Monday, April 25

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

On Wednesday, April 20, I bid Jonathan Carino, Jack Jaco, and the Bacolod brethren adieu and flew from Bacolod City to Manila, arriving mid-afternoon.  After a late lunch at the hotel and some exercise, I prepared for the next two days of teaching in the Medium Security section of the New Bilibid Prison (new as of 1940).  As a result of hearing me preach on the last trip, the leader of a large Presbyterian group in the prison asked me to teach for several days in their nice facility.  I arranged two days for them and one day to work with the inmates in the Receiving and Diagnostics Center (RDC).

Ely Ebuenga took me to the prison Thursday to begin the two days of teaching with the help of Willie Pastor who came from his home in the Quirino Province.  Willie rode the bus most of the night to get here.  He is an excellent translator, which is needed in the prison where inmates often are poorly educated.

The Presbyterian building was nearly full today with 135 in attendance.  The leader told me once I started preaching to keep going until all the lessons were finished.  He gave only a couple of very short breaks in order to keep the men focused and prevent them from scattering.  I spent four hours teaching three lessons including the translations done by Willie and Ely: “God Created All Things” (Gen. 1:1-2), “The Purpose of Our Lives” (Gen. 1:27), and “The Bread of Life” (Jn. 6:35).

When the invitation was extended, 9 souls came forward to obey the gospel and receive forgiveness of their sins through the blood of Christ.  They were baptized in a barrel by stooping and Willie pushed their heads under the water.  They have to rent the barrel and pay for the water which is in short supply because of the drought.  Our brethren meet under a tin roof which leaks when it rains, there are no sides, and the floor is dirt which turns into mud when the rains flood the floor.  A few hundred dollars would allow them to make a simple concrete floor raised above the dirt, to put up walls, and to repair the roof.  Perhaps someone would like to help?

I barely had time to return to the hotel, grab a snack, shower, and meet Ely Ebuenga with Rody, Tessie, and Junior Gumpad to attend the last funeral service of Atoy Franco (Filipinos typically have several such services).  He was a good friend and brother with a servant’s heart – he has been my driver for several years and I already miss his service and his infectious smile.  Knowing our close relationship, the family asked me to be the speaker for the night.  We arrived at the funeral home about 6:30 P.M. and the service ran from 7:00 to almost 10:00.  Several family members reminisced about their experiences with Atoy and there was a lot of singing.  My sermon was a verse by verse study of Mark 16 on “The Resurrection of Christ.”

Atoy will be greatly missed.  He was 81 and had cancer the last few months of his life but died of pneumonia.  He was converted by Don Hastings while visiting his son in Lakeland, FL about eight  years ago.  We hope for open doors to convert other family members to the original and pure gospel of Christ.

Friday, April 22, was our second day at the Presbyterian facility in the Medium Security sector of Bilibid Prison.  Ninety souls gathered and I started with a lesson for the benefit of the men baptized yesterday – “Why We Worship Every Sunday.”  The next study included Scripture and history to show differences between the church of Christ in the Bible and churches created by men – “When Peter Confessed Christ” (verse by verse study of Matt. 16:13-19).

Then we conducted an open forum, fielding questions about how we know the Bible is true, whether prophesy continues today, and how to know for certain we are saved.  At the singing of the invitation song, another 8 men came forward to confess Christ and be baptized into his church. The Presbyterian who controls the facility was emphatic in telling me to please notify him at any time when it will be possible to conduct such studies again!  We hope he will be converted – he seems very receptive.

Two amazing days using a denominational facility in a national prison crammed with over 20,000 inmates!

I can see the full moon in its beauty and I thank God because the people I love can see it too though we cannot see each other.

