Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

We were blessed when a typhoon headed for the Philippines turned north out at sea, but Luzon has received a lot of rain.  We were worried that our Tuesday, July 10,  flight from Manila to Tuguegarao, Cagayan in northern Luzon might be cancelled, but instead the flight left Manila on time and arrived in Tuguegarao 25 minutes ahead of schedule.  Rody, Tessie, and Jay Gumpad along with Jerome Forelo warmly welcomed us.

After checking in at the hotel, we shared a late lunch, then rested.  Zach and I made our way on foot through the congested traffic and thick clouds of fumes to the track and field stadium of Cagayan State University where we walked for an hour. The heat should have been unbearable at this time of day, but dark clouds and strong winds moved in to cool the atmosphere, though it never rained.
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May 1, 2018^th Year of Our Lord
HALBROOK REPORT: 70^th PHILIPPINE TRIP APRIL 3-MAY 1, 2018

Dear brethren,                               

I thank God at the completion of my 70^th Philippine trip April 3-May 1. God brought me first in 1995 with Jim McDonald. God provided Mark Mayberry to come for his 6^th time beginning on April 11.  We visited churches to preach on a variety of themes and gathered brethren for intensive classes.  Our aim was to saturate souls with God’s Word, “according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Pet. 1:3).  I taught 70 lessons and 27 precious souls yielded to Christ by obedient faith by being baptized.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

A wonderful loving patient God guided Mark Mayberry and me safely through another Philippine preaching trip April 3-May 1 (Mark arrived Apr. 11–not May 11, which would put him on an advanced time machine, wrongly noted in the first report I sent an hour ago).  After almost 24 hours of travel, I am finally home with Donna again and Mark Mayberry is home with Sherelyn.  We traveled together as far as Japan and then took separate flights.

It was enjoyable for Mark and me to work together again and both of us find great inspiration in working with devoted Filipino saints.  In addition to the good work done by Mark, I taught 70 times and 27 souls turned from Satan to Christ, submitting to him in baptism for the remission of their sins.  We taught week-long classes at Cabanatuan City on The Home and Family and at Navotas in Metro Manila on the book of Revelation.  None of this work would have been possible without the diligent day-in and day-out labors of Filipino Christians.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

The Thursday classes in studying Then Comes the End were fruitful again. Mark Mayberry taught on the Judgment Day and also a separate lesson on the text of Matthew 25.  Jonathan Carino spoke on hell and then on errors of millennial theories.  My topics were heaven, realized eschatology (the doctrine that the end of all things occurred when Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70), and errors of the rapture doctrine.  All the teachers were able to give some time for Q & A which the class always enjoys.  Interest continues to run high!

The last day of classes was Friday and Mark reviewed false theories about the millennium.  I then made a review and summary entitled “Premillennialism Undermines the One Hope” (Eph. 4:1-6).  This doctrine changes the original teaching of Christ at many points, both by adding (such things as “end time” signs, Jews return to Canaan, the 1,000 year earthly reign of Christ, etc.) and by subtracting (such as the claim that the promised kingdom of peace has not yet come, etc.).  The three teachers then jointly conducted an open forum for an hour which led to several clarifications.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

Having finished the classes on the home and family at Cabanatuan City, we traveled by van back to Manila on Saturday, April 21. Sammy Paet again was our expert driver in the vehicle of Jun Bautista.  A terrible accident nearly occurred just immediately in front of us along the way, but at the last moment it was avoided.  Even though the trip took a very tiring five hours, we thank God for His mercy in giving us safe travel – and we thank all of you who are praying for us!  After arriving here in Manila, we took exercise and made our preparation for the next day’s appointments.

Mark spoke during the both the morning services and in an afternoon service at Edsa-Pasay with Jun Gumpad and Sammy Paet on the Lord’s Day – Mark reported good attendance and good attention to the sermons.  Jerry Toreja picked me up before 7:00 A.M. to preach at Kaptibahayan, Navotas for their 7:30 and 8:30 services.  About 80 souls heard two lessons entitled “Selecting a Mate: The Lord Builds the House” (Ps. 127:1).
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

Wednesday night I got to bed at 1:30 A.M. (i.e., Thursday morning) because after the classes each night I work on email trying to answer and help Filipino brethren with many things.  Some of the time is spent waiting on the weak slow internet connection or trying to reconnect because the connection breaks.  Fortunately, Mark and Lordy had the first classes Thursday morning as we continued teaching on the home and family.

Mark taught a final lesson in the series on the new man in Christ, then Lordy introduced the Sermon on the Mount with the beatitudes and I followed with two studies on the Sermon showing the proper conduct of citizens in the new kingdom of God.  Proper conduct must be applied in all realms and relationships of life including the home.  There will be harmony in the home when we provide a good example in our conduct (salt, light), when we avoid sinful expressions of anger, when we follow Jesus’ teaching on how to settle conflicts, when we avoid sinful sexual lusts, when we avoid fornication and divorce, when we are truthful at all times, etc., etc.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

At the Cabanatuan City church of Christ, a five day series on The Home and Family began on Monday, April 16, with Lordy Salunga, Mark Mayberry, and me teaching.  Workbooks on Family Life by L.A. Stauffer and Harmony in the Home by Mike Willis were provided to less than half of the 72 attendees – Jhun Bautista had expected 20-30.

In Philippine culture Jhun is considered the host to all out-of-town guests, so he and his wife have shouldered providing all the daily needs of these saints with the help of several local brethren. Thin foam mats will be used to sleep on the floor each night.  What a privilege it is to teach God’s Word to saints who sacrifice their time and efforts to attend a full week of study, leaving the comforts of their own homes to sleep on a concrete floor!
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

By God’s grace our trip continues to go well.  A little past 10:00 A.M. Friday Sammy Paet picked up Mark Mayberry and me in Manila and waded into the labyrinth of Manila traffic, rated among the worst in the world.  Fortunately, Sammy used to drive a jeepney (a Filipino taxi jeep) and knows how to traverse the side streets and byways of the bowels of Manila.  After an hour or more we emerged and proceeded to Angeles City to meet Lordy Salunga and brethren with him there.

Lordy accompanied Mark to the Bayani St. church in Santa Ana in the Pampanga Province where Rupert Gaspar labors with a new congregation.

Jerry Morales met with six brethren this past Sunday in the first meeting of another new congregation at Anao, Mexico also in Pampanga.  Jerry is from that area and has a lot of contacts and friends among denominations and liberal churches there.  Jerry brought me there and I preached on “Salvation: Amazing, Astonishing” (Isa 52:13-53:12) and on “Trust God Till the Danger Passes” (Ps. 57:1).  About 30 souls attended including a Pentecostal “pastor” and four of his members, all of whom were very attentive and told me they enjoyed the study.  During the open forum, this “pastor” was recognized to ask if he had any questions, but he said he understood everything well.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

On Monday, April 9, we traveled from Cagayan de Oro City to Iligan City, Lanao del Norte where Patricio Peregrino labors in the gospel.  The lesson presented is entitled “God’s Weather Report” (Gen. 8:22), showing that God not man rules the weather and will destroy the universe at His will – not global warming, not a new ice age, and not climate change.  Edgar Samodal who recently had surgery was there and is doing fine.  He said his father Fred can still teach but must stay close to home because of problems related to the aging process.  I missed seeing him.

Our journey continued and brought us to the Sigapod church in Maigo where Alejandro Gallo preaches.  There was no time to preach, but Cipriano Carpentero consulted with five people who had decided to be baptized, took their confessions, and baptized them in the ocean nearby as we watched from the shore.  There was great rejoicing in both heaven and earth!
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