Dear family, brethren, and friends,

From the time James Paet picked me up Friday in Angeles City to go to the airport in Manila until I arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia was about 20 hours.  It was good to see Nick Rowe and his wife upon arrival late at night.  Getting to the hotel about midnight, I took 30 minutes of exercise, caught up on a few emails, and got to bed at 2:00 A.M.

We started the classes at the Padi Mas Point 2 church of Christ in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia on Saturday morning with 15 souls in attendance.  The theme for the first two days is “The Authority of Christ.”  Today we studied his authority in his word, as our Savior, as head of his church, departures from his authority resulting in the gradual formation of the Roman Catholic Church, and the reaction from within the Catholic Church because of its many false doctrines and its corruption in the 1400’s-1500’s resulting in the Protestant Reformation.  

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

My July 26-September 4 trip got off to a good start by the grace of God.  No matter how hard I work to get everything organized and ready to go, the last day and night are filled with attending to a multitude of last-minute details.  Often there is no time to sleep, but this time I slept almost two hours before going to the airport at 4:30 A.M. Saturday, which is a victory.

I usually sleep on the first flight, but a Baptist preacher who grew up in South Africa was seated next to me on the Louisville-Atlanta leg and we had a profitable Bible discussion.  I gave him James R. Cope’s foldout tract on “The One True Church” with my email address on it.

It took 45 minutes to walk to the gate in Atlanta to board the plane to Inchon, South Korea, so there was no time for breakfast.  On this plane I took a couple of 2-3 hour naps and got a ton of work done on charts and outlines.  Getting to Manila about 10:15 P.M., I was at the hotel by 11:00 and was able to go to the exercise room for 35 minutes before sleeping, which helps me recover from the long flights.

PREFER EMAIL REPORTS, NOT U.S. MAIL? IT ALSO SAVES STAMPS. Notify halbrook@twc.com
Ron & Donna Halbrook
3505 Horse Run Ct.
Shepherdsville, KY 40165-6954
PLEASE SHARE THIS LETTER ON GOSPEL PREACHING IN THE PHILIPPINES!

July 1, 2025th Year of Our Lord

Dear brethren,

God opened a door for me to preach in the Philippines in 1995 with Jim McDonald and I am preparing now for the 91st trip July 26-September 4, including a 3rd visit to Malaysia. The schedule includes the islands of Luzon, Panay, Negros, and Mindanao with lessons to save the lost and to edify the saved.

God gave disciples of Christ the name “Christian” because it means they belong to Christ as his adherents and his special possession. God chose to bestow this name when Gentiles as well as Jews were being saved in Christ at Antioch while Paul and Barnabas preached together: “And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). God is calling sinners to be saved in Christ and bestowing this blessed name on them in the Philippines, in Malaysia, and around the world!
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May 6, 2025^th Year of Our Lord

Dear brethren,                                  

God’s gracious mercies provided the open doors, financial means, and safe travels for the completion of my 90^th Philippine trip, and first trip to Japan, April 2-May 6.  I am indebted to Jim McDonald for introducing me to this work in 1995.  There were 82 occasions to preach, resulting in 30 souls who submitted to Christ in baptism and one sister who repented of backsliding and was restored to her Lord.

John proclaimed that because Jesus Christ is God or deity, He is the source of life, who enlightens us to God and all truth: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not” (Jn. 1:4-5).  Satan and sin could not defeat this light and it still shines in the Philippines, Japan, and all the world.

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

I spoke with Teresa Toreja in Manila this morning (night there) and learned that her husband Jerry passed away.  He was normal, active, and happy on Friday but has had health problems in recent months.  She woke up about 2:00 AM Saturday because he was groaning.  She tried to resuscitate him without success.  She said it seems his heart failed.

Jerry had served as an elder for the Kapitbahayan church of Christ in Navotas.  The church split over covid issues but was reunited and worshiped again as one church on March 12.  He was hoping to devote the remainder of his life to preaching the gospel as he told me when I saw them on March 2.
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June 20, 2019th Year of Our Lord
                              
Dear brethren,

Upcoming travels scheduled for July 30-September 6 will take me to preach Christ in the Philippines (75^th trip), New Zealand (9^th trip), and Australia (8^th trip).  I thank God for opening these doors by the invitation of Jim McDonald to accompany him to the Philippines in 1995.  It will be a privilege to labor in these lands again to encourage the saints in the spirit of Philippians 2:14-16, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”  Saints shine in this dark and stormy world of sin and death as lights along the shore guiding souls to Christ, the beacon light of eternal salvation.   “Let the lower lights be burning, send a gleam across the wave.”  Christian lights are brightly burning around the world!

God willing, July 30-31 will find me engaged in about 24 hours of travel from Louisville, KY to Manila.  The next morning local brethren will help me repack boxes to ship ahead so that materials can be distributed in various areas where I will teach.
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Dear brethren,

I just received this notice from Jonathan Carino about his father’s death.  It has been a privilege for me to work with both of these faithful evangelists for many years.  Ramon was highly respected for his godly life both among the churches in the Philippines and in his local community by its citizens and leaders.  He was a rock of strength and stability which will be sorely missed.

On April 21, 2000 I heard him make the following observation and wrote it in the front of my Bible:  “Light obeyed bringeth more light.  Light resisted, rejected bringeth night!”
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

The Philippines gets 15-20 typhoons each year spread out over several months, which helps the rice fields which require much water, but this year several have hit in quick succession with monsoon rains in addition.  Therefore, the Philippines has suffered much flooding and other calamities which destroy crops, houses, and lives.  Much of the damage has been done on Luzon because of the track the most typhoons follow.  Many of our brethren have been struggling for food.  Recently, I learned that northern Mindanao is also suffering.  Successive torrential rains have destroyed crops and created landslides in southern Mindanao.

A super-typhoon with the international name Mangkhut, locally named “Typhoon Ompong,” hit the Philippines on Saturday, September 15, and much help will be needed especially on Luzon again.  Here are excerpts from a CNN report dated the day the typhoon hit:
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Dear brethren,

I am preaching in southern Mindanao on the last leg of this month-long Philippine trip.  We planned for 60 to participate in two days of preacher training here in General Santos City, but about 100 showed up the first day, including 10 denominational preachers.  God willing, I will return home in about a week. Thank you for praying for this work!

On this trip more than ever before, I see the evidence of the good being done by the Forex Cargo boxes (called balikbayan boxes) we have been sending in recent years, thanks to your donations.  I estimate 250-300 of these huge boxes have been sent with Bibles, Bible study materials, Bible teaching materials (including materials to teach children), and assorted clothes, food, and personal items.  Brethren of all ages at the Hebron Lane church of Christ have formed the most efficient packing team you have ever seen.  On this trip I have noticed several churches using the homemade communion sets we sent, many song books, children’s Bible study materials, and one brother wearing an “old faithful” suit I wore for many years!
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IMPORTANT NOTE TO ANYONE WANTING TO SEND FUNDS FOR ANY PURPOSE
INCLUDING SUPPORT FOR PREACHERS OR BENEVOLENCE: 

I will be away from home Nov. 29, 2016 – Jan. 10, 2017. 

Donna will be away Dec. 7, 2016 – Jan. 16, 2017. 

It will be necessary to work around those dates or to use some other means of relaying funds to recipients.

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook