Ron & Donna Halbrook

3505 Horse Run Ct.

Shepherdsville, KY 40165-6954

PLEASE SHARE THIS LETTER ON GOSPEL PREACHING

IN THE PHILIPPINES!

March 27, 2013th Year of Our Lord

Dear brethren,

April 9-May 25 is scheduled for my 50th preaching trip to the Philippines since Jim McDonald first took me with him in 1995.  Isaiah prophesied salvation in Christ like a highway:  “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it” (Isa. 35:8 ).  The redeemed are willing to travel The Way of Holiness which pleases God and leads to heaven, but the stubborn wicked refuse it.  The schedule this time will involve visiting churches, preaching to the lost, training preachers, and teaching a weeklong series on the home and family.

As happened before my last trip, several complications have delayed preparing the schedule and taking care of other details such as medical tests (with good results), but now I am ready to go forward.

I plan to fly to Manila and on to the Ilocos region (NW Luzon) for preaching schedules April 12-20.  Two days will be set aside for classes for young preachers at Escoda, Marcos, Ilocos Norte where Vic Domingo labors.  Additional visits to preach to saints and to sinners are planned at Laoag City with Mat Sibayan, Sr.; at Cabugao, Ilocos Sur with Egdon Sabio; at Dingras, I.N. with Warner Macusi; and at Nueva Era, I.N. with Efren Ramos.

God willing, April 20 I will travel from NW Luzon to Cebu City on Cebu Island to work with Jonathan Carino.  The 26 baptized by Gil Suico on my last trip are meeting in their village, Libjo Tabogon, near Bogo City.  Not only will we follow up with them, but also Felix Cantulan has moved to the Bogo City area and needs our help to follow up on many of his contacts.  Felix began reading Truth Magazine in 2010 and was converted by Juanito Balbin in Davao City on Mindanao.  He came from the “Local Church” sect started by a Chinese man named Watchman Nee and spread to the Philippines and the U.S. by Witness Lee.  Felix has been pressured to stop teaching his contacts but will not compromise. We also hope to work with Julius Libera, the newly converted Baptist preacher in Cebu City.

April 26-May 1 will be spent on Mindanao Island at General Santos City.  Follow-up work is needed at the Bula congregation where Aguillardo Untal preaches, also recently converted from denominationalism.  This man was converted last year through our contact with Rudy Tampon, former premillennial preacher among our brethren.  The small congregation at Balite in General Santos City will have an all-day gospel meeting.  Then another all-day session is planned for the church at Kitakal, Malungon, Sarangani Province where the widow of gospel preacher Rene Sandoval worships.

Cyrus Gesulga, former longtime premillennial preacher, requested that he will gather many of his associates to hear the series of lessons on the home and family.  He lives at Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental on Mindanao.  May 2-6 is set aside for this purpose.

On May 7, my 67th birthday, I will travel back to Manila on Luzon for the last leg of the trip.  Two days preaching is scheduled with Willie and Kenneth Pastor at the Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City where the work is flourishing.  Another two days will be spent with Rody Gumpad in a gospel meeting at the newly established Edsa-Pasay church of Christ in Manila, which is also growing.  May 13-24 is set aside for a two-week training program for young men wanting to preach in the Greater Manila area.  The classes will be held at the Kapitbahayan church of Christ in Navotas where Elias Cruz preaches.

This trip will be longer than usual, so also more expensive.  I have learned to trust God’s providence working through his beloved saints to provide what is needed.  Individuals giving $500 or more for church buildings and similar needs can write checks to Help A Neighbor for a tax deduction.  Write all other checks to Ron Halbrook.  Mail to 3505 Horse Run Ct., Shepherdsville, KY 40165-6954.  Donors receive financial reports (2 Cor. 8:21).

In Christian love, Ron Halbrook

Phone 502-955-1748 or 957-6726; e-mail halbrook@insightbb.com

P.S. There is a dire need for songbooks!  I can ship new or used copies very cheaply.