Philippines-Malaysia Trip Report #1 December 1-11, 2024
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
First, I apologize for being so late in getting the first report out. This trip has involved a string of complications more than any time I can remember and I have been getting to bed past midnight almost every night. The delay will make this report longer than usual.
Mark Mayberry (from Alvin, Texas) and I arrived safely from Louisville, Kentucky in Manila in the Philippines after passing through Atlanta, Georgia and Inchon, South Korea. We arrived shortly after midnight Tuesday morning after almost 30 hours of travel. It was a long, tiring trip but nothing like Paul’s travels which left him floating in the sea after his ship wrecked! We count it a blessing to travel this way. Chris Reeves (from Clarksville, Tennessee) arrived from Nashville, Tennessee Tuesday about noon by God’s good providence.
On Wednesday James Paet drove the three of us to the church meeting in Kapitbahayan, Navotas where Elias Cruz labors in the gospel. Fifty-four souls joined us for an all-day series on “The Challenge of Gospel Preaching.” I discussed “The Heart of the Preacher,” a textual study of Philippians 1. Mark analyzed 1 Corinthians 1:10 in pleading for unity among preachers. Chris explained various challenges faced by preachers in Old and New Testaments times, reminding us that we must be ready to face challenges and suffering in our time to uphold the truth of the gospel.
The open forum continued for an hour and a half with questions about how to distinguish doctrinal truth from personal opinions and scruples of conscience. The Word of God contains all doctrinal truth in direct statements, approved examples, and necessary implications. Personal opinions and scruples result from human reasoning and traditions. When they are held in the realm of personal conscience without forcing them on other people, they do not cause trouble. When pressed and hammered like an iron wedge, they can cause division among God’s people. There were questions about elders: how to know men are qualified and how to work through the selection and appointment processes.
Thursday Mark and I went to the airport to fly to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. We went early but stood in a long line which moved at a snail’s pace at the check-in counter. We were about the last ones served. After the attendant had taken our suitcases and was almost ready to hand us our boarding passes, she said the boarding had ended and we would have to look for another flight. After spending a fruitless hour at the Malaysian Airlines office, we gave up and returned to the hotel. After waiting a couple of hours while a travel agent looked for a flight, we were told nothing was available until Sunday! That would mean the cancellation of the Malaysian segment of our trip.
I then called Rody Gumpad to ask him to request his travel agent to look for flights. They found one leaving Manila at 9:40 P.M. but said Mark could not go because at this point he cannot enter a new country until he gets a new passport since his expires next month (a cushion period is required in case something might delay the person leaving the country). I alone flew to Brunei, slept on a couch-like seat in that airport, and took a connecting flight which arrived in Kota Kinabalu Friday at 8:10 A.M.
I rushed to the hotel, showered and changed clothes, and Nick Rowe rushed me to the rented room where the church meets. Nine souls were waiting for the series on “The Bible Is the Word of God” to start. I preached on “The Glory of God (Ps. 19)” and also taught “The Inspiration and Authority of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:14-17).” To fill in for Mark, I preached the sermon “Now I Know That Thou Fearest God (Gen. 22:12).” The open forum was next. A dear sister asked for discussion of how she might convert her stubborn husband. Beginning with 1 Peter 3:1, we discussed the powerful impact of a wife’s godly example and how she might look for opportunities to plant the seed of truth. If he refused to open his heart, not even Jesus Christ, the perfect teacher, could convert him.
Though exhausted, I walked for an hour to increase my stamina and finally got to bed about midnight. I was just thankful to be here after such a long and stressful day!
Mark recouped by working with Chris a couple of days in Metro Manila and with Rody Gumpad a couple of days in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. The saints in Kota Kinabalu are anxious to hear him teach, too, but possibly that will be possible at some future time by God’s good providence. The glitch in our travel plan may have involved God’s good providence because it is possible Mark would have arrived in Malaysia but would have been prevented from entering the country during the immigration process.
