Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Please read and circulate the information provided below.  Much of the Philippines has been suffering from a drought since October of 2018.  Imagine getting no significant rainfall for eight months!  I traveled and preached in the Philippines April 9-May 7, 2019 and saw the parched land and dry river beds.  Large numbers of our brethren work at the lower end of the economic scale, for instance, working in agriculture.  Many work for large plantation owners or work their own small farms.  The drought deprives them of their income in addition to driving up the prices of food.

I am receiving many requests from reliable brethren for benevolence.  A sample message from Jack Jaco is provided below.

I am willing to serve as a messenger to deliver funds to affected congregations.  If we do not know the character of an individual asking for benevolence, we are foolish to put funds in his hands.  I am willing to share what I know about various individuals requesting funds, or I will find out from Filipino saints on the scene.  Integrity must be the hallmark for both givers and receivers.

If someone wishes to make direct contact with victims of the drought, I will gladly provide names and email addresses for affected Filipinos.

If someone wishes me to serve as your messenger, funds can be sent to Ron Halbrook, 3505 Horse Run Ct., Sheperdsville, KY.  Checks from individuals or churches should be written to Ron Halbrook with the expectation of receiving a report. Individuals needing a tax deduction may make checks payable to Help A Neighbor and designate them for the drought victims (send to same address).  (Help A Neighbor is certified with the IRS as a legal charity but accepts funds only from individuals, not churches.)

Let us fervently pray for rain.  Let us also recognize if the rains started today, it will be several months before the results can be seen in tangible form.  Meanwhile, let each of us do whatever we feel capable of doing to help alleviate the suffering of our brethren.  “He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor” (Prov. 14:31).

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

“Dear Brother and Brethren,

Greeting in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Hope and pray everything is well with and your Beloved Family.

The great intense of the drought for these past several months in our region resulted a great damaged to all agricultural products. These dry spell damaged rice field plantations; corn plantations; coconut plantations and particularly to the sugar cane plantations which you know and seen is the major agricultural industry here in Negros Occidental.

Mostly of the church members of our 24 local Congregations here in Negros Occidental are sugar cane plantations workers. Due damaged in the sugar industry we are greatly affected. Brethren are suffering for their foods and water to drink, because almost of their dig wells were run out of water. They recourse to dig wells in the nearby river side which also almost to be dried.
The live stocks were all affected and and even vegetables which is helps for our Filipino daily foods. Yesterday I went to Iloilo where we have Congregation there and my Brother Romeo Jaco is the preacher. The same situation they had here in Negros.

Because of these intense needs to survive from these calamity, I am humbly appealing from the Beloved US Brethren to have mercy to help our needs of foods. Any help you may send to us will be greatly appreciated and very thankful to the Lord.”

Yours in Christ,
Sigualdo (Jack) Jaco