Halbrook Philippine Report Dec 2-8, 2013
Dec. 11, 2013th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
Keith Greer and I were blessed with a safe trip December 2-4 flying from Louisville, KY to Nagoya, Japan, and into Manila about 1:15 A.M. (late because of technical delay in Japan). This 27 hour trip left us exhausted as we fell into our beds at the hotel afer 3:00 A.M. Wednesday Elias Cruz met us for a few minutes before our next flight from Manila to Cebu City, so that five large boxes we brought could be shipped ahead by air cargo to Cebu City.
First Time to Visit Masbate
After arriving in Cebu City on the 4th, where we met Jonathan Carino, we prepared for the next flight on Thursday the 5th into Masbate City on the island of Masbate. In addition to this heavy travel schedule, we are enduring the rigors of Philippine winter with temperatures ranging from the high 70’s to the mid 80’s! Do you pity us? 🙂 Actually, it feels uncomfortably hot because of the 40 degree jump above temperatures back home. We will soon adjust.
After being invited many times to visit Masbate, I was finally able to work it into the schedule. There are 7,000 islands in the Philippines and 70 of them have a substantial population, so it is entirely possible I will not live to visit them all! As a result of our preaching and many conversions in Bogo City, Cebu, this year, a few denominational preachers from Masbate Island who joined those studies have obeyed the gospel in recent months. This involved constant hard work by Filipino preachers with only occasional visits by Americans. These newly converted preachers have been laboring to teach their members in the denominations the true gospel and many have responded by obedient faith. Jonathan Carino brought Harry Osborne here last month and their lessons were well received.
After our early flight to Masbate City, we took a van to the rural community of Del Carmen. Gregg Jumao-as and his son Ronnel had gathered 50-60 souls, filling the nice church building. I preached a short lesson explaining our purpose in coming was to preach God’s Word and why. After the original Savior, gospel, and church came for man’s salvation, many changes were made resulting in the formation of Catholicism and later in denominationalism. We did not come to start a new religion or denomination but to teach men to follow the original Savior and gospel.
Then I proceeded to a study of “The Message of the Bible: Salvation in Christ.” Keith taught on God’s dealing with men in the three dispensations: the patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the Christian ages. Time was given to answer questions. After lunch I preached “The Two Covenants (Gal. 4:24)” and Keith taught an important lesson on godly living. More questions were again addressed regarding such things as inherited sin, instrumental music in worship, and how obeying the gospel often leads to persecution. Many expressed appreciation for today’s preaching.
The moon cannot be seen here because of the all-day rains which are continuing tonight-steady but not monsoon storms, thank God.
Friday a van took us from Masbate City back to Del Carmen. The Jumao-as family was converted from the Baptist faith to New Testament Christianity and the father and a son have been converting their former Baptist members. Keith began the day with a study of receiving salvation by God’s grace, and I followed with “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God.” After Keith’s next message on counting the cost to become a follower of Christ, I finished the day by focusing on “The Purpose of Our Lives.” No one asked any questions but 12 obeyed the gospel, men and woman, young and old.
The members here at Del Carmen almost surely will be driven out of their church building by Baptist authorities who hold the deed to the property.
One of the Filipino ladies brought her husband Mark Klynen (Mark_Klynen@yahoo.com ) who is from Belgium in western Europe but has lived here for six years. He stayed all day and was very attentive. Mark speaks Dutch and asked for help in finding a Dutch translation in current rather than archaic language. Can anyone reading this report offer any clues?
Preaching on Cebu Island
On Saturday, December 7, our early morning flight from Masbate to Cebu City allowed us to arrive for a short rest, and then we went to the suburb of Talamban. A former denominational preacher named Alejandro “Ahl” Bufral is teaching and baptizing the remaining members, though some who could not endure sound doctrine left. Several who stayed held onto their denominational baptism as equivalent to the one baptism of the gospel. I preached on “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God” which includes a section contrasting the one baptism with denominational error. Keith followed with a good lesson on godly lesson. Eight responded to the gospel and were baptized in a pool nearby (we had to pay a fee for each one who entered the water). Four former deaconesses previously holding onto their old baptism were in this group.
