Three words come to Rosalie Hunt’s mind when she thought of writing about the missions legacy of her parents, her experiences as a missionary kid and how she and Bob Hunt met and married: “complicated,” “compelled” and “contributions.”
After spending the past 21 years writing six books in the third person about the history of missions, it was time to switch to first person. And in making that transition, Rosalie learned that writing about her family’s years in China during the early part of the 20th century was more complicated than she anticipated.
She pored over thousands of letters and sorted through thousands of photos. The more she dug into the roots of her family history, the more she felt compelled to write their story — her story. The “history bug” would not leave her alone.
In the preface of “6 Yellow Balloons: An MK’s China Story” Rosalie writes, “It has been a special revelation of contributions my parents made, of lives they touched and blessed along their journeys and a fresh appreciation of the profound blessing of having Grace Wells as my ‘aunt next door’ and Harold and Alice Hall as my father and mother. What a privilege I have had — one totally undeserved but thereby even more appreciated. I hope their lives and dedication will also be a blessing to you.” 
The saga begins
In 1901, in Sumter, South Carolina, Alice Mellichamp Wells was born, the third of five children and the only one of four daughters to marry. When she was small, she looked forward to the day she could attend Sunbeams (a Woman’s Missionary Union program for children). Her Aunt Edith, who lived with the family, was the teacher.
One day’s story was about a child, Adamu, in East Africa. It planted a seed in Alice’s heart. Who was going to tell Adamu about Jesus?
“That first impression was indelibly printed on her heart,” Rosalie writes, “and never withered over the remainder of her long and adventurous life.”
The seed continued to grow, and she often talked about being a missionary.
Alice never wavered in her calling. When the opportunity came to volunteer with the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board), she said she would be ready to sail in 1925. But two years of seminary became three, and by then the Board did not have funds to send her.
She accepted a job offer as Baptist Student Union director at Florida State University in Tallahassee but soon received a request from the Board to teach English at Shanghai College. She and another teacher, Juanita Byrd of Mt. Olive, Mississippi, departed in August 1929 aboard the steamer SS Empress of Asia.
The missions seed that had been planted grew to the fruit-bearing stage some 21 years later.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, God was calling a young man named Harold Hall from Oklahoma. He was born in 1905 and came to Christ when he was 14; after high school, God began to deal with him about being a preacher.
Instead, he enrolled at Oklahoma Baptist University to become a lawyer. But the pastoral call persisted and during his first semester of college, Harold surrendered. But it wasn’t to preach in the United States — it was to be a missionary in China after he graduated from college and seminary.
Through faith that God would provide the funding, Harold departed for China on September 5, 1931. He set sail on the SS President Jefferson, arriving October 1 at the Yanchow mission station. Soon he would meet Alice, and they would become partners in missions.
The story unfolds
Another individual, Alice’s sister, Grace, played a significant role in the family. She was four years older than Alice and also had a call from God to serve on the missions field. She signed with the Foreign Mission Board on June 14, 1923, and went to Chinkiang, China.
Years later, Grace would be a tremendous asset to Harold and Alice as they worked and traveled together in China. Rosalie and her brother, Arthur, enjoyed spending time with their Aunt Grace, especially since most missionary children do not have the benefit of working with extended family.
From 1937 through 1946, tensions between China and Japan were mounting. On a trip back to China in 1937, the Board advised the Halls to “wait and see” in Honolulu. It was also time for Rosalie to be born. She arrived in June 1938, and three months later the family completed the journey home to China.
But global tensions continued to build, and the Halls were forced to return to America. When the U.S. declared war on Dec. 7, 1941, Harold joined the army, serving as a chaplain, while Alice and the children split their time between Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Eventually, the doors would open for the family to return to China — but life would be different.
Through the years the Halls faced trials and challenges at home and on the missions field, including Harold’s diagnosis of amoebic dysentery, a parasitic intestinal condition caused by drinking contaminated water. The condition plagued him much of the rest of his life. While living in Oklahoma, a tornado struck on April 27, 1942, devastating Pryor, Oklahoma, and killing 60. The Halls were there, in three different areas, and all survived.
Toward the end of the book, Rosalie writes about how she and Bob met, their letter writing and marriage, the beginning of their missionary endeavors and the births of their daughter, Alice, and son, Jody.
God’s call
Rosalie answered a knock at the door on Christmas Day 1947 in China. Before her was a man with gnarled and twisted hands, his fingers stumps; part of his nose was gone and he had no shoes to hide his missing toes. He was a beggar and a leper.
Rosalie gave the man bread and biscuits, and she describes how God planted a seed in her heart: “He (the beggar) picked up every little crumb from the gritty steps. And I stood there weeping, a nine-year-old child, and God spoke to my heart in that searing moment. Without hesitation, I responded, vowing, ‘God, someday let me come back to China and tell people like this that You are the bread of life.’”
And by God’s grace, she did!
EDITOR’S NOTE — This article is the second in a series reflecting on the legacy of missionary, author and beloved speaker Rosalie Hall Hunt. Click here to read part 1, “‘Remember Who called you’: Rosalie Hall Hunt and a legacy of missions.” Read part 3, “Rosalie Hall Hunt: The China Series — ‘The Blue Enamel Cup: An MK’s China Legacy'” tomorrow (Aug. 31). Click here to view a video and read more stories. Learn more about Rosalie and her books at rosaliehallhunt.com.
Share with others: