December 21, 2023nd Year of Our Lord

HALBROOK REPORT: 84th PHILIPPINE TRIP NOVEMBER 26-DECEMBER 21, 2023 

Dear brethren,

The 84th Philippine trip scheduled for November 26-December 21 is now history.  I am indebted to Jim McDonald for introducing me to the cause of Christ in the Philippines in 1995, and now to Nick Rowe for introducing me to Malaysia.  I taught 57 lessons.  4 souls submitted to Christ in baptism.  832 Bibles in Filipino dialects were purchased and shipped to the saints.

The gospel transforms sinners of all kinds from all nations and backgrounds into the image of Christ  “where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11). Christ lifts us to this higher ground, leading us to heaven!

Flights on November 26-28 brought me safely to Manila, where I rested and did errands on the 29th  in preparation for preaching appointments.  Thursday James Paet drove me to Meycauayan, Bulacan where Jaime Bobis has labored long and hard (strokes incapacitated him).  Some 50 souls heard lessons on “To Whom Shall We Go? (Jn. 6:68),” “Wait on the Lord (Ps. 27:14),” and “Legalizing Sin: God’s Law or Man’s Law? (Ps. 118:8-9),” followed by a fruitful open forum.  One was baptized into Christ.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Our Saturday flights from Bacolod City on Negros to Cebu City on Cebu and on to Tacloban City on Leyte were uneventful and I napped both times.  Nilo Zabala met us about 4:00 P.M. and took us to visit a couple of brethren on our way to the hotel.  We visited a faithful preacher named Renato Fabi who supports himself by fishing and lives in a shabby shanty near the sea where the water bothers them at high tide often.  Holes in the tin roof let rain water drip into the little shack, but a congregation gladly meets here every Sunday.  How little we as Americans know about real sacrifice in serving our Savior!

I saw a thin sliver of a beautiful moon tonight when we left Renato’s house.

On the Lord’s Day, Nilo Zabala drove Jack and me 2 ½ hours to reach the church at San Vicente in Ormoc City where Willie Pelino has served as an evangelist for many years.  As often happens in the Philippines, he made an extension to his house which can serve as a garage and as a meeting place for the saints.  Close to 100 people were gathered when we arrived and I immediately taught the material on “Christmas Observance: From Heaven, or Of Men?”
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Thursday we began a two-day Bible lectureship on “Marriage and Morals” in Victorias City where Jack Jaco has labored in the gospel for many years.  To accommodate the audience of 61, a function room was rented in a business building.  Five denominational “pastors” joined our study and showed good interest, one taking the front seat right in front of where I stood to teach.

Today’s subjects included “Marriage: God’s Gift to Man and Woman,” “Marriage: Joined by God,” “The Truth about Abortion,” and “The Truth About Homosexuality.”

The open forum was very fruitful.  Several questions related to marriage, divorce, and remarriage.  For instance, when people repent and are baptized who are living in adultery and even polygamy, must they remain in these relationships or do the works of repentance require them to stop these practices?  The sins are forgiven, and the sins must stop, which will require severing these sinful relationships.  Does the father have any obligation to children born into these sinful relationships? Yes, the father who conceived these children is responsible to provide for their needs in every possible way.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Having reached Bacolod City, Negros Occidental on the evening of December 9 (Saturday), this became our base of operations for the next several days.  Jack drove an hour and a half on the Lord’s Day to reach the church of Christ at San Miguel, La Carlota City where Roy Matta labors in the gospel.  I visited here about 10 years ago when this church was just beginning and meeting in a home.  Today was quite different as 58 people met in a nice church building (built in part with the help of U.S. saints).

Our first sermon analyzed the “Christmas Observance: From Heaven, or, Of Men?”  Our next study focused on Peter’s question, “Lord, To Whom Shall We Go?”  The afternoon was used to exhort all the saints here to “Finish the Race.”

Roy lives in the Cebu City area on the island of Cebu, and preaches in a congregation there but makes regular visits here to edify the saints.  He also has trained a young man named Jerry to carry on the work when he cannot be here.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

After a day of rest and work in Manila, on Wednesday the 6^th I flew to Iloilo City on the island of Panay in the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines.

Fortunately, shortly before I left Manila I received more precise and accurate information which should be corrected from the previous report about our visit to Malaysia.  The report should have read:

1. “Nick was born of a European and Asian background and married a Sino-Kadazan, but they were converted by Andy DeKlerk during Nick’s education in Iowa from 1983-1987.”

2. “To be legally recognized in Malaysia, churches must be organized under a Registrar of Society which puts them all under government scrutiny and regulation.”

3. The saints rent a room on the 2^nd not the 4^th floor of a building in a strip mall, but after climbing the 47 steep steps, you will surely think it is the 4^th floor! 🙂
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Rody and Tessie Gumpad and I arrived at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia at 1:40 A.M. Saturday, took a short rest, and proceeded to the place where the saints meet at 9:00 A.M.  Nick Rowe and his wife welcomed us at the airport and assisted us in every way possible for the three days we labored with them and the other saints.

Many Filipinos work in Malaysia and we are trying to spread the word about the church in Kota Kinabalu because living in a country which is officially Muslim makes it difficult for the brethren to do normal advertising of their presence.  A Filipino sister working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia traveled about 1,000 miles by air (over twice that distance if by land and sea – Malaysia is a widespread nation) to join our studies.

Nick was born of a Jewish and European background and married a Malaysian, but they were converted by Andy DeKlerk during Nick’s medical training in Iowa about 1983.  Though he has benefitted from his association with U.S. saints through the years, he struggles against great odds unknown to us because of the constraints of life in a Muslim culture.  We are not well equipped to guide brethren in the best ways to navigate such challenges, other than teaching them the general principles of Scripture which God designed to penetrate all nations.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

This 84^th Philippine trip began with a plane leaving Louisville, Kentucky at 6:00 P.M. Sunday and arriving about 11:00 A.M. Tuesday in Manila (12 hours ahead of U.S. time).  The flights to Atlanta, then to South Korea, and finally to the Philippines were smooth, allowing me to get a lot of work done and to sleep as much as possible.

On the final leg, a Filipino man seated next to me noticed I prayed before eating.  This led to an opportunity to explain I come to teach the Bible and how the church of Christ has no hierarchy but simply guides people to study and obey the Scriptures as our map to heaven.  This ended with him asking for my contact information before we parted ways – so typical of Filipino people, which is why I must continue to come!

I traveled under a beautiful, clear, full moon, proclaiming again the glory of God to every open eye and open heart.

On Wednesday James Paet and Elias Cruz joined me at the hotel to repack the six boxes of Bibles and study materials I brought on the airplane to ship them ahead to various places I will teach.  Several other errands such as exchanging dollars to pesos were attended to, making for a busy but productive day.  After seeing the moon’s brilliant, gorgeous light, I finally got to bed about 12:30 A.M.
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September 2, 2023^nd Year of Our Lord  

HALBROOK REPORT: 83^rd PHILIPPINE TRIP JULY 26-SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Dear brethren,                               

A merciful God used Jim McDonald to take me to the Philippines in 1995 and my 83^rd trip has now been completed July 26-September 1.  July 26-August 8 was spent working with Paul Coffman in Kenya and the rest of the time I labored in the Philippines.  I taught 82 lessons.  47 souls submitted to Christ in baptism.  784 Bibles in Filipino dialects were purchased and shipped to the saints.

The kingdom of darkness cannot withstand the light of the gospel.  “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). That light is shining brightly in Kenya and the Philippines.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

The journey which began July 26 to Kenya and the Philippines was completed tonight, September 1, about 11:00 PM under a beautiful full moon.  My heart overflows with thanksgiving for the blessings of God in travel and in these labors for His kingdom.

One of the greatest blessings of being a Christian is the fellowship, inspiration, and encouragement of other Christians.  I extend my love and thanksgiving to brethren in Kenya and the Philippines who have been co-workers for the cause of Christ for these past several weeks, and to all who have helped to make  this work possible with prayers, donations, and words of encouragement.  47 precious souls were baptized into Christ through these joint efforts.

I barely made my connecting flights because of delays in the flight schedules (my suitcase is still in transit somewhere).  Andy Alexander and Keith Greer should have reached Louisville ahead of me because they left Manila several hours before I did, but their flights on different airlines were also delayed and they arrived here shortly after I did.  You will be glad to know their travels were also safe.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Dondon drove us from the hotel in Pagadian City out into the country on Saturday to meet with the church at Lower Sambulawan, Ramon Magsaysay where Ernie Collado has established a new congregation during the last couple of years.  About 30 souls were assembled in their building as I taught the lesson “Work While It Is Day (Jn. 9:4).”  After greeting everyone, taking pictures, and having a short visit, we proceeded to the church at Lower Pulacan, Labangan where Ernie lives and has preached for many years.  A study of Jesus as “The Bread of Life” in John 6 was presented to about 35 people who were most attentive.  Ernie provided a very fine lunch in his house.

Then we drove to the church at Manga where James Armada continues the good work of his father Leo who passed away a couple of years ago. After preaching to 25 souls on “Work While It Is Day,” I was requested to bring an additional lesson – I preached “The Bread of Life.”
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