with the tournament trophy (they got 2nd place). Mary is in the center and is wearing her Best Defense medal.

Photo of the team after the final game.

Photo of Mary doing what she does best -- blocking out a player on the other team so that the goalie can get to the ball.

Glimpses of Ecuador

2008-11-10T22:21:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos I lifted from my friend Lisa Peterson: the twin towers of the cathedral in Quito Colonial and some beautiful landscapes with local inhabitants!

Fun Surprise!

2008-11-10T22:11:00.003-06:00

Sherri got a special treat as her brother-in-law flew her to Texas to surprise her sister for her birthday. It was a great week with special "sister" time!

My Friends

2008-10-15T23:05:00.003-05:00

Recently, the ladies of the Nazarene mission got together for lunch. From left to right: Jen Staudt, Diane Hall (no relation), me, Lucy Olivo, Krista Fischer, Kim Haddon, Shirley Fischer and Carolyn Rich. A good time!

The plants of Ecuador

2008-10-01T20:24:00.004-05:00

The plants of Ecuador are so beautiful and bloom all year long. One of the blessings of living in a place that is perpetual spring! Here are a few examples ....

Celebrating the Church Centennial in Ecuador

2008-09-26T13:11:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, our family traveled to Riobamba, Ecuador, to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Church of the Nazarene. This anniversary is being celebrated all over the world. Here's a recap of the weekend:

With great enthusiasm, the Ecuadorian church celebrated the 100^th anniversary of the Church of the Nazarene on September 12-14 in Riobamba, Ecuador. Every event intentionally demonstrated a heartfelt thankfulness for God’s blessings upon the Church. On Friday night, Field Strategy Coordinator Dwight Rich provided a clear definition of a Holiness Church and he bore witness of God’s grace to the Church over its history in Ecuador.

On Saturday morning, staff members of the South American Theological Nazarene Seminary presented workshops. Rector Freddy Guerrero shared his vision for the future of the Seminary while Dr. Jonathan Salgado, from Mexico, spoke on Nazarene Identity (or what it means to be a Nazarene). Seminary students also testified about their calls to ministry.

The highlight of the weekend came Saturday afternoon when 2000 people marched through the streets of the Riobamba, stretching out over 15 city blocks (picture 1). The rally simulated the gathering of our founding fathers and demonstrated for the townspeople the joy of the Church of the Nazarene. The band from the local Nazarene school accompanied the crowd while jugglers on stilts performed in the parade. Several ministry groups marched alongside the colorful floats (picture 2). The march ended at the Coliseum where an evangelistic service commenced. Several indigenous churches formed a choir of 120 Quechuan women. A youth group also performed an amazing juggling and acrobatics act, which included lit torches.

During the final celebration on Sunday morning, as the congregation finished singing the last note of “Holiness Unto the Lord,” a Mariachi band surprised everyone as they paraded through the Coliseum and led a time of worship (picture 3). A special “passing of the torch” ceremony, in which the older generation lit the candles of the younger generation, pointed to the future of the Church (picture 4). Rev. Freddy Guerrero gave the final challenge—we cannot be content with our accomplishments but must look ahead, building upon our glorious heritage to carry the message of Holiness to those in a sinful world until the time of our Lord’s return.

Ecuadorian church leaders planned and led the events of the entire weekend. At each service, a praise team from a different church led the worship. Two of the services were broadcast throughout Ecuador and parts of South America. The Church of the Nazarene is alive and well in Ecuador, and we give God all the glory! Amen!

This Semester's NILI Staff and Students

2008-09-06T18:42:00.004-05:00

For the Fall Semester 2008, there are 6 NILI students. We recently had them, their national roommates and the NILI staff and families over for dinner and games. Even Mr. Snuggles is part of the group!

New Kids Club

2008-09-03T12:00:00.003-05:00

Sherri is now helping at a newly formed Kids Club called "Children of Jesus." The club is for children of Seminary staff and students. The kids hear a story, sing songs, play games and make a craft. It's a lot of fun! In this picture, Kristen (one of our NILI students) is helping some children color their memory verse craft.

More photos from Deputation

2008-08-16T11:39:00.002-05:00

We've had an incredible time this summer. Here's a few more pictures from our travels:

1. The Old North Church (one by land, two by sea) in Boston

2. Plymouth Village (a mock village set up like the time of the Pilgrims)

3. Plymouth Rock (monument around it under construction). Some call this the Plymouth Pebble. Wonder why?

4. Niagrara Falls from the US side.

5. Happy Travelers

Hello from the States!

2008-07-17T12:53:00.003-05:00

We are currently on home assignment. In between church services, camps and missions conventions, we are getting some family and/or vacation time in along the way. Here are some recent photos.

Photo 1: Cousins from the Hall Reunion

Photo 2: Peter and Emily Delkus (cousins on the Dixon side) standing in front of the building from which President Kennedy was shot.

Photo 3: U.S. Capital Building

Photo 4: Family in front of the White House

Photo 5: Flags that surround Washington Memorial

We spent two days in DC and it was wonderful. Even though it was planned at the very last minute, God helped us get tickets to the things we wanted to see and everyone was nice and helped us figure out the metro rail system, etc.

We are currently in New England traveling to Vermont, New Hampshire and Mass. A first time for all of us! Besides their unusual accents, the people are wonderful and we're enjoying God's beautiful creation. Landon is at kids camp this week and Mary will be at Sr. High camp next week, so that is an added bonus.

Thanks for your prayers for our family. And stay tuned . . . we return to Ecuador at the end of August!

