Halbrook Philippine Report Aug 8-9
The Lord’s Day, August 8, 2015th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
I have not been able to see the moon. It rained almost every day in Cagayan de Oro City, but I know the moon is there and your loving messages are still bouncing off it and reaching me. I will keep watching – maybe tonight I will see it.
Our Saturday journey started when we left the hotel in Cagayan de Oro City about 4:30 A.M. and drove 45 minutes to the airport. Our 6:30 A.M. flight brought us to Davao City at 7:30. By the time I got checked into my hotel here in Davao City, I was cross-eyed with exhaustion from the past week! I got some rest during the day but also spent time exercising which helps me recover my stamina.
In addition I spent over two hours visiting Juanito Balbin at his place. We discussed his present and future plans for the church here. They have a good location in the downtown area in the largest city in the world for land area (Tokyo, Japan has largest population). The church has done well through the years under the circumstances, but their potential is diminished by the fact that their building stands in a very narrow alley type street – there is absolutely no place near or remote to park vehicles. In an urban downtown setting, no parking space is a definite hindrance to the work.
Brother Balbin and the brethren here have sacrificed and worked to improve the meeting place (such as adding small air conditioners) even at the expense of neglecting his small house which is rotting and leaking rain water in several places. For many years brother Balbin has been sacrificing from his support (and he has lost some significant support) to make regular payments on another prime property at the crossroads of major highways in the city. He took me to see it and I marvel at the prime location and spacious area! It is the kind of property where a mall might well be built.
He is looking for ways and means to get this paid off within the next year (about $15,000). When the land is secured, a brother who inherited some property is going to sell it to help finance a new church building. If this can all be accomplished, it will be a major step forward for the cause of Christ in Davao City! Perhaps some individual brethren would be interested in helping this worthy project and I will gladly put you in touch with brother Balbin. (Donations could be made to Help A Neighbor for this purpose if someone needs a tax deduction.)
After my meeting with brother Balbin, I met Jack Jaco, Jonathan Carino, and Lordy Salunga for a pizza supper. Jonathan and Lordy had arrived earlier in the day. We had a good visit and are looking forward to this week of study and work together.
This is a beautiful Lord’s Day and it was a joy to worship with the saints at the New Matina church of Christ here in Davao City where brother Balbin has labored so long and so hard. He established this congregation many years ago and it is still thriving with elders, deacons, evangelists, teachers, and all the saints. The meeting place was filled with about 50 souls of every age today as I taught two lesson on “God’s Care for Young and Old” (Ps. 71:17-18). Lordy Salunga will speak at the evening service. Not all Filipino churches are able to conduct an evening service because the poor saints own no vehicles and must pay fares to attend services, but Davao City has done it for many years to accommodate saints who cannot attend the morning service.
We are 12 hours ahead of the U.S. here, so many of you will soon arise to the Lord’s Day there and will worship our great God and Savior. Please pray for our work here this week as we also will be praying for you there.
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
P.S. Only now I had time to read the good report of Rody Gumpad about the labors of Keith Greer, Grayson Key, and himself with brethren on the island of Palawan. Se the report below and include these men in your prayers as they prepare to travel to the island of Mindoro to preach on Monday.
August 3-4 Update Report from Rody C. Gumpad
Dearest Brethren in the List,
Greetings to all of you, our dear Brethren! Hope & pray this finds you all again doing well, happy and always strong in the Lord!
Brethren, our sincere thanks to you all for continue including us and the work here in your prayers! As scheduled, yesterday, our Bro. Keith Greer, bro. Grayson Key, Tessie and I all flew here in the Island of Palawan. With God’s help we arrived safely, met by bro. Dario Belviz and two other fellow Gospel Workers at the Airport. From there we traveled more than 4 hours to a Hotel here at Brooks Point where we will spend two nights while we are in this area. Early this morning, we went and preach at the first place called Tarusan, Bataraza where bro. Samson Dalit is laboring! We found the brethren/crowd happily waiting for us. Unluckily, we were not able to use the Projector but both Grayson and bro. Keith preached so well their very effective lessons that I also summarized (Grayson on Acts 2 and bro. Keith on Matt. 7:13-14)! And then, invitation was extended and 46 Precious souls came forward and confessed their faith in Christ! Immediately, we brought them to where there is “Much” water and baptized them into Christ!
From there, we traveled to the next scheduled place called Sito Inyam, Bataraza, where bro. Rudy Baagin is also laboring. It was raining but brethren and many of their contacts came so their building was packed! Because we were rushing to the next venue, so this time, bro. Grayson led singing and only bro. Keith preached (Eph. 1:3-7), and then I again summarized, and then invitation was extended. God’s word pricked the hearts of Sixteen (16) of the listeners, and they came forward and confessed their faith! So, even it was raining, they were baptized into Christ at the back of the meeting house where there is a rough/rugged river!
From there, we again traveled to the third place we are scheduled to preach called Poblacion, Bataraza where Roy Baagin is also laboring (Son of Rudy Baagin). There was also good attendance that packed their meeting house. Again, Grayson graciously led some songs and bro. Keith preached (Romans 5:6-8). I again summarized and then invitation was extended and EIGHTEEN (18) souls came forward, confessed their faith and then we brought and baptized them into Christ in the nearest river!
Yes, brethren! just for today, we witnessed the power of the Gospel! It was 46 + 16 + 18 =Equals 80 total of Precious souls (August 4, 2015) who were baptized for the remission of sins and were added to the Lord’s Kingdom! It was a result of the joint effort of the faithful fellow Gospel workers here that when the hearts were ripe for harvest then voluntarily obeyed! We will not force anyone to believe us, brethren, but we were truly almost speechless when we extended the invitation and then we saw these precious souls who are humbly responding to the Gospel call! Me personally, just closed my eyes and said; “Thank you, Father, for the power of the Gospel” (Rom. 1:16)!
Brethren, attached are some pictures of these new brethren in Christ who are requesting our prayers! [Sorry I cannot attach the pictures; Ron] Shall we include them in our devotions so that they will remain faithful and be a good example also to others and for God’s glory!
Brethren, you all are also in our fervent devotions. We know that you all are also very busy in the many works ye do in your areas and may God bless more all of you! God knows that we too love you all in our Lord, Jesus Christ! Well, kindly continue to pray for us and our preaching schedule here in Palawan, please! Lord willing we will go to another two places tomorrow and then travel about 4 hours back to Puerto Princesa and hope that we get there before too late tomorrow night! Likewise, brethren, kindly continue include our dear bro. Ron Halbrook in our prayers, please! He is now conducting also Lectures in Mindanao. Brothers Keith and Grayson are both doing well and we are blessed by being with them but please include them also in our devotions so that they will remain in good health and we can do more for the Lord while they are with us. Thank you very much! I will now end here, brethren. Thank you so much again if ye can click the reply button and any even short message that ye can send will be highly appreciated because it will more strengthen us in the firing line! I already remove the four who recently requested that their names will be deleted in the list! I’m sorry but I don’t intend to disturb, muddle, or especially to upset anyone but just sharing what is also going on here in our region about the Lord’s cause and we all praise Him and encourage each other because Judgment is coming! May God help us all to do what we can for Him every moment of our lives so that we will be worthy to meet Him if he comes now! We love you all very much brethren! Thank you so much also for loving us in Christ!
Because of Calvary, Rody & Tessie Gumpad
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