King-Hall Family Blog

I lived in Sarajevo, Bosnia for nearly a year, working with college students who were interested in having spiritual conversations. Bosnia is culturally Muslim, but also quite post-modern in its beliefs. Specifically, I was encountering a college student population that grew up during their civil war, where Serbian (Orthodox) forces held Sarajevo in the longest military siege of modern history and committed genocide. One dear friend had actually traveled through the escape tunnel at the airport extending from the city to the countryside. From both the city and countryside, these were children of war. A poignant reminder is that the pockmarks of bombs are now filled in with red resin to form a memorial, the “Sarajevo  Rose”.  The challenge in coming into a post-modern, MTV culture was that the generation we were targeting felt like religion was the root cause of their problems (an ethnic civil war between Bosnian Muslims, Serbian Orthodox, and Croatian Catholics), and so religion was cl

When we get right down to it, this family service/ mission trip to Birmingham, England is going to cost us. It’s different than a family vacation—we could find a place to explore or relax, and while I’m confident my photos would be Instagram worthy, this is an entirely different kind of experience.  We believe there is value in going to the people groups gathered in Birmingham and delivering a message of worth and hope, and we feel so privileged to get to be a part of that! But it’s not a vacation. It’s not something we can or should do on our own. We are traveling with a team of 12, we are building a prayer/ support team (that’s you!), and we are raising funds with financial partners. Fundraising is an important part of trip preparation. In addition to the obvious--funding the costs of the trip--there is a mindfulness about it that prepares our hearts for the work ahead. We will definitely put our own money into this trip, and we will definitely work to earn the right to go. But fundr

Tonight I am praying for a girl at school. She is cool but pretty quiet, and she doesn’t seem to have made many friends yet. We don’t want her to feel alone.  My prayer for my girl is to be bold and caring and keep reaching out, but to be respectful of whatever preference this girl has—whether to become friends or not. Reaching out is worth the risk of rejection, and ultimately it isn’t about us.  And my prayer for the girl is that she know that she is not alone, and for my girl’s persistent invitation to friendship to demonstrate God’s persistent pursuit of us.  He has made us all different and unique, but he knows us and sees us. He has put this girl in our sights and we see her too. Tonight we are praying for a girl from school. We are preparing for a mission trip overseas, but there is plenty of opportunity to be God’s hands and feet at home and all around us. I think sometimes the one can make us brave for the other. I have felt like someone has been put squarely in my path before

One thing our family all agrees on is that we are not perfect; we all need a savior! The easiest way for me to understand it is that sin causes separation. I think about that with my family. When we are in a fight, when there has been disobedience, or even when we're not on the same page, it causes separation. Something needs to happen for us to have restoration. Sometimes an apology or explanation is enough, sometimes it isn't! It's the same relationship dynamic with God, only more so because He actually is perfect! As already noted, I am not. In fact, none of us are. (Romans 3:10 quotes an ancient passage from Psalm 14--"None are perfect, no not one.") What does perfection look like in your conceptualization? Perfectly upright. Perfectly honest. Perfectly creative. Perfectly sovereign. Perfectly loving. Perfectly fair. Can a God who is truly worthy coexist with not just impurity, but mean-spirited impurity? (Not being dramatic, just being honest. I can be mean.)

Our family is excited to share that we have committed to a mission/ service trip this June to Birmingham, England! I am starting this blog as a way to share our preparation and adventure with you—our supporters, friends, and family!  My name is Beth, and I am wife to Joe, and mom to Braelyn and Adria. Adria and I, and Joe and Braelyn, were lucky to find each other a little over 10 years ago, and we blended our family nearly 8 years ago. Braelyn is a 14 year old 8th grader who plays tennis with her school, and loves also being a big sister to Mia and Sadie. Adria is a 13 year old 7th grader who also swims and runs track. Our family attends Concord Baptist Church in Clermont, GA, where both our girls have chosen to be baptized, and where Joe and I serve in the 4 year old room and with our MS/HS Student Ministry. Joe’s giftedness is in construction and project management, and he has his hands full managing me and the girls! I have worked at the University of North Georgia for over a decad