Greetings from the Middle of the World!

2008-04-28T23:03:00.001-05:00

2008 Ordination Service

2008-04-10T13:46:00.003-05:00

Recently Stan participated in praying for the 2008 Ecuadorian ordinands (see photo 1). During the service General Superintendent J.K. Warrick preached while Regional Director Christian Sarmiento interpreted. An indigenous choir also performed during the service (see photo 2).

Mount Chimborazo

2008-03-11T17:35:00.003-05:00

Stan and Landon recently drove up and then walked up Mount Chimborazo as far as they could go without actually using mountain climbing gear. Mount Chimborazo is an inactive volcano, and is the tallest point in Ecuador. Some believe it is the tallest mountain in the world because its peak is the furthest from the Earth's center (measuring 3,968 miles from the Earth's core to its peak).

They were blessed with an unusually warm, sunny day. Usually at this altitude, they'd be so covered up you wouldn't see their smiles.

So Sweet!

2008-02-24T22:20:00.002-06:00

Landon has a soft spot for babies. This little girl is the daughter of a mission staff person who lives at the Seminary.

The Beach

2008-02-24T19:40:00.004-06:00

This year we decided in lieu of a lot of gifts we would celebrate Christmas at the beach. We stayed in a condo just a few feet fro the ocean. We were in need of some quality family time and the beach is our favorite place to go!

One day we took a long boat ride. The close-ups are of the kids while on the boat.

We took Mr. Snuggles (our dog) with us and he loved the beach and he tolerated the waves. He definitely did not like the boat ride. He hid under Sherri's towel and whined the entire way. Poor baby!

There are more pictures on the kids' blogs (see links to the right).

New Year's Eve

2008-02-24T19:13:00.004-06:00

On New Year's Eve we celebrated with local traditions. We took a chiva ride. A chiva is an open two-story bus (sit on the bottom and stand on the top). (See picture 1.) There's also a band that plays as we drive through town. We throw candy from the chiva to people on the street. Landon threw candy into the empty beds of trucks so that people would find candy the next day. Mary and her friends played a game where you got different points for hitting (I mean throwing candy to) different types of people. Hitting a policeman gave you the most points! (Picture 2 is of Stan and Landon throwing candy from the top of the chiva.)

Afterwards, our mission got together for a meal. Then we burned the "old man" which is a dummy filled with sawdust. (See picture 3.) This act symbolically burns up the regrets of the old year and ushers in the hopes of the new one. For us, it is just fun. After the old man finally burned up, we shot off firecrackers.

Christmas Concerts

2008-02-24T18:59:00.004-06:00

Here are pictures of Mary and Landon from their Christmas Concerts. Landon was in the choir for his school program and Mary was in the band and the choir.

Knock Out!

2008-02-24T18:02:00.004-06:00

Stan and Landon had a boxing match at the Harvest Festival held at the school. There were a lot of activities but this was their favorite event.

Stan's Surprise Birthday Dinner

2008-02-16T20:43:00.006-06:00

Stan's birthday this year fell on the day after Thanksgiving. Despite that fact, we had already decided that it would be a work day. Organize our computer area, decorate for Christmas, etc. We planned a very simple meal without dessert since we were still feeling too full from Thanksgiving the day before. However, our Ecuadorian friends would NOT hear of it! To not acknowledge a friend's birthday is almost an insult, so they surprised him with a chicken dinner and an ice cream cake. Pictured here (from right to left) is Harrison (seminary student), Solomon (seminary staff and one of Stan's best friends), Landon, Stan, Lucy (Solomon's wife and Stan's assistant), Susy (seminary student and one of Sherri's best friends) and Mary. It was a wonderful evening. Afterwards we relaxed and watched a movie together.

More Family Adventures

2008-02-16T19:10:00.003-06:00

Back in the Fall, we visited Shell and here are some pictures of our family adventures. The highlight was visiting an animal reserve on a military post. Our guide for the day was the son of a high military official; that's how we even got clearance to visit the reserve.

Monkeys, parrots and other animals ran "wild" while our friends the "crocs" where in a fenced-in area. The monkeys surprised us by jumping on us; they were so curious! Go to the kids' links to see pictures of the monkeys on their backs.

Another highlight was climbing an 11-story treehouse. It was a bit rickety, but we managed to get to the top level. The view was breathtaking.

Thanks for your prayers!

2008-02-16T13:22:00.006-06:00

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for Mary. She's not had any more stomach pains since taking the medication and eating healthier. Please continue to pray that her stomach will heal completely so that she can stop taking the medication soon.

Update on Mary

2008-02-04T17:30:00.000-06:00

The doctor thinks that Mary has gastritis. Because of the pain, she nearly stopped eating, so that’s the cause for the fainting/dizzy spells. All of her tests came back negative except her urine test which shows a low level infection. He wants to treat her for gastritis for a month. If her stomach heals, then we’ll just have to watch her diet, stress, etc. If not, she’ll need an endoscopy procedure for further tests. Already she’s feeling better as I’ve become educated on what foods are nutritious yet she’s able to handle. She’s eating better this week. Our prayer is that God will heal her stomach completely.

Prayer Requests

2008-01-26T13:32:00.000-06:00

1. For some time now Mary has had pains when eating. She's also had bouts of fainting and/or dizziness. Because the symptoms have increased in frequency and intensity, yesterday we took her to an internist. Carolyn Rich (our missionary nurse) went with us to help us explain. (Medical interviews in Spanish can be very difficult sometimes.) The doctor took a long time with Mary asking questions. He then took 3 vials of blood to run all kinds of tests along with urine and other tests. Monday evening we return to get results. Please pray that the doctor will be able to find the cause and that we can get Mary well.