Sammy Paet brought me on Saturday to the RDC section of Bilibid Prison where we met Ely Ebuenga and Willie Pastor again.  The inmate who took the lead when Willie left the prison is Sonny Ibanez.  He had 85 men gathered and waiting for us at 9:00 A.M., so after singing we started immediately.  My lesson was entitled “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God” (Rom. 1:16-17).  Willie translated as I preached about the right God, the right Savior, the right gospel, the right baptism, the right church, and the right life.  The room in which we met was so hot the projector showed a warning that it was overheating and would shut down just as the lesson ended.  I was wet with sweat all day, but the men were attentive and it was worth every moment to have such a golden opportunity to sow the seed of God’s kingdom.

After a lunch break, we gathered in the Catholic chapel to study “How Sinners Receive Salvation” (Rom. 10:1-17).  After the open forum, 13 precious souls came forward to be baptized into Christ including one woman who visits an inmate and who already had been studying with our brethren.  The saints in RDC had built a baptistry which we used.

The men in RDC will be evaluated by prison authorities and then sent to other sections of the prison, where hopefully they can worship with the saints who gather for worship.  A good congregation has been meeting in RDC for years beginning with the work done by Willie while he was an inmate.

We rejoice for the 30 people who submitted to Christ during these three days of preaching. Again we see the power of the gospel as God gives the increase.

The Lord’s Day began at the Edsa church of Christ where Rody Gumpad and Sammy Paet work together.  Our attendance was 56 and I taught two lessons on “Selecting a Mate: God Builds the House” (Ps. 127:1).  One woman who appeared to be in her 20’s confessed Christ and was baptized into Christ.  Next Sammy drove Rody, Tessie, and me to the church meeting in Jimmy Battung’s home where I preached to about 25 people on Matthew 16:13-19, “When Peter Confessed Christ.”  Jimmy’s family attended and heard this lesson refuting Catholicism and denominationalism – Jimmy raised them all to be good Catholics.  Some already have been baptized into the body of Christ and we are hopeful for the others with time.

1 Corinthians 1:26 says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.”  The common people are more prone than professional people to open their hearts to the gospel, but there are also professional people like the Battungs who humble themselves and submit to Christ.  Jimmy was a highly decorated colonel in the Philippine National Police and his children and grandchildren are professionals.

After worship we gathered to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Jimmy and his wife Lita.  It was a joyous occasion.  Rody was the MC and did a masterful job conducting a ceremony for renewing their vows.  I gave a short summary of the Song of Solomon which celebrates marital love and then I made applications for us today.  Short talks were given by their children and two of the grandchildren, then the honorees spoke to us.  Jimmy told the very interesting and unusual story of how they met and then married April 25, 1966.  He spoke encouraging words to their children, urging them to seek the right way to serve God because they are not now united in the one faith of the original gospel.  His favorite passage is Matthew 28:18-20.

Today, Monday, the important business which needed attention was purchasing Bibles to ship to many places throughout the Philippines.  More and more Bibles are needed because more and more precious souls are obeying the gospel throughout this land by the grace of God.  Though I will never reach every place and every need, it is always a joy to participate in sharing Bibles with people who hunger to feed their souls on the Word of God.  Today, thanks to donations making it possible, 612 Bibles in Filipino dialects were purchased and will be shipped in the coming days.

The Philippine saints have a special place in my heart.  As we have grown closer to each other through these 21 years of my travel here, I have been blessed to participate not only in converting the lost and edifying the saints but also in their weddings, funerals, and now a 50th wedding anniversary.  God has taught me many good things through the faith, hope, and love of Filipino Christians.

I miss Donna and all of precious people we love at home, so my heart beats with joy when it is time to return home and see everyone there again.  The moon seems to know I am getting ready to go home because the last few nights it has been brightly beaming just like my heart.

I will never find adequate words to thank each one of you who makes these trips possible through your prayers, financial help, and moral support.  Above all, I thank God because the work we all are doing together is not our own – it is by the purpose and plan of God for the salvation of a lost world unto His name’s honor and glory.  We all are small and unworthy servants of our merciful Master and the Shepherd of our souls.  “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Ps. 107:8)

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