Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

Greetings in the name of our great God who sustains us day and night!  My 70st Philippine trip is now well underway and I hope to send reports along the way.  My flight on Tuesday left Louisville ahead of stormy weather which hit later, but we got to Atlanta and flew on to Tokyo and into Manila with smooth sailing by the good grace of God.  In fact, I was in my hotel room by 8:15 P.M. Wednesday night which sets a record.

Believe it or not, after being up and traveling for over 24 hours (actually 48 hours – the last day I don’t make it to bed at night), taking exercise helps overcome leg cramps and promotes sleeping like a baby.  So I immediately went to the exercise room for about 45 minutes.  Next, after 8 hours sleep – very rare for me – Thursday morning I had a good breakfast and went to the moneychanger to get pesos.  Then, I met some Filipino brethren in the lobby who came to help sort the Bible study materials packed in six boxes I brought on the plane so they can be delivered to the appropriate venues where I will teach.  This left the afternoon free to study lessons, work on email, and prepare for the first leg of my trip on the island of Mindanao, starting tomorrow.

On Friday I flew to Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental in northern Mindanao.  Cipriano Carpentero, Jr. met me along with Jack Jaco, Jonathan Carino, and DonDon Mabasa.  We picked up one of the boxes shipped via air cargo yesterday, filled with all sorts of teaching materials to distribute along the way.

The whole day Saturday was devoted to a gospel meeting at the Balulang church in Cagayan de Oro City begun by Cipriano a few years ago.  Teddy Torres is now serving as an evangelist with these brethren.  A couple of years ago a poor sister in this poverty-stricken area donated part of her land for a meeting house.  It was built by the hard work of Filipinos and with generous financial aid from individual Christians in the U.S.  Today that building overflowed with over 70 people, and some listened outside through a window.

My sermons were entitled “Young People, Read the Bible,” “Salvation: Amazing, Astonishing,” and “Why Saints Assemble.”  Jonathan and Jack summarized these lessons in the local dialect, and Jonathan presented an additional sermon.  Twelve precious souls responded to Christ’s invitation and submitted to water baptism for the remission of their sins.  Heaven rejoices with us!

I always enjoy noticing in the front of the song books the name of the church which donated them.  This church uses song books donated by the Beech Creek church of Christ in Meador, WV.

The weather is running in the mid to upper 80’s, so it was hot today, though not unbearable, and I came back to the hotel in wet clothes.

It is important to remember that conversions are the results of plenty of teaching by Filipino preachers. They are constantly working to convince people to obey the gospel and American visitors like myself simply help them gather the harvest.  God knows that they, not we, are the real workers in the process of converting people in this nation.  Often a Filipino plants, then an American waters, and always it is God who gives the increase.  “So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase” (1 Cor. 3:7).

On the Lord’s Day I visited two congregations served by Cipriano Carpentero.  In the morning service at the Box-1 Macasandig church, DonDon Mabasa preached on God’s grace and man’s obedient faith followed by my lesson on “Modest Dress through the Ages” (1 Tim. 2:8:10).  The church meets above Cipriano’s house and over 50 assembled today.  Another soul decided to repent, confess Christ, and submit to him in baptism.

This church has song books donated by Rock church in Tennessee.

Several years ago we preached at the side of a river under the trees in the San Simon community and 26 people obeyed the gospel.  They formed a new congregation which met in a sister’s home on the other side of the river for a couple of years but quickly outgrew her little house.  The brethren gradually were able to build a nice little meeting house on land she donated near her house and the building was full today with 70-80 in attendance at our afternoon service.  It was a privilege to preach on the subject “Precious: The Death of God’s Saints” (Ps. 116:18) and to worship with these brethren again.

As this first report goes out, saints back in the U.S. are now observing the Lord’s Day.  May God bless those services in every place.

In Christian love,

Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com