2. Monday morning I will begin to homeschool Landon because we want him to be able to return to the US in May with his dad instead of having to wait until June when Mary and I come back. I believe this could be a very beneficial time for him as we work will also work on study habits, self-discipline issues, etc. Please pray for this new adventure and that we both will have patience with one another.

3. I also want to thank you for your prayers regarding NILI, the new language institute. Things could not be going better, and the university students are a great bunch of kids--very enthusiastic and positive. The classes are running well and God keeps putting pieces of the puzzle together. However, Stan is working very long hours which is hard on all of us. Pray for him as he continues to make critical decisions on a regular basis and pray that he can find ways to rest during this hectic time.

Thank you, in advance, for your prayers. "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God!" May God bless you and yours today.

Merry Christmas 2007

2007-12-25T10:11:00.000-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

As we take time to reflect on our past year, we have experienced too many blessings to mention, but here are a few of our favorites:

Everyone: Having Stan’s parents visit for 2 weeks in February and going home for 3 weeks vacation in July!

Stan:

Baptizing new converts in a local river in Shell, Ecuador
Mentoring our Seminary students
Teaching and preaching at several evangelism events

Sherri:

Being a prayer partner with a Seminary student
Receiving the money for a new MAC the very week my PC died
Facilitating prayer for our field through a weekly prayer mailing

Mary:

Going to NYC (Nazarene Youth Congress) in St. Louis
Beginning High School and playing varsity soccer

Landon:

Playing with my cousins and riding roller coasters on vacation
Being a “brother” to our puppy, Mr. Snuggles (man’s best friend!)

We have so much to be thankful for, especially our family and friends who encourage us through so many different ways. We love your creativity!

Current prayer request: Stan is the director of NILI (Nazarene International Language Institute) which begins in January 2008. This is a study abroad Spanish program targeting university students. Pray for his leadership and the many details. Pray for the professors and the incoming students as well.

We still have dates available during our Home Assignment: May through August 2008. Call or email us if you’d like to schedule a service or event.

We love you, and pray God’s blessings upon you and yours, especially during this time of reflecting on the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.

Stan, Sherri, Mary and Landon Hall

Shell #1: Evangelism Weekend

2007-10-04T15:10:00.000-05:00

Last weekend our family went to Shell for a weekend of special events. Shell is named for the famous oil company that has operations in this eastern town of Ecuador. It is also the headquarters for Mission Aviation Fellowship, a mission that flies people into the jungle where no other airplanes fly. This is also the home of the 5 missionaries who were brutally killed back in 1956 by the Aucas tribe (as portrayed in the recent move, “The End of the Spear”).

We were joined by the Howards (another Nazarene missionary family) and the family of Felix Vargas. Friday night Felix spoke on how to win people. Saturday in the park there was an exposition of several ministries in Shell including other mission groups. Saturday night there was a youth evangelistic service. Before the service several of us invited people to the evangelistic service, several of which came to the service.

I took Felix’s DVD to a neighbor’s shop where they sold pirated DVDs. I asked, “Do you have this DVD?” Of course they didn’t have Felix’s DVD, but the guy told me he’d try to get it for me. I started telling him about Felix’s life. After he was hooked, I said, “Hey, he’s preaching in five minutes and is going to tell his story.” He still wasn’t ready to go, so I told him that God was so powerful in Felix’s life that this guy, who could torture people without feelings, now wasn’t able to talk about his God or his wife without crying. Then I said, “I’ll give you $10 if he doesn’t cry during his sermon.” That got him. He and his wife shut down the shop and went next door.

Also during the day a youth from the church, Jorge, was our guide showing us some sites around Shell. His father is in the military and isn’t a Christian. I asked Jorge if his father was going to attend that night. He said he was working on him. Jorge, Sr. showed up during the worship time, so I introduced him to Felix. The church was packed with people standing in the back and outside. Several times I motioned for Felix to speak louder so that people outside could here. At the end of the service he gave the invitation in his unique way, and over 60 people accepted Christ including the neighbors, Christian and Vanessa, and Jorge, Sr.

Shell #2

2007-10-04T15:05:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning Felix preached on the ingredients of a healthy family. One of the issues was forgiveness. He then said, “Right now, look around, if there are people you need to seek their forgiveness, go to them now.” The youth leader got up from the front row and went back to a lady in the church and on his knees asked for her forgiveness. In the row behind me, there was commotion. A lady got up and went two seats over and got down on her knees and with a bowed head asked for forgiveness of her husband. They were loudly talking and crying. At the end of the service Felix gave an invitation to accept Christ. Around 10 or 12 people went forward including the people behind me.

After this invitation, Pastor Angel briefly spoke on God’s role in healing a family and again gave an invitation. This time, the husband behind us went to his wife and got down on his knees with a bowed head and asked for her forgiveness. There was an even bigger commotion this time with tears and laughter.

Shell #3: The Baptism

2007-09-30T17:36:00.000-05:00

After the service the entire church went several blocks to the river and five ministers baptized 18 new converts. After the last prayer, there was a photo with the five ministers and the 18 new believers. Then people starting splashing each other and I tackled Felix in the water dunking him below the surface. Someone asked me later if I was a little afraid to do this. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have dared. But today it was a pure celebration of the glory and power of God and His work in this local church.

