Dear brethren,

When early leaders among Christians met in Jerusalem, they stood shoulder to shoulder in upholding the truth of the gospel and they agreed it was imperative to remember the poor.  “James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.  All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Gal. 2:9-10, NIV).  I need to provide an update on the situation among the poor saints in the Philippines and our efforts to help them.

Toward the end of my February preaching trip in the Philippines, coronavirus was becoming a national concern and President Rodrigo Duterte forbad flights from the infected area of China to land in the Philippines.  By mid-March the rising danger of a pandemic led to a government enforced lockdown.  Citizens were given a pass to leave their homes once a week to get food and other essentials.  This has been most consistently and forcefully enforced in more populated areas such as larger cities, and it has been partially relaxed in some areas which have made progress in the battle against covid, but a more recent rise of cases in some areas has resulted in renewed restrictions.  Many of our brethren have been battling hunger in these conditions.

After the cancellation of my April trip, I had hoped to travel and preach in the Philippines in August as usual, but conditions resulted in another cancelled trip.  It remains to be seen whether I can make the December trip as planned–if so I will concentrate on Metro Manila where freedom of movement is allowed because of improved conditions.  Meanwhile, by the providence of God, doors were opened for me to preach in eight different places from Alaska to Alabama during mid-summer and into the fall.  I have concentrated on the theme “Trust God in These Uncertain Times,” with some lessons on the Philippine work when possible.  Rotating in and out of town, I have hardly had time to prepare a report on the Philippines but have managed to raise some funds for benevolence which have been relayed when I have been home.

Actually, as many of you know, at least 13 major earthquakes with over 4,000 aftershocks hit southern Mindanao between October 16 and May 20 creating widespread devastation in the region.  Thank you to all of you who have donated funds to get emergency benevolence to our brethren there.  Efforts to get these saints out of deplorable living conditions in tent cities and into houses made of light materials are ongoing.  Many expressions of gratitude continue to arrive which I have not been able to relay to everyone.

The pandemic has brought additional hardships to Mindanao and as well to all parts of the Philippines.  Living in a third-world culture of poverty, our brethren manage their burdens as best they can without complaint, but in recent months they have truly been haunted by hunger and sickness far above the normal range they have ever experienced in the past. Christians in other third-world cultures are passing through the same fiery trials and I salute every effort being made to help the poor wherever they are!  I do not mean to belittle the trials and hardships we have faced here at home where saints have lost their jobs and even died during this pandemic, but our situation is not as dire as can be seen in other parts of the world.  Many heartfelt expressions of appreciation have been sent by Filipinos who have received food as a result of benevolence donated by brethren who read these reports.

We all will agree this is truly a time that “we should continue to remember the poor,” and I believe those who read these reports have proven your eagerness to do so.  Now that I am home for the month of November, I can try to do a better job of relaying benevolence funds as donations make it possible to saints in need from Luzon to Palawan to Mindoro to the Visayas to Mindanao.

I am painfully aware that none of us can do it all.  Let each of us make our own assessment of what we can do, and like the saints of old, perhaps we shall find in our hearts the spirit of the Macedonians as recorded by Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:2-5:

2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift,
and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord,
and unto us by the will of God.

I will gladly share information about how to send funds directly to Filipinos with anyone who requests it, and I am willing to serve as a messenger to send funds for anyone who requests it. (Or contact Michael & Donna Glaesemann at michael@butw.org who are also serving as messengers.)  Individuals needing a legal tax deduction may write checks to Help A Neighbor.  Write all other checks to Ron Halbrook. Mail all checks to 3505 Horse Run Ct., Shepherdsville, KY 40165-6954.  For PayPal, the account is Richard Halbrook (or if that snags, use halbrook@twc.com – indicate “send to a friend” not “pay for item or service” – PayPal deducts a charge if the money is drawn from a credit card but not if from a bank account).

To close on a good note, Filipino brethren have continued to proclaim the gospel through radio, social media, and home studies in spite of the pandemic.  Many precious souls are being baptized to wash away their sins by the blood of the Lamb and the Lord is adding “to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:38, 47; 22:16).  The whole human family should be awakened to their spiritual need for God and the gospel of Christ by this coronavirus pandemic.  The curse of sickness and death entered our world as a result of sin.  Hell will be far worse than our suffering on earth and we are in desperate need of salvation in Christ.

Like the saints of old, let us remember the poor.

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

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