On the 8th it was necessary to leave Cebu City at 7:00 A.M. and travel almost three hours to meet with the saints in the Bogo City area. This part of Cebu Island was hit hard by typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda). As we drew near, the devastation was evident roofless, collapsed, or blown away. Trees were blown over and rooted up one after another.  We rented a function room in a hotel that was structurally sound in Bobo City. The assembly numbered 77 including saints and sinners. Because of the devastation Keith addressed why we live in a world of suffering, then I spoke on “The Resurrection of Christ,” a verse by verse study of Mark 16. Nine responded to the gospel call and were baptized into Christ. Gil Suico continues his steady sound work in this area, helping three congregations.
A brother in the area named Felix Cantulan has disappointed us and returned to his former denominational group called “The Church,” a sect formed by a Chinese man named Watchman Nee in 1922. Felix has been driving a van for this group and he even invited some of our brethren to get onboard, but they declined. We pity him and pray he will be like Simon in Acts 8:22-24 by repenting and returning to the Lord and to the truth. Such tragedies occur wherever the gospel goes because Satan launches a counterattack every time a precious soul escapes his captivity.
Because we spent over five hours in round trip travel, we were not able to make side trips to see the damaged and destroyed houses of saints, but we saw one of their homes near the highway totally demolished. We will be teaching preacher training classes August 9-13 in Cebu City. One reason this central location was chosen is that brethren from the devastated areas can come to report more details about the ongoing needs. Then when the classes end, the benevolence we have in hand can be delivered to the respective congregations according to the needs in the Bogo  City area, on Leyte, on Negros, or elsewhere.
Side Trip to Manila to Dr. Toreja’s Clinic
Though this report is being sent on Wednesday the 11th, unfortunately I cannot give a report on the classes in Cebu City until later. Saturday night the 7th I consulted with Dr. Teresa Toreja in Manila by phone about a procedure done November 14 on my big left toe to resolve an ingrown nail problem. It was not healing properly and after her asking some questions she insisted I come to see her ASAP because she was sure there was serious infection. I did not want to miss the scheduled classes, but no one is indispensable and wisdom dictated I should listen to the good doctor.
By God’s providence Rody Gumpad was arriving in Cebu Monday to deliver some benevolence to the men gathered from areas hard hit by the typhoon. He had previously taught the books we were to use as a guide, Basic Bible Doctrine by Robert Harkrider. Rody agreed to take my classes and I forwarded my charts to him. He arrived Monday in Cebu City just in time to join Jonathan Carino, Jack Jaco, Keith Greer, and Lordy Salunga for the classes.
I flew from Cebu City to Manila arriving at Dr. Toreja’s clinic late Monday afternoon. I waited until she finished seeing her patients. She then worked on the toe for 30-40 minutes without anesthesia (which I learned is not effective on an inflamed wound)-now that was real sho’nuff fun! Fortunately, she did not amputate and I survived! She put me on some medications to promote healing and fight infection. Teresa was satisfied with the incision’s progress on Tuesday and released me to return to Cebu City the next day so I could teach on Thursday.
It has been such a blessing to have Teresa near when traveling in the Philippines and encountering several health problems through the years. She is knowledgeable, sacrificial, and compassionate in her medical practice. In addition she uses every possible opportunity to teach her patients the gospel.
Rody had to leave Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, I learned the classes were doing just fine without me! Over 90 attended the first day even though we have Bibles and workbooks for only 24 men!
I have not panicked in all this because the skies cleared and I could see the moon a couple of nights, reminding me of the love and prayers of so many brethren and loved ones. May God bless you all.
In Christian love, Ron Halbrook
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