We had to leave on Sunday afternoon and were not able to Sunday night’s service where several evangelic churches came together for celebration. However, during this service, one of the women that had been baptized earlier in the day brought her son forward for healing. Felix prayed and the little boy (with the help of the pastor’s wife) repeated the prayer. Within minutes, his twisted legs began to straighten right before the eyes of everyone. Praise the Lord!

Missionary Retreat in Otavalo

2007-09-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

We recently went on a retreat for all missionary families on the North Andean Field. It was a great time of fellowship and relaxing. Stan and Landon went swimming one day, but the water was freezing so they didn't swim long! They enjoyed the zipline the most.

Another day we went to a waterfall nearby. It was really pretty, though waterfalls are so common here that you can take them for granted. Where we stayed was on a beautiful lake. One night the entire group went on a boat ride around the lake while a mariachi band played and danced. We were also served a hot drink that had cinnamon and sugar in it. Really tasty.

Happy 91st birthday Aunt Gladys

2007-09-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

Sherri's great Aunt Gladys just turned 91 years old, and to her we say, "Congratulations!" She is a wonderful supporter and encourager to us, but more than that, she is a beautiful person inside and out who is a Chrisian example of love, perseverance and kindness. She also has a great sense of humor and always has a story to tell. We pray God's special blessing upon Aunt Gladys during this time of celebration.

Recent Family Photo

2007-09-12T21:13:00.001-05:00

Part 1: Evangelistic Campaign in Riobamba, Ecuador

2007-09-11T14:19:00.000-05:00

At the end of June, our family went to Riobamba at the invitation of Felix and our Buena Vista Church. (Picture 1 is "The Twelve Disciples" volcano. You see this on the way to Riobamba. Picture 2 is the church.)

One of the ladies in the church loaned us her apartment for the weekend, which was a real blessing. We arrived Friday afternoon and that evening the church had a meeting for the parents of their 440 students. The gym was packed, and most were not Christians. In the past, these meetings were informational meetings or parenting workshops, but this evening was an evangelism event. After 30 minutes of worship, Stan was introduced and he spent about 20 minutes doing magic tricks and telling few jokes. Then he transitioned to the gospel, using the Ten Commandments to bring conviction. At that point he turned the meeting over to Felix. Felix read from the scripture and brought a powerful evangelism message. The church received decision cards from 41 parents who accepted Christ, but we didn’t get cards from all of them. We concluded with a spirited time of praise.

After this event, Felix got an invitation to preach at a wake for a 13-year-old boy who had died in a car accident. Felix asked the Catholic family members, “How many of you think we should pray for the soul of this young man?” They all raised their hands. He said, “I have good news for you. Your son had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Thus, we do not need to pray with him because the Bible tells us that he is with the Lord. In fact, I think he is praying at this very moment. Let me explain.” He went on to explain what the Bible says about their spiritual condition, and he shared the good news that they can have this same type of relationship with the living Jesus Christ. 22 people accepted Christ.

Part 2: Attracting the Crowd

2007-09-11T14:16:00.000-05:00

Early Saturday morning was a time of prayer, fasting, worship and teaching in the church. Later in the morning we went to an impoverished neighborhood inviting 50 families to an event to be held on the neighborhood’s outdoor basketball court that afternoon. We set up a little before 3:00. We had 100 plastic chairs and a sound system. Also, one brother brought a kid’s train and tracks and gave free rides to the little ones.

Part 3: The Greeter

2007-09-11T14:14:00.001-05:00

Landon was the official “greeter” or “enforcer” making sure that people came to the event. There were several people watching from a distance. With his broken Spanish he boldly went and talked to children, youth and adults. After many attempts, he finally got a dear old indigenous woman to come and sit with the rest of the barrio. She walked with two sticks that functioned as a walker. This is a picture of Landon with his arm around her as he helped her to her seat.

Part 4: Something for Everyone

2007-09-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

We gave away ice cream to the kids and later hot dogs. (See photo 1.) To the youth we gave away CDs of Christian music. Adults received large bags of basic staples like sugar, rice, oil, salt, beans, etc. There were dramas, singing, and two hilarious clowns were the emcees. Again, I did my tricks with Landon’s help and set up Felix to bring the gospel. (See photo 2.) He gave his testimony and, as far as I could tell, everyone who was sitting in the chairs accepted Christ. (See photo 3.) We got 42 decision cards, and many of the cards represented families. Afterwards, Felix invited the band to come back and we worshipped the Lord for his grace until it was almost dark.

Part 5: Preaching

2007-09-11T13:56:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning I preached a Father’s Day message. At the end, I asked Felix to come forward and he gave an invitation saying, “How can you be the head of your family and lead your family spiritually if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Some of you today need to accept Christ.” We received 7 decision cards for a total of 112 for the weekend.

Part 6: Felix & Family

2007-09-11T13:50:00.000-05:00

It was a great weekend for our family. We spent time with Felix’s family, including his wife, 8-year old son Juan David, and 2-year old twins Daniel and Laura. Their small two-bedroom apartment near the church is actually a ministry center with people constantly coming and going. It was a joy to see this family sharing their lives with the people, leading them in evangelism, prayer and the life in Christ.

The Fantastic City of "The Baths" - Part 1

2007-08-07T20:07:00.000-05:00

Back in April, our family took a one-day trip to a city called Baños which literally translates as "The Baths." Baños sits at the base of the Andean Mountains as you begin to enter the rainforest. There are literally thousands upon thousands of waterfalls everywhere you look. The Baños also have a lot of hot springs so it is a tourist town. We took a cable car (not up to the standards of OSHA or Sherri!) across a river and got close to a beautiful waterfall (picture 1—you can see the red cable car in the distance). When we got to the other side of the river, we were greeted by Martin the monkey (picture 2). It was a beautiful day to hike (picture 3).

