Meeting the Hall Family
The first thing you notice about John and Rebecca Hall is how much they love Jesus. Their heart for others is written all over them, and their light shines through when they speak to you. The second thing you notice about John and Rebecca is how much they love their kids, Titus and Haleigh. They are ever patient and loving toward their children, even when Titus sits in a mud puddle or Haleigh leaves a trail of sand through the barn.
In 2018, John and Rebecca combined their love for the Lord and their compassion for children by founding Promised Land Family Ministries (PLFM). PLFM is a faith-based nonprofit organization that aims to benefit youth and their families through agriculture and outreach. Located in Union County, Florida, PLFM fulfills this mission by providing food, educational experiences, and faith-based materials to anyone who stops by one of their food pantries, festivals, or other events. But how did John and Rebecca get to where they are today?
Over 25 years ago, God placed a vision in John’s heart to lead a youth ministry. Born in the small town of Odessa, Florida, John grew up in a large family surrounded by children. He always loved school and the outdoors, but it wasn’t until he took his first agriculture course in high school that John realized his passion for teaching youth about agriculture. When he entered college, John first became aware of God’s intention for him to start PLFM, but the time wasn’t right for the ministry just yet. In the meantime, John spent the next 15 years teaching agriculture across the country to students, from middle school to college level.
For John, the timing of the ministry happened exactly as God intended. He believes God used everything he experienced in his childhood and adult life to shape PLFM, even the difficult experiences like his biological father’s absence during his childhood. Prior to John’s birth, his father and mother separated. His mother remarried before John turned two and, fortunately, he grew up with a strong father figure in his life. However, this hardship made him much more aware of how other children struggled with the absence of a parent or loving parental figure. Experiences like this one fueled John’s passion for helping youth and families.
When John met Rebecca, he shared his vision for the ministry with her. She was immediately on fire for the idea. “God told you this 20 years ago?” she said. “Well, what have you been doing?” Rebecca is not a Florida native, but her childhood in South Carolina prepared her well for her role as a co-founder of PLFM. She grew up riding horses, tending farm animals, and playing lots of sports. The sports stuck, and she worked in sports broadcasting after college. When she married John, she knew a partner was what he needed to start PLFM. They moved to Florida and started their family. Now, Rebecca loves doing behind the scenes storytelling for the ministry while she takes care of the kids.
Rebecca’s love for her children extends to every child she interacts with, through the ministry or otherwise. She describes this love as a fierce desire to protect and help children in any way she can. Although she loves being a mother, Rebecca knew she wanted to give back and serve others through God in a way that was bigger than her own immediate family. John and Rebecca’s passion for God and the people they serve through PLFM is inspired by their individual experiences in agriculture, faith, and life. They look forward to training up their children in the way they should go to ensure Promised Land Family Ministries will continue to serve the Union County area and beyond for generations.