Dear family, brethren, and friends,

The New Year is moving rapidly as we press forward in our journey toward eternity.  My first Philippine trip for 2016 got underway February 9-10 (Tuesday-Wednesday).  The flights from Louisville to Atlanta to Tokyo, Japan and on to Manila were safe and generally smooth.  After 24 hours travel, I was exhausted and glad to hit the bed at the hotel in Manila.  You can well imagine how freezing cold I was in 78 degree weather! 🙂   It was in the low 20’s when I left Louisville.
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December 22, 2015th Year of Our Lord

HALBROOK REPORT: 60th PHILIPPINE TRIP Nov. 30-Dec. 21, 2015

Dear brethren,

Jim McDonald brought me to the Philippines in 1995 and my 60th trip is now complete by God’s grace.  Jim Barnett who preaches in Hope, NM and  Steven Saunders who preaches in Macon, MO made their second trip concentrating on fundamentals of music and song leading.  Our  great God is worthy of our highest praises.  Heaven and earth ring with praise to Christ saying,  “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Rev. 5:12).  I taught 31 times on this trip and 46 souls were baptized into Christ.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2015th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, & friends,

I hope this report finds everyone well.  Certainly our trip and work here have been going very well, by God’s good grace.

On Thursday, December 10, we flew from Manila to Davao City on Mindanao, 1,000 miles by land, 600 by air.  We drug into town tired in the flesh but joyfully anticipating the classes here.

The classes were scheduled for December 11-15, omitting Sunday the 13th.  It was a joy to see brother Juanito Balbin and his sons Dudley, Sonni, and Connie (or “C.B.”) as the first two days of classes began.  Brethren in this area have been longing for this kind of instruction for a long time.  Friday fifty participants came anxious to learn and were given a study manual and a pocket tone pitch pipe.  Steven and Jim started with the basics and had excellent response and participation.   It is always good to have ladies present to round out the singing and to give the leaders a realistic context in which to learn to lead.
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Wednesday, December 9, 2015th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, & friends,

Having finished the first series of classes in Navotas, Metro Manila, we packed up on Saturday the 5th and flew to the Ilocos region in northwestern Luzon for the next series.  Our flight was smooth when we finally got up in the air (almost all flights from Manila are delayed because the airport cannot handle all the traffic – little by little more people are flying in the Philippines than ever before, giving the buses real competition).  After arriving in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, we immediately began preparing for the start of the classes on Monday.
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Friday, December 4, 2015th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, & friends,

Monday morning, November 30, I flew from Louisville to Atlanta to meet Steven Saunders (Clarence, MO) and Jim Barnett (Artesia, NM) for our flight to Tokyo and on to Manila.  Our flights were safe by God’s grace.  After 24 hours travel, we were ready to rest, getting to bed about midnight.  Wednesday morning Elias Cruz met us at the hotel to help us separate, box, and ship the teaching materials to be used at various congregations where we are scheduled to teach.
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Help  A  Neighbor,  Inc.

3505 Horse Run Ct.

Shepherdsville, KY 40165

(halbrook@twc.com / 502-955-1748)

November 2, 2015th Year of Our Lord

Dear brethren and friends,

Help A Neighbor began in July of 2007 to provide for others what they cannot provide for themselves in the spirit of Matthew 22:39: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  Help A Neighbor (H.A.N.) exists for humanitarian and charitable purposes as defined by section 501 (C) 3 of the IRS Code.  All donations are legally tax deductible.  This is simply a legal means for individuals to extend aid to individuals.  No church donations are accepted – H.A.N. is not an ecclesiastical organization.
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Halbrook Report: 59th Philippine Trip July 28-August 26, 2015

August 30, 2015th Year of Our Lord

Dear brethren,

By God’s grace my 59th preaching trip to the Philippines (5th trip to Australia) is now complete.  Jim McDonald took me the first time in 1995.  Keith Greer, evangelist at the Harrodsburg, KY church of Christ, and Grayson Key of Louisville joined this trip.  They worked with Rody Gumpad on Palawan, Mindoro, and Luzon.  We must prepare men for Christ’s return.  He said, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (Jn. 5:28-29).  I taught 72 times in both countries, 9 souls confessed Christ. Continue reading

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

By the good grace of God, Keith Greer and I arrived back at the Louisville, KY airport just in time for Donna to pick us up and go directly to attend the Wednesday night Bible study at the Hebron Lane church of Christ in Shepherdsville.   That is the first time I’ve attended in travel clothes — I hope everyone will recover from the shock! J
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Halbrook Philippine Report Aug 19-26

Tuesday, August 25, 2015th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, & friends,

I am finally seeing the crescent moon very low on the horizon just enough to receive all your relayed messages of love and encouragement! I tried to catch up with some email Wednesday morning, August 19. Then Jamie and I went to the airport to welcome Deborah, Timothy, and Seth home from the U.S. where they had been visiting for several weeks. It was a joy to see the Williams family reunited.
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August 17-18, 2015th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

My flight from Manila to Sydney, Australia departed about 10:30 P.M. Sunday night and arrived Monday about 6:30 A.M. The two seats next to me were empty, so I was able to lie down and curl up in a not-very-comfortable position which was still better than sitting up to sleep all night. When we arrived in Sydney, a bus took me from the international airline terminal to the domestic terminal where I caught a flight to Brisbane. At Brisbane, lo and behold, my son-in-law Jamie Williams was returning from a weekend trip and we boarded the same aircraft for the final leg of the trip. After some 14 hours of travel, it was a joy to finally reach Gladstone in the Queensland Province about 3:30 P.M. It seems I picked up a bronchial infection, so I started on medication and slept ten hours Monday night.
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