The Fantastic City of "The Baths" - Part 2

2007-08-07T19:39:00.000-05:00

After our cable car trip, we journeyed to a place called “Pailón del Diablo” or the Devil’s Cauldron. It bears this name because a huge waterfall drops into a narrow canyon. The water is constantly boiling and churning as it runs its course down the river. In picture 4, Landon and Mary are standing on a balcony above the waterfall and are getting soaked! You can see another view of the waterfall in picture 5.

After a bit more hiking, we relaxed and drank cokes. We finished the day off with a trip to the city’s zoo. As we were driving home, the Tungurahua volcano was spewing smoke. We stopped by the roadside and got another great picture. All in all, it was a wonderful day!

We got our children's visas!

2007-07-21T16:35:00.000-05:00

God worked several miracles on our behalf on Monday (7/16), and we give Him all the praise.
After arriving in Chicago at 1:00 a.m., we were waiting at the Ecuadorian Consulate when they opened their doors on Monday morning. Two weeks before that when we called for an appointment, we were told that our children didn’t need a physical but they needed an HIV test to screen communicable diseases. However, at the Consulate that morning, we were told the opposite. Our hotel helped us find a nearby medical clinic and our first miracle happened: both children were able to get physicals and the necessary documentation and we were able to return back to the Consulate, all within one hour!
Upon returning with these documents, we were told that a new problem had developed. Because Stan and I received our visas in Quito before we left, the office needed permission and identifying numbers from the Quito office before they could process our children’s visas. The office manager had tried to communicate with the Quito office several times throughout the day (while we waited ….) to no avail. Finally at 3:15 in the afternoon (when we were ready to give up and Sherri was in tears), the manager reached someone in the Quito office and pleaded our case. At first, the person in Quito kept saying, “No, they’ll have to return to Quito, pay a fine for letting their children’s visas expire, and start the process all over.” However, the manager was on our side (miracle number 2), and insisted that the Consulate help us. At 3:30, the person in Quito relented and gave her the information she needed. By 4:15 we were walking out of the office with visas in hand (miracle number 3). We toured Chicago for 5 minutes (ha ha), and began our car ride back to St. Louis, then Springfield, MO., and then on to Kansas City for our flight. We were physically weary but spiritually renewed by God’s goodness to us. It has been a wonderful thing for our children to experience God’s miracles firsthand.

Not too sure about this brand of toothpaste . . . .

2007-05-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

We found this in a local shop and it was only 72 cents!

Our Friends

2007-05-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

This is Salamon, Lucy, Isaias and Landon. Salamon and Lucy are graduates of the seminary and are some of our closest Ecuadorian friends. Salamon has been co-teaching with Stan which is good training for Salamon and a wonderful help to Stan. During the Shell weekend, Lucy adopted (and babied) Landon which he loved.

Isaias is one of the current students that Stan is mentoring. He is very sharp.

During this weekend, we saw that God has answered our prayers regarding Landon's adjustment to this culture. He had a great time! By the way, they are standing in front of an waterfall called "Pailon del Diablo" or The Devil's Kettle. It's named that because of the incredible force in which the waters fall here.

Training Weekend Culminates with Baptism

2007-05-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

In March, Stan and Landon when to Shell, Ecuador, to provide personal evangelism training to 25 teens and teen workers. The group is shown in the first picture.

During Friday evening and Saturday they learned and practiced how to share their faith. Stan is teaching in the second picture.

After the Sunday morning service (see picture 3), they went to a public swimming/park area to have a baptism service in which Stan had the priviledge of participating. (See picture 4.) This was a definite highlight for Stan!

Afterward, they shared the gospel with the public in the park area. One of the methods for drawing a crowd was to play Christian music pretty loudly. Landon couldn't let this opportunity pass for entertaining the crowd. One woman told Stan, "He dances as if he has no bones!" (See picture 5.)

Sherri's Musings on Driving in Ecuador

2007-03-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

I've never been a fan of extreme sports, but I feel like I participate in one every day when I drive in Quito. Although there are clearly marked lanes on most streets, drivers interpret them as mere guidelines or suggestions and ignore them. The only people who use them are motorcyclists who believe this is their "lane" for driving between the lines of cars.

I've learned to drive with my hand near the horn so that I can tap it at any time. There appears to be NO rules, so you need a horn to remind people that you're there. Others use the horn to say things like "Watch out--I'm cutting you off." Or "I'm letting you know that I'm passing IN BETWEEN two cars, so move over." Or "I don't feel like waiting for this street light so I'm running it." One person recently said "you can't be in a car without a horn in Ecuador; it would be like getting in a car without breaks." They were absolutely right. The only driving rule seems to be that if I can get there before you (meaning in your lane whether there's room or not), I win.

Why do people drive so badly or aggressively? Many people don't take courses or take the actual driving test to get their license. Palancas (connections) and bribes go a long way here--who needs to pass a driving test when you can just buy your license? Also, many drivers are first-generation drivers since most of their parents couldn't afford a car. They don't have the benefit of learning by (good) examples.

When my mother visited us last year we gave her the front seat whenever we went anywhere. After the 2nd or 3rd day she said, "If you don't mind I'll sit in the back where I can't watch the traffic." I think for my next career I might give NASCAR a try!

Evangelism & Holiness Conferences

2007-03-24T20:24:00.000-05:00

Nearly 1,000 leaders from Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela gathered in the respective countries as National Iberoamerica Conferences sparked a renewed priority for evangelism and holiness. People of all ages received a special touch of God during the altar times, along with practical training during the ministry workshops.

General Superintendent Dr. James Diehl, Regional Director Dr. Christian Sarmiento and Field Strategy Coordinator Rev. Dwight Rich traveled to and spoke at each of these events. The national conferences concluded with ordination services where Dr. Diehl had the honor of ordaining 7 new pastors, including two indigenous pastors from Ecuador. The North Andean Field is praising God for His presence and direction in each of the Iberoamerica Conferences.

Carnival 2007

2007-03-18T14:42:00.001-05:00

Instead of Mardi Gras, people in Ecuador celebrate Carnival with practical jokes and water fights. A picture of our warriors are attached. Besides Stan, Mary and Landon, the two blonde kids are Luke and Hannah Baker, missionary kids/friends.

Teaching in the Jungle

2007-03-18T13:57:00.000-05:00

Recently Dwight Rich and Stan visited a part of Ecuador that has our most remote churches. The two main towns are Macas and Sucúa. Dwight and Stan both presented workshops (see picture 1 in a grass hut setting) in addition to Dwight presiding over the District Assembly. Stan also spoke at a youth service on Saturday night. In the second picture, local pastors pose in front of a Nazarene church in Sucúa where the District Assembly was held.

Another highlight was to attend one of our Shuar churches. The Shuar people are known to be the fiercest warriors in Ecuador. This was the first time a missionary has attended this church as it took an hour-long drive and a 40-minute walk to reach the church. The given address for one of our Shuar churches was "east of the soccer field." In these villages, that is enough! The third picture shows the pastor of the Shuar church with his family in their church building. In the fourth picture, children hold up their "million dollar tract" that Stan passed out during a meeting.

Stan also visited "The Garden of Eden," a resort in the area that had an animal reserve. Here he saw monkeys, birds, tigers, tapirs and many others.

The missionaries had a long 9-hour bus drive back to Quito, but were thankful for God’s presence that was evident throughout the weekend. God is working among these Nazarene people!

We live in God's country

2007-02-24T15:24:00.000-06:00

It's hard to describe just how beautiful Ecuador is. Here are a few pictures of places that are all within a 2-hour drive from Quito.

National Youth Leadership Congress

2007-02-24T15:18:00.000-06:00

The National Youth Leadership Congress was recently held in Santa Domingo, Ecuador, and Stan was asked to give three workshops on personal evangelism. The first picture is a group shot of the participants. The second is of Stan during one of his workshops. No, he isn't advocating that people use a machete to witness! He's using the machete to make a point about using the best tools available.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

2007-02-19T19:40:00.000-06:00

We want to thank so many people who are helping us buy a second car which allows Stan to travel to different parts of Ecuador. Also, we want to thank the churches and individuals who have helped us buy our evangelism equipment: tracts, dvd’s with subtitles in Spanish, signs, sound system and inverter to run the sound system with our car battery, and everything else. God bless you richly for your part in this ministry. In this picture several of Stan's students and a fellow professor, Debbie Baker, pose with the truck!

Some New Friends in Christ

2007-02-19T19:32:00.000-06:00

Recently our family went to Guayaquil. The entire family went for the first few days and we were able to do a lot of fun things. Then Stan stayed an additional 2 weeks or so teaching a Ministerial Ethics class to local pastors, training pastors and laymen in personal evangelism, and leading several street evangelism teams. Click on the "Evangelism Updates" link to the right to see the entire story and lots of pictures. One of Stan's best moments of the trip was leading a couple to the Lord during a street witnessing event. Here's a picture of Stan with the couple with their son. Please pray for this family as they are babes in Christ.

Stan's Recent Class

2007-02-01T08:17:00.000-06:00

Stan recently taught a two-week (3 hours a day) class called "Nazarene Identity." The majority of students were from Colombia. He really enjoyed himself because these students came with a "fire in their belly" which encouraged him a lot. For many, this was their first class so they didn't know all of the details of our doctrine, so Stan felt blessed to educate them and encourage them in their studies.

Our New Puppy!

2007-01-06T16:53:00.000-06:00

Our New Puppy!
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Meet our newest addition to the family, Mr. Snuggles. He is a miniature schnauzer and was only 2 1/2 months when we brought him home. We instantly fell in love with him!

Friends for Lunch

2007-01-06T16:51:00.000-06:00

Friends for Lunch
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

We had some friends over for Sunday lunch. The first couple and baby on the left are our pastors, Roberto, Rita and son Hosea Stephano. Roberto is Ecuadorian and Rita is Peruvian. The next couple, Loibedis and Julio, just graduated from the seminary and were returning to Venezuela the next week. Their two twins, Hosea and Alberto, are a handful but we enjoy them. They will be missed at the seminary but we know they'll be strong Nazarene leaders in their country.

Our Christmas Letter

2006-12-20T13:28:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Quito, Ecuador! We want to express our deep appreciation for the many ways you have shared in our lives and our ministry. We know your prayers are working on our behalf, and we thank you so much for reaching out and encouraging us.

