Preaching in Philippines December 1-20, 2025
PLEASE SHARE THIS LETTER ON GOSPEL PREACHING IN THE PHILIPPINES!
October 22, 2025th Year of Our Lord
Dear brethren,
As I prepare to preach December 1-20 on the 92nd Philippine trip, I am indebted to Jim McDonald for taking me there for the first time in 1995. The harvest of souls coming to Christ in that land confirms the power of the gospel to save a lost world. By God’s grace, I will be joined by Mark Wallace, an elder at the Oldham Woods church of Christ in La Grange, Kentucky. This will be his first trip and we hope not the last.
Like Abraham, Filipinos embrace God’s promise to bring His faithful saints to the eternal city He prepared for us to worship and serve Him forever. “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:9-10).
God willing, Mark and I will fly via Detroit, MI and Seoul, South Korea to Manila Dec. 1-2. The next day is for errands and repacking the boxes I bring to send ahead to the venues where we will teach.
On the 4th we are scheduled to preach at Pasig in Metro Manila with Jhun Abueva. He supports himself as a taxi driver on a minimum income while doing a steady work as an evangelist.
The next day we fly to Laoag City, capital of Ilocos Norte. Rody & Tessie Gumpad will meet us to join our itinerary. Dec. 6 will be spent preachingin Ilocos with Dante & Daniel Tiongson, a golden opportunity to end an era of their alienation from our work. Please pray for this effort to restore true unity and fellowship based on the truth of God’s Word “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) If this will be successful, we hope to work again with these saints in the future.
Sunday, the 7th, will be devoted to working with Rolly Salvador in two congregations he has faithfully served for many years in the Province of Ilocos Norte at Paoay and Batac. Because of many open doors in the Visayas and Mindanao, I have not been able to visit churches along the eastern seaboard of Luzon and also Baguio City in recent years, but the remainder of the trip will find me laboring in this corridor. Rolly will join us.
The 8th will be spent traveling to Candon City in the Province of Ilocos Sur. Leonito Torreliza has labored long and hard in this area for years and all day Tuesday will be spent preaching with him. The next day will find us preaching at Pias, Salcedo, Ilocos Sur with Eric Banao, another steady worker. When we leave there, we must travel into the evening to reach Rosario in the Province of La Union.
On Dec 11, Thursday, we are scheduled to preach at Caba, La Union with Denver Domingo who faithfully continues the good work of his father Carlos who passed away in 2021. Friday’s appointment is at the San Luis church of Christ in San Luis, Pugo, La Union with Rodel Baagin.
The following day will be used to travel to Baguio City, an independent city within the Province of Benguet in the mountains at an elevation of 4,900 feet. The cool mountain air makes it “the Summer Capital of the Philippines.” Rodel Baagin will take Mark Wallace to Manila on this day because he must return to the U.S.
Several appointments are scheduled for the region of Baguio City. On the Saturday we arrive, I will preach at the Brookside church of Christ in Aurora Hill with Rosendo Gumpad. All day Sunday we will be with the long-established Guisad church with Andrew Gawe (aged, suffering from dementia), Ray Libatique, Lito Almerol, and Fernan Bautista. Monday we rest. On the 16th we will preach at Alzate, Villasis, Pangasinan with Armenio Olino. Wednesday will be spent working at the Lagarda congregation with Rodel Baagin.
The 18th Rolly Salvador will take me to Manila and the 19th I will buy Bibles in Filipino dialects at the Philippine Bible Society to ship around the Philippines. Saturday, I fly home, God willing.
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In Christian love, Ron Halbrook
Phone 502-955-1748 or 957-6726; e-mail halbrook@twc.com
PS Please remember I am always looking for English songbooks to ship to the Philippines.
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
To see good Bible study material, go to:
https://www.hebronlanechurchofchrist.com