Dear brethren,

Greetings in the sovereign name of Jesus Christ, Lord of lords and King of kings.

I want to express deep appreciation to the churches and individuals who donated funds for my Philippine preaching trip planned for April 7-May 5.  The main focus was a preacher training class in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on Luzon.  Craig Thomas and I were ready to go, but for obvious reasons, this trip is postponed.  Our plane tickets can still be used when international travel opens back up.  Also, the funds donated made it possible to buy Bibles, Bible dictionaries, Bible concordances, and other teaching materials.  All of these resources will be kept in reserve until the class can be conducted.

Some benevolence work is typically done on these trips.  I squeezed this budget to direct as much as possible for two pressing benevolence needs: Filipino saints who are victims of earthquakes and saints desperate for food because of the coronavirus pandemic.  Additional donated funds were also used for these emergencies.

God is reminding us to trust in Him each day because He rules the universe.  Satan sends disease, suffering, and death to afflict the world, but God overrules all things to accomplish His own purpose.  God is reminding the world we are helpless without Him and people should immediately repent of their sins and submit to Him!

Many brethren in southern Mindanao who are victims of the nine earthquakes from October 16 through February 27, 2019 are still living in squalid conditions in tents and the tents are being shredded by the weather.  They lack adequate food and clean water.  Funds are needed not only for food but also to help them build small wooden houses.  How my heart aches for so many brethren living in these conditions for such a long time!

Also, this is a time of great distress around the world to people who are not Christians because of the coronavirus pandemic, but whether we live or die as Christians our hope is safely secured in heaven.  In order to comply with government directives designed to contain the spread of the virus, the saints here at the Hebron Lane church of Christ in Shepherdsville, KY are meeting in our homes rather than at the church building.  We worship as families and share studies via Zoom and Facebook.

Christians in the Philippines are suffering under great duress as the government enforces a total lock down to contain the spread of the coronavirus.  Each family is given one pass to be used when someone leaves the domicile and the purpose must be to visit the market, the pharmacy, the doctor, or some other essential business.  Policemen and the military have check points and everyone is interrogated about the purpose for leaving their houses.  Most of our brethren are day laborers and depend on their daily income for daily food.  No work, no food. Under these circumstances, many families are suffering hunger.

The government promised to send food, but many brethren report it never arrives, or politicians give it to their friends, or Catholics get priority, or it is a mere pittance (the Philippines is notorious for corruption at every level of government though their President attempts to fight it).  As you might imagine, I am receiving a multitude of messages pleading for help. Here is one example:

“It is very hard condition that the church and specially my family right now for I have 2 daughters 5 years old and 8 months baby. We don’t have right now money to buy food supplement for my baby…. the government are very slow in providing the needs of people and sometimes they politically give and move according to what they like…. can we ask for your financial help for us to survive with this PANDEMIC crisis on CORONA VIRUS, we have nothing right now but to Believe In JESUS CHRIST our LORD for we know that He will never leave us nor forsake us. May God save our life and souls for this situations together the whole world and His people.”
A very mature, stable, and experienced preacher sent this message:

“The covid-19 continue to intensify in our county as death tolls also increases and positive victims as well. Together with my family we comply with the protocol of the authority by staying in our house. I have received so many messages from our very poor Brethren who ask my help for their foods. Our congregations did what we could, we bought two sacks of rice and some sardines, noodles and small dried fish and distributed to the Brethren who are so very poor a survival in a few days. Our local government promised to distribute foods but until now nothing happened.

“Please help us pray for our struggling Brethren here as we also continue to earnestly pray for you and all our Brethren through out the world. We know our Heavenly Father is always there, He is still in control of everything. His Divine Providence for us His children and members of the Body of His dear Son continues.”

In view of the earthquake victims and thousands of saints suffering in the virus lock down, I feel like a pygmy trying to sweep back the ocean with a tiny toothbrush.  Where are the resources to help these dear brethren?  Many brethren reading this message have already sacrificed funds to help.  None of us can do it all, but the love of Christ constrains us to do what we can as Paul expressed it: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15, NIV).  We serve Christ in part by serving each other in times of crisis like today.

I am not ashamed to earnestly plead for donations for the earthquake victims and the saints desperately seeking food.  I am only ashamed I cannot do more to help them.  Some brethren who will read this appeal are not able to donate funds, but your prayers are vitally needed.  We all will do what we can and then remember Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

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 – indicate “send to a friend” not “pay for item or service.”  May God bless and reward every saint who offers a prayer or a penny on behalf of His saints who are suffering in the Philippines.

To see good Bible study material, go to:
https://www.hebronlane.com
https://biblework.congregateclients.com
https://truthbooks.com
https://www.truthmagazine.com