Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Our flight Thursday from Davao City to Manila was safe and we both slept from exhaustion. Friday we studied and rested some but also spent a couple of hours at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial where about 54,000 Americans and Filipinos who died in WW II are commemorated with gravestones and inscriptions on huge limestone panels. By God’s providence one result of the war was that doors were opened for preaching the gospel here. God is still reaping a great harvest of precious souls in this land.

On Saturday Mark preached at the congregation in Sta. Maria, Bulacan all day and 13 souls obeyed the gospel. James Paet drove me to Vican, North Caloocan City where 52 people gathered to hear lessons on “From Wretched Man to More Than Conqueror,” “To Seek and Save the Lost,” “Young People, Read the Bible,” and “Finish the Race.” After an open forum, 5 souls who confessed Christ were immersed in a barrel of water.

As we travel and preach, I enjoy looking in the front cover of English songbooks to see who donated them. On this trip I have seen copies from Cobb Hill, KY, Mike Willis, Batesville, AR, Campbellsville, KY, and numerous other familiar places. Though “decommissioned” many years ago in the U.S., these songbooks still serve the needs of saints who worship our Lord in this far-away land! I invite anyone interested in providing used or new songbooks to let me know and I can share more information regarding how to get them to the Philippines.

The Lord’s Day found Mark at Trece Martirez and at Carmona, both in the province of Cavite, with Junie Samontina. Three were baptized, but Mark came back hoarse and needing to rest his voice. Meanwhile, I was at Canluban, Laguna with Edwin de Pedro where 37 assembled to hear “Navigating the Present Distress” and “From Wretched Man to More Than Conquerors.” One precious soul stepped forward to confess Christ and be baptized to wash away his sins.

Next, we proceeded to Turbina, Calamba City where Godsend Algaba labors. This congregation began in a home during the covid pandemic when brethren were forbidden to travel to Canlubang. 33 attended today with some outside as I taught again “From Wretched Man to More Than Conquerors.” During the open forum questions were asked about praying for the dead, polygamy, and other subjects. Both audiences were very attentive today and expressed their appreciation for the studies.

In fact, the church at Turbina paid a small amount for my expenses, which has happened only a couple of times through the years. Of course, I do not ask or expect anything because Filipino brethren are already overloaded and lack sufficient resources, but this certainly demonstrated a willing heart. When I tried to return it, that was refused, but we then agreed I would use it to help purchase Bibles on Tuesday.

A thunderstorm and downpour came shortly after the dismissal, but James got me safely back to the hotel by 6:30. He is expert in using the GPS to help us avoid traffic congestion and to find shortcuts.

As we come to the end of this trip, we thank God and His saints on both sides of the ocean for making it possible. Monday I have worked on getting information together to order hundreds of Bibles and for my reports and catching up on some email. Keith Greer who spent this month preaching on Luzon with Rody Gumpad leaves Manila for the U.S. just past noon on Tuesday. 126 precious souls submitted to Christ and were baptized for the remission of their sins as they traveled and preached. It was a joy to visit with Rody and Keith at the end of the trip, also with Jerry Toreja, Dennis Yuson, Gerald Ganela, and Sammy Paet (the wives of Rody, Jerry, Dennis, and Gerald joined us also).

Mark and I are scheduled to leave here Tuesday about midnight and to arrive home Wednesday afternoon, God willing. 141 were added to the church of Christ as we traveled and taught. This great harvest of souls is largely due to the faithful labors of Filipino brethren who have been zealous in spreading the gospel day and night – we count it a joy to simply help them gather the harvest to glory of God. Our last couple of days involved preparing for the trip home, purchasing 1,260 Bibles in Filipino dialects to be shipped throughout the country, and managing other last-minute details. Working with Mark has been a privilege and a pleasure as we have been of one mind and one spirit in serving God and His saints here in the Philippines.

The main purpose of my time in Mindanao was to visit some of the sites where victims of the 16 earthquakes which occurred between October 2019 and May 2020 live in scattered remote places. I wanted to encourage and edify them, and also confirm to many brethren who have donated funds to rebuild their houses that this good work is steadily progressing. I can certainly verify from all that I saw that men such as Julie Notarte, Franklin Isla, Salvador Parbo, Nardo Francisco, Jolly Julom, Connie Balbin and others have been doing their best to handle the benevolence funds in an honorable and effective manner. I will continue to relay donations for this emergency need until it has been met to the best of our ability. All things are in God’s loving hands of providence and we will continue to trust in Him as we go forward to complete this work.

I thank God for the faith, hope, and love of His saints in the Philippines. Observing them and working with them through the years have made me a better Christian and I thank them for helping me on this journey to heaven. I am pressing forward to reach heaven and hope to find their many loving, smiling faces there too!

A part of our hearts remain here with our Filipino brethren, but we miss our loved ones at home and long to see them very much. As we leave, we pray God’s love to surround and sustain His saints here, at home, and around the world until our Savior returns to take us all to our eternal home in heaven!

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

P.S. For any who may not know, the time in the Philippines is 12 hours in advance of EST in the U.S.

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https://www.hebronlanechurchofchrist.com
https://biblework.congregateclients.com
https://truthbooks.com
https://www.truthmagazine.com