The series on the Bible resumed here Saturday with studies on “The Writing and Canon of Scripture (2 Pet. 3:1-2)” and “Apocryphal Books and Other False Scriptures (2 Cor. 11:3).” Then a separate lesson was taught entitled “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God (Rom. 1:16-17)” on first principles of the gospel.
The open forum included a fruitful discussion of why people refuse to believe in God and why they claim to believe in the theories of the “big bang” and macro evolution. The basic answer is that they are fleeing God and do not want to be held accountable for their sins. Eight souls attended today’s session. At the hotel that evening I studied, worked on the backlog of email, and exercised for an hour, making it to bed at midnight again.
Twenty-four souls were present for the Lord’s Day service when I presented Part 1 of the sermon entitled “The Bible: God’s Only True Word (2 Tim. 3:16).” Most of them were not able to attend the first two days because of work schedules, but they were very attentive today! Afterward, everyone was invited to Nick and Justina Rowe’s house to share in a potluck meal and visit.
In the afternoon, Nick drove out to the village of Sugud for us to study the Bible with his Catholic friend Ben Anthony. This was the first time he had agreed to study. I began with Matthew 7:7, pointing out that when Jesus preached about the new kingdom for our salvation, he taught that some people make it a priority to ask, seek, and knock until they learn and understand God’s plan. Other people learn little because they have other agendas and priorities in life.
Ben then started by asking what is the difference between the Old and New Testaments. We went back to Genesis 12:1-3 which outlines how God would bring the Savior into the world in the land of Canaan, through the nation of Israel, and would bless men of all nations through this Savior who must be the seed of Abraham. The Old Testament records the preparations God made for the coming of the Savior and the New Testament records his coming and his teaching which saves all who obey him. We studied some basic facts of the gospel and also contrasted the commands of Jesus with the human traditions of Catholicism. Ben was one of the most perceptive and receptive people I have ever studied with and we hope this laid a foundation for future studies which will lead him to obey the gospel of Christ.
To have more time to study for tomorrow’s lessons and to work on the backlog of email, I ate in my room tonight and squeezed in an exercise session 10:30-11:30. That put me in the bed about midnight again.
Part 2 of “The Bible: God’s Only True Word” was presented Monday with an attendance of 8 souls. This was followed by “Finish the Race (2 Tim. 4:6-8)” and the final lesson “Death, What Then? (Ecclesiastes 12:7).” The open forum was wide ranging and profitable, but a couple of questions about why God proceeds in certain ways to fulfill His purpose reminded us of Deuteronomy 29:29 – the secret things belong to Him alone.
I thought my Malaysia Airlines return ticket was still valid but learned at the last minute they had cancelled the ticket because of a mistake in their records, and refused to issue a new one! Sister Collette Brown is my travel agent in the U.S. and she spent many hours before finding an available seat on Royal Brunei Airlines, the same airline I used to get here. I am deeply indebted to her!
I cannot leave today (Tuesday) until 9:05 P.M. Then, it requires me to sleep in the airport again in Brunei tonight in order to make the connecting flight to Manila Wednesday at 11:55 A.M. – but that is better than swimming back to Manila, which might take a little longer! Anyway, there goes the day of rest I had planned to have before flying to Mindanao for the next segment of this trip.
For some reason, this trip keeps encountering complications, but many prayers are being answered as God opens doors to solve the problems as they arise. The latest complication is that Lordy Salunga must have emergency surgery and will be recuperating during the time I was scheduled to work with him in a two-day lectureship on “Marriage and Morals” in Angeles City, Pampanga on Luzon. Please pray that his surgery and recovery will be fully successful. By God’s good providence, Archie Alarcon at nearby San Fernando City agreed to host the series and we have been communicating to make the arrangements.
One day at a time, dear Lord!
The open doors as well as the complications which have arisen make me all the more conscious of how important and powerful your prayers are. Thank you, and God bless each one of you.
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
To see good Bible study material, go to:
https://www.hebronlanechurchofchrist.com