Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Rinehart Building, Vale, OR The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the  desert  shall rejoice and  blossom  as the rose;  Isaiah 35:1 Malheur County, also part of the Oregon Outback, is a large county geographically with a population of about 31,000. The county seat is Vale, although the largest town is Ontario. “Malheur” is French for misfortune or tragedy, which I thought was apt in my youth when I could not see much to recommend the wide-open spaces filled with heavily alkaline soil, sagebrush, and locust trees. It took a while for me to appreciate the subtle beauty of the high Oregon desert. Malheur County is 94% rangeland, according to their official website. Malheur County is bordered by the Snake River, which separates it from Idaho, and is touched by several Idaho counties, including Washington, Payette, Canyon, and Owyhee to the east. Owyhee County, Idaho is also known for its isolation and rugged features, as is Humboldt County,...

Jordan Valley Church, Malheur County, OR May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. Psalm 122:7 NIV A very large county, Malheur lies in the extreme southeast corner of the state. This is the final county in our Oregon Outback region. Idaho is to the east, Nevada to the south. In size, it is second to Harney, with 9,926 square miles and a population of around 30,000. It still holds the distinction of having the worst crime rate in the state. Vale is the county seat with Ontario being the largest town. I have fond memories of Malheur County. Since the time I was a college student there, being a border town has had both perks and problems for those on either side of the state line. Residents in Idaho could purchase goods across the river and not pay Idaho sales tax, for example. At one time the legal drinking age was lower in Idaho, as well as the qualifications to graduate high school. That has changed, but now another issue has raised its head. Malheur...