February 17, 2019th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

When I mentioned in the previous report that “international travel” has two “a’s” for double adventure, I failed to consider that Philippine Air Lines adds another “a” for triple adventure.  My suitcase which was diverted to China was next diverted to Canada.  You ask, “Why?”  Count the “a’s” again, or refer to Murphy’s law.  Wednesday I exercised a little by walking, rested, worked on email, and studied lessons for tomorrow.  So as not to get bored, I received several updates on my suitcase alternately offering and dashing hopes it would arrive anytime soon.

To say Thursday was a full day would be an understatement.  James Paet and Junior Gumpad drove for two and a half hours to bring me to the Phase 6 church in Caloocan City, Metro Manila where Andrew Romero preachers.  The vehicle has a GPS which said the trip was 45 minutes, but that definitely does not take into account Manila traffic!  While the brethren were patiently awaiting our arrival, Gert-Jan van Zanten visiting from Holland presented a lesson. I was thankful to meet him after hearing of his travels in the Philippines.

My sermon was entitled “Fear Not, Neither Be Dismayed” (Deut. 31:8), a lesson challenging all of us to live by fearless faith in God.  Everyone was very attentive and one man stepped forward to confess his faith and was baptized in a nearby baptistry.  I am thankful for Andrew’s steady work in this area in spite of many hardships.

After lunch we rushed to visit the church in Sapan Palay, Bulacan where Vicente Cay has been laboring.  He wanted the brethren to hear the same lesson designed to motivate Christians to have a fearless faith.  Two brethren attended who were notified by Edwin Cortez in France and it was encouraging to meet them for the first time.

The drive back to the hotel took three hours because of the horrendous traffic.  When I got back to my room exhausted and hungry about 8:00 P.M., I started juggling messages and phone calls about my lost suitcase and about Lordy Salunga getting sick which prevents him from teaching with me February 18-20 as scheduled in the Quirino province.  In the middle of this chaos I went down to the restaurant, only to find a line of people waiting to get in – I had forgotten it was Valentine’s Day!  I rushed back to the room and ordered a shrimp salad for room service.  It arrived about 10:00, but I was busy making phone calls to see who might be free to replace Lordy on short notice.

Then more information suddenly arrived about the luggage – I was to meet the delivery truck at the front of the hotel at 10:30 to receive my long lost suitcase.  At last!  I apologized to the shrimp who were anxiously awaiting my attention and rushed down to meet the truck.  I brought my suitcase to the room with much thanksgiving, and finally learned that Jack Jaco was free to come from Negros Island and teach with me – he has helped in the past to teach the material planned, so that was a bonus to the suitcase find.

At 11:00 I finally greeted the shrimp salad and welcomed it into the confines of a cavern I carry with me every day.  After doing some follow-up work preparing to leave Manila and teach in Isabela and Quirino, I crashed into the bed at 2:15 A.M.

I got up Friday expecting a leisurely morning before flying to Tuguegarao at 12:50 P.M. to meet Rody Gumpad and travel down a couple of hours to Isabela and Quirino with him.  About 10:00 we learned the flight was rescheduled for Sunday!  What?  I rushed to the airport to see if there was any alternative.  After standing in line for close to an hour with other people asking the same question (and there was no alternative), I was notified by Rody to meet James Paet and Junior Gumpad at the front of the airport so they could drive me to Isabela and Quirino.  We left the airport at 1:30 P.M. and crept along for three hours trying to escape the congested Manila traffic and finally reached our destination at midnight by the grace of God.  I prayed for them as they immediately turned around to return to Manila to be ready for Sunday worship at the Edsa-Pasay church.

All is well that ends well.  We can avoid frustration at such times by remembering two key words: patience and flexibility.  Furthermore, we can only imagine how happy and thankful Paul would have been to be able to travel as we do in spite of occasional challenges we face.  We are blessed beyond words as we serve God day by day!  “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4).

The first appointment Saturday, February 16, was with the saints at the Cordon church of Christ in Isabela which has been served by Domie and his son Frankie Jacob for many years.  I was privileged to meet these brethren from my earliest trips to the Philippines with Jim McDonald.  Domie will soon be 83, and Leah as well.  He now walks with a cane and she had a serious head injury from a fall and has only recently been dismissed from the hospital.
Knowing something about the challenges and trials Filipino saints often face, I preached again the sermon “Fear Not, Neither Be Dismayed.”  Rody Gumpad summarized it in the dialect.  Six precious souls of various ages confessed Christ and were baptized for the remission of their sins.  We also rejoiced because Jack Jaco arrived safely from Negros before the service ended.

This afternoon Willie Pastor took me to visit the brethren at the church in San Pascual, Diffun, Quirino where Roel Arcalas serves as an evangelist.  The building was overflowing with people standing at the windows and doors – about 100 of them.  Willie translated as I preached again “Fear Not, Neither Be Dismayed.”  Then Rody preached a powerful sermon and we dismissed at 6:00 P.M.  We visited the home of a brother obviously on his deathbed and prayed for him.

This has been a wonderful day with our brethren.  We had supper at Willie’s house.  It is good to see his wife Kathy recovering from surgery, and also to see his precious mother who presses forward serving the Lord.  After returning to the hotel, Willie and I walked for about an hour.  This is the first vigorous exercise I have been able to get in the last week – it is much needed and I am ready for the boost in my stamina.

News flash: I saw the beautiful moon tonight and took pictures to prove it!

On the Lord’s Day we worshiped with the saints at Gundaway in Cabarroguis, the captial of the Province of Quirino.  This city has a population of over 30,000.  About 60 attended the morning worship.  Willie is an evangelist working with this church.  Rody preached an excellent lesson based on Philippians 2:12-16, then I preached on “Why Saints Worship” (a verse by verse study of Hebrews 10).  Four precious souls repented of their sins and submitted to Christ in water baptism for the forgiveness of their sins.

The Pastor family provided a good lunch at their house and then we proceeded to the church meeting in a rural part of Burgos, Cabarroguis where Edgar Espiritu labors in the gospel.  Their little building was filled with about 50 people.  My study focused on “True Repentance” (2 Cor. 7:9-11) – its necessity, nature, and effects.  After Rody’s powerful sermon, another two souls were obedient to the gospel of Christ.  What a wonderful day!

The father of the present property owner let the saints put up a building and worship here some years ago, but his son is driving them away.  A Christian has offered a good piece of property for $600, which amounts to a generous donation more than a sale of the land.  The treasury of this poor church provides  barely enough to pay the most basic expenses to carry on their worship.  Some individual saints somewhere zealous of good works would be blessed by the joy of helping this stable congregation own their own property to worship God and proclaim the gospel.

The moon is gleaming in all its glory and your messages of love ride on its beams of light – when you see the moon beaming its rays of light there, know I likewise am sending my love.

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