Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Greetings to everyone from southern Mindanao where we have been laboring in General Santos City and now in Davao City. Thank you for your prayers and occasional notes of encouragement. The halfway point is now past and thoughts of loved ones at home are always near and dear.

Monday, April 23, began our preacher training class in General Santos City with 24 men who registered plus another 25‑30 sit‑in students. Brethren from premillennial churches of Christ were given first priority to attend, and even several denominational “pastors” requested to attend. We rented a hotel function room to escape the stifling heat and humidity, and to utilize tables where the men could open their Bibles with notepads and the workbooks by Robert Harkrider on Basic Bible Doctrine.

Cyrus Gesulga, Rudy Tampon, and Jolly Julom helped behind the scenes inviting men and making other necessary arrangements. Many slept in the church building at Apopong where Jolly preaches.

Teachers were Jonathan Carino (from Cebu City, Cebu), Juanito Balbin and his son C.B. (from Davao City), and myself.  Jack Jaco is our righthand man constantly helping us with equipment and other needs.

It was disappointing to start the classes without books shipped two months ago, which deprived these men of their Bible concordances and Bible dictionaries. We prayed for them to arrive during the week.

Fortunately, the hotel has a generator. Brown‑outs have become so bad on Mindanao that Pres. Aquino made a special trip to Davao City recently to meet with government and civic leaders about the problem. A brownout hit while I was teaching on the first day, but the hotel generator kicked in almost immediately.

 Our first day was devoted to an overview of the Bible’s message including the periods of Bible history: Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Gospel or Christian Ages. We also focused on undenominational Christianity. I closed the day with a hands‑on session on how to outline passages for expository preaching since we had no concordances and dictionaries to study.

The Tuesday classes progressed well with students ranging in age from the 20’s to the 90’s. Yes, one attendee was over 90 years old, sitting on the second row with his Bible and notepad. Today’s lessons discussed how to study the Bible including such things as context, figurative language, and how to establish and apply the authority of Christ. Since some of the students were from Pentecostal, Baptist, and other denominations, some of these topics obviously were sensitive, but there was no angry reaction, only good questions from time to time.

When in my room, I heard people chattering just outside my fifth floor window. This really puzzled me until I looked out and saw sparrows built a nest under the air conditioner’s supporting frame–they were the ones chattering!

Wednesday was another excellent day as we concentrated on God’s pattern for the mission and organization of the church. The men listened well and asked good questions again. The two large boxes of concordances and dictionaries still did not arrive, but we finally were able to contact the shipper and learned they were likely sitting in a warehouse in Davao City three to four hours away. The company promised to look for them. Meanwhile, I continued teaching in the last session on sermon preparation, especially for expository preaching.

On Thursday we covered lessons on the Holy Spirit, baptism, and Calvinism with good results.  The Pentecostals naturally had questions about the Holy Spirit. One man in particular tried to defend their claims of miracles today, but he was not angry when we answered him and he stayed to complete the studies. It will take time for the truth to sink in and we must patiently teach.  Studying from 8:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. made for long days, but the men were very attentive.

Our two big boxes of books were located languishing in a warehouse in Davao City. After the delivery company promised to deliver them today, they later called to say their truck was broken down. Jolly Julom and Jack Jaco went to Davao City to get the boxes and returned with them about 10:00 P.M., thank God!

Friday morning I taught four lessons on premillennialism which were well received by our premillennial brethren. There were a few follow‑up questions for clarification but no one fighting us. In the afternoon I deviated from the planned outlines and taught four lessons on how to use the Bible concordances and Bible dictionaries which were finally distributed. All age groups were represented and the lessons moved slowly since such materials were entirely new to them. They were very appreciative.

At the day’s end I conducted an open forum which covered a wide range of topics. When we extended an invitation, no one responded, but there were private comments indicating several men are near to the kingdom. The certificates of completion of the five‑day training were distributed along with additional books for continued study after the men return home. This was a very good week indeed!

 Before I left home, Donna and I packed some boxes with Bibles and other materials which I brought on the plane. After reaching Manila these were sent ahead to the venues via air cargo. As we now open these boxes in each place, the new Bibles are missing! This is a bitter disappointment. I know from handling the boxes that the Bibles were still present when I arrived in the Philippines, but this country is noted for its corruption and dishonesty. This is the first time in 46 trips Bibles have been stolen in transit. Let us hope they fall into hands where some good will be done by God’s overruling providence!

Saturday morning I studied to teach at a wedding (or “weeding” as they at times say it) at 3:00 P.M. for Charmain Pangompia and Karen Jane Francisco, daughter of brother and sister Nestor Francisco. This is my third wedding in the Philippines. I summarized the Song of Solomon and drew some practical lessons for marriage from it.

Sunday, April 29, we traveled from General Santos City to Davao City, which took about four hours. Along the way we stopped at Kitakal, Malungon, Sarangani Province to worship with Sel Sandoval (widow of Rene Sandoval) and all the saints who meet there. Sixty souls attended as I taught on “The Resurrection of Christ (Mk. 16)” in the first period, which Jack Jaco summarized in the dialect.

By request I then taught on “The One Moral Covenant Doctrine” because an unstable man had caused trouble in the area by working with men who are associated with this false doctrine. It was introduced among our brethren several years ago in the U.S. and in the Philippines by Jim Puterbaugh. Jim’s friend Wallace Little then picked it up. They taught it in annual preacher training programs conducted in the Manila area, where Ernesto Canon also teaches.  The theory says the moral teaching of the Old Law was extended into the New Covenant, much the same as the 7th Day Adventists argue. It is applied to marriage, divorce, and remarriage in an attempt to prove God accepts all marriages subsequent to all divorces no matter how they happen. I broke the lesson into two parts and we studied until 2:30 P.M. before stopping for lunch because of the good questions and discussion. Jonathan Carino summarized and also translated during the open forum.

Sunday was a very profitable day! We arrived in Davao City late and tired but also very thankful and happy knowing that the saints at Kitakal are trying so hard to remain faithful.

We look forward to another good preacher training series in Davao City and will try to get a report out on it as time allows.

It is good to see the moon again the last couple of evenings, and to know that you can see it there, too. May God bless and keep each one of you.

In Christian love,

Ron