Mizpah — Part III

By Pauli Jayné, Winsted

The greater part of Hal's ministry territory was inhabited by ranches, small groups of houses and campers. Keeping in mind that this was during the peak of World War II, with patriotism high and the method of witnessing done mainly by the use of phonograph recordings, many experiences could be related.

While working a Native American community out of Bridgeport, California, he approached an ancient Indian lady, "Susie Jim," sitting on her porch. When asked if she would like to hear the Bible recording, she nodded yes. Watching attentively as the record went around and around for the six-minute playing, she raised her eyes and said, "Humph, him go 'round pretty good!" On leaving, Hal realized that's all she had gotten out of it!

Many a meal was arranged for by the barter system of exchanging books for chickens, or magazines for vegetables, etc. Hal's home congregation regularly saved their gas ration coupons and sent them on for him to use. To conserve on the use of the car, Hal and his wife used their son and daughter's old balloon-tired bicycles to carry the message to the people. Many a hot day was eased by finding enough discarded soda bottles on the side of the road to turn in for a nickel or two, providing an ice cream treat.

One day, Hal came back to the car looking admiringly at his feet, and quoting the scripture, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Isaiah 52:7) He explained that the irate householder at the last door had threatened to shoot them off him!

Another day, after bicycling down a dirt road coming from witnessing at June Lake, Hal and his wife spotted a man fishing off a little pier. Leaving their bicycles at the gate, they went out to talk to him. He said, "Just a minute, anything that is so important that you would bicycle way up here, I want my wife and friends to hear." Reeling in his line, he ushered them into the house. He introduced himself as Judge Parker and the other three gentlemen as Superior Judges. He said, "Now, what was it you wanted to tell us?" After explaining who they were, why they were there, and giving a thorough Bible witness, all gratefully accepted any literature offered—books, magazines and pamphlets. As they got back on their bicycles, Hal told his wife, "Well, there's another scripture fulfilled: 'Why, you will be haled before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them,’" (Matthew 10:18)—and judges too!

A school for training in public speaking was started a few years before, in 1943, and Hal benefited greatly from the training received for public speaking. Years later he still used this system for delivery: "First you tell them what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them." After a day of covering the town, passing out printed handbills advertising the public talk to be given that Sunday morning, he would be ready to speak in a school auditorium, empty yard of a schoolhouse, an abandoned church, or a borrowed Moose or Elks Hall. One time he even rented a funeral home for $3.50. The subject of the talk was "The Resurrection Hope." Many times, only his family would be in attendance. One Sunday, fifteen minutes into the talk, the door opened and in walked a young Indian girl with a small child. This made all the effort spent well worthwhile.

"Time would fail" if we were to relate all of Hal's lifetime experiences, but it was of special interest to note that today there are many congregations thriving in the areas where this first witness was given.

One would be hard-pressed to calculate the amount of literature placed in these areas, but Hal recorded that in just eight days of witnessing, over 75 bound books and 25 subscriptions were placed, along with hundreds of booklets and magazines. Literature was ordered direct from the Watchtower Society by the cartons!

Assigned as reader of the Watchtower magazine for the congregation, Hal felt unclean in his smoking habit and ashamed of his nicotine-stained fingers. So years before the Bible's view on the use of tobacco was understood, Hal quit smoking!

To be continued.