Recently the book, Experiencing God, has profoundly affected our thinking. To try to summarize, finding God’s will is not about us or our special call; rather, it’s about recognizing and accepting God’s invitation to join His great work already in progress. Now, each day, we ask God to open our eyes to what He’s doing . . . and He is working mightily. For Stan, there’s no greater joy than watching one of his evangelism trainees successfully share his/her faith. Or to encourage seminary students as they mature in their ministries. We are blessed to share in the ups-and-downs of the students, most who live away from home and often need a listening ear. Please help us pray for these leaders.

God has also laid on our hearts Lini and his family. Lini supports his wife and 3 children along with his wife’s sister and her 4 children. Basics like food and housing are a daily struggle. We would appreciate your prayers for this family as we work with them.

More than any other lesson, we’re learning how to completely lean on Jesus for guidance and comfort. He is our Rock. Stan teaches at the Theological Seminary, helps with many projects on the campus, and trains pastors and laymen in evangelism. He travels occasionally throughout the country so we would appreciate your prayers for his safety. Also pray for God’s continued guidance in our ministry and for “ears that will hear.”

Sherri works on various administrative projects for both the mission and the seminary. Mary (14) just finished the varsity soccer season. Now she sings and plays the guitar for the middle school worship team and plays the flute for the jazz band. Landon (10) spends his spare time creating stories or cartoons, climbing a tree or exploring the seminary campus. He had a speaking part in the school Christmas pageant, and he did a great job.

We’ve had many special blessings this year:

We are thankful for technology which keeps us connected. We have a US-based telephone number. Call us! 314-480-6282.
Many of you prayed for Landon when he was in the hospital with a serious virus. That meant more than we can express.
We are thankful for our progress in learning Spanish. God constantly helps us with preaching, teaching, writing and other communication challenges.
We enjoyed several special visitors this year including Doug and Jocie Green (Stan’s buddy & daughter), several friends from the Missouri district here on various mission trips, and Dottie Dixon (Sherri’s mom). What a blessing to have Grandma here to see our home, school, etc., and to just give and receive hugs!
Sherri’s brother-in-law flew her to Dallas to surprise her sister, Jacque! It was a wonderful week of R&R.
If all of this wasn’t enough, the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series . . . and we saw all the games from our home!

As many of you know, we had a special financial need this year as we had to purchase a second car. Many of you have already donated funds toward this purchase and we are deeply thankful for your generosity. For those who might want additional information about our need, click on the “How to Support the Hall’s Ministry” link from this page.

We always enjoy hearing from you too! Please feel free to send greetings and/or questions at any time. We pray that God will be especially near to you and yours in the coming year.

Blessings,

Stan, Sherri, Mary and Landon Hall

Deputation Schedule (January through mid-April 2008):

Although we are scheduled for several services and district tours, we have a few more openings. If you’re interested in scheduling with us, contact us at thehalls4@gmail.com.

Our Goofy Gang

2006-11-01T07:05:00.000-06:00

Our Goofy Gang
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

We had a Harvest Party to celebrate Halloween since they don't celebrate that here. From left to right is Mary Hall, Katie and Thomas Lamca (missionary friends from school), Christian Howard, Luke Baker, Courtney Howard, Landon Hall, Hannah Baker, Candace and Christa Howard (all the rest are kids from our mission). An ecuadorian family also came a bit later.

We played games, make a pumpkin craft and ate a hot dog lunch. It was a lot of fun!

Blessing of the Week . . .

2006-10-27T22:37:00.000-05:00

We watched the St. Louis Cardinals (our hometown team) win the World Series while sitting in our living room in Quito, Ecuador! We are so thankful for technology which helps us stay connected to home. Way to Go, Cards!

Stan and Friend

2006-10-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

Stan and friend
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Thank you so much for your prayers for Stan as he traveled to Shell to provide evangelism training in the local church. He'll be updating our blog soon with pictures and stories of his trip, but to whet your appetite, here he is posing with his new friend!

Transparent Butterfly

2006-10-25T22:05:00.000-05:00

transparent butterfly
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

One of the things you can find in the jungle or rainforest areas of Ecuador are transparent butterflies. The blue part of this picture is really the the jeans showing through the butterfly wings. Something we've never seen in the states!

Close to Heaven

2006-09-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

Close to Heaven
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Recently Stan, Landon and Dana Howard (another Nazarene missionary) hiked up to the crater of the Pinchincha Volcano. In this picture you can see that they are literally standing on the top of the world!
They were able to drive much of the way, though the road gets narrower and steeper as it climbs higher. After parking at a refuge, they hiked to the crater’s edge, a 15,777 foot (4,781 meter) summit. They were able to look down into the volcano and see smoke coming from it.
Because the atmosphere is almost non-existent, Stan had a terrific headache when they went back down the mountain. And Landon was pretty cold. All in all, though, it was an incredible journey to the top of the world! Landon kept some lava rocks as souvenirs.

Landon and His Garfield Cake

2006-09-06T21:01:00.000-05:00

Landon and His Garfield Cake
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

We celebrated Landon's birthday several times this year. First, the night before his birthday, a Work & Witness team from Flint, MI gave him a little surprise party with a cake, cards and a few extra treats.

The day of his birthday (August 15) our family and Ginger (a volunteer missionary and friend from the Missouri district) went to McDonald's to have a special lunch.

Last week we had a birthday party with Landon's friends. (Go to the "Landon's Postings" link to see more pictures.) Since Landon likes Garfield, I tried to bake him a Garfield cake. It was a challenge since they don't sell ready-made icing and other decorations here. But Landon liked it (he said it was more cartoon-like this way) so that's what matters!

Happy Birthday to our big 10 year old! I've always said that Mary's my pride and Landon's my joy. He's living up to that saying.

Our Bees

2006-09-06T20:56:00.000-05:00

Our Bees
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

This looks like a beehive, but it is literally a solid ball of bees that nested in one of our trees! Mary's science teacher used to raise bees. His guess is that this queen bee lost her beehive to another queen bee so this "tribe" is hanging out in our tree until they can find a new place to build their hive!

While Stan was busy teaching, three of our neighbors got together and decided to get rid of the bees. (This was Friday and we were having people over for Landon's birthday party on Saturday.) They lit combustible material in a metal wheelbarrow with gasoline. We watched as the bees were stunned by the smoke and then dropped one by one into the fire in the wheelbarrow. The next morning there seem to be 2 or 3 thousand bee bodies in the wheelbarrow!

We were sorry the bees had to die, but we were glad they were gone. Stan was also sad that he missed the action!

Baptism Service

2006-08-28T14:28:00.000-05:00

Baptism Service
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

After service yesterday, everyone boarded 2 big buses (and we followed behind in our car) and went to "La Cueva del Leones" (the lion's cave) which was a mini resort area with a swimming pool. Once there, they held a baptism service in the pool with 10 people getting baptised. After the service, people swam, played soccer or basketball, and had a picnic. It was a really nice day for the church.

Church Singing "Happy Birthday"

2006-08-28T14:24:00.000-05:00

Church Singing "Happy Birthday"
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

As we were leaving the picnic, Rita (the pastor's wife) found out it was Sherri's birthday, so she called everyone around and they sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Then they lined up so that each one could give her a birthday greeting. Although Sherri doesn't usually like attention, this was really nice.

Tribal Chiefs

2006-08-28T14:22:00.000-05:00

Tribal Chiefs
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

On the weekend of August 11th, 300 teens and young adults attended Alerta Juvenil (Youth Alert) 2006 at the Nazarene Seminary. They were challenged to deepen their walk with God and examine His call upon their lives. All of the missionaries, including the kids, helped in some way. Stan was constanting setting something up or taking something down to accommodate the many activities throughout the weekend. Sherri and Mary helped prepare food and serve meals. Even Landon helped by folding napkins around the silverware and entertaining students with his jokes.

On Saturday afternoon the group played this crazy game. Everyone was divided into 3 tribes. Each tribe had to make a fire, cook a chicken, make a Teepee and dress up a chief and his family. This is a picture of the three tribal chiefs and their wives. While all of this was happening, tribe members could steal people from other tribes, so there was a lot of chasing and general craziness going on!

New Sound System!

2006-08-13T20:48:00.000-05:00

New Sound System!
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Recently a W&W team from the Missouri District surprised us by bringing an awesome sound system to us for our ministry. We've already used it in street evangelism. All kinds of outdoor ministry opportunities are now possible because of this gift. We'd like to personally thank Dr. Jack Eyestone and the following Missouri churches for their generous donations: Cape Girardeau, Eldon, Fredericktown, DeSoto, and Union. We also want to thank Pastor Bill Burke who spearheaded this secret project and made it possible. Our MO District brothers and sisters are incredible and we are so blessed by their support and love for us.

Kids love balloons!

2006-08-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

Kids love balloons!
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Last week our family worked at a VBS at the Inca church (a new church plant). Here Mary and Stan are making balloon figures for the children. Stan also did magic tricks and we passed out tracks.

This church ministers to a poverty-stricken area where drugs, alcohol and violence abound. Please pray for these children and their families.

The Beach

2006-08-01T21:04:00.000-05:00

Our view
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

Recently we were blessed to be able to go to the beach in Northern Ecuador (Tonsupa). This incredible view is from the balcony of our condo. We spent our days swimming in the ocean or one of the complex's pools, collecting seashells, reading and eating our meals on our balcony. It was exactly the rest that Stan and Sherri needed and the fun that Mary and Landon wanted. God is good!

Going on a Whale Hunt!

2006-08-01T17:56:00.000-05:00

Going on a whale hunt!
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

One of the highlights for Stan and the kids was a boat ride out to find whales. They saw several humpbacks. One small one swam about one meter from the boat, and they saw several others swimming at a distance. Both the kids enjoyed the very choppy boat ride especially when they went airborne a few feet!

Chiva

2006-08-01T17:53:00.000-05:00

Chiva
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

In northern Ecuador we encountered a chiva which is a bus that has seats on the inside (and this one was packed) and then people literally hang on the sides, tops, or wherever they can. Sometimes they'll have goats or other animals on the outside as well.

Tungurahua Volcano Eruption

2006-07-15T18:06:00.000-05:00

Tungurahua Eruption
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

You may have heard in the news that a volcano erupted in Ecuador last night. The Tungurahua volcano spewed lava, sulfa rocks and ash across many towns in the southern part of Ecuador. As of today no deaths have been reported, although many people are suffering with respiratory-related illnesses from breathing in the ash. Also, crops and livestock have been destroyed.

This volcano has been active for many months, and it will continue to erupt. We thank God that for his protection in people's lives so far, and we pray for his continuing protection during future eruptions. The Ecuadorian people covet your prayers as well.

(The North Andean Field office, seminary and mission staff are in Quito and are safe from the volcano.)

Mountains

2006-07-13T17:36:00.000-05:00

mountains
Originally uploaded by S Hall.

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" (Psalm 121:1, KJV). God's presence is always near because there are mountains in every direction! Those skeptics who argue against a Creator certainly haven't visited Ecuador!