More significant projects are underway in three cases where we are helping. The large church building at Cordon, Isabela where Domie and Frank Jacob preach was rotting and crumbling. A total reconstruction is approaching completion. The Seaside church, Santiago, La Union Province had stopped work on their building because of lack of funds. Help A Neighbor has been extending aid over a period of months and this building is progressing. Cordon and Santiago are on the island of Luzon. On Mindanao in the General Santos City area the saints at Lanton had a modest facility, but it was torn down and they were forced off their land in a case involving legal maneuvers beyond their control. We have been sending funds for them to rebuild on another piece of property, and the structure is nearing completion.
Time and space limitations hinder me from enumerating all the occasions of help given to flood victims, brethren suffering from disease and accidents, and all sorts of special needs (motorcycle repair, etc.).
I will bullet some outstanding needs:
1. Not only is there an ongoing need for church buildings in the Philippines, but also we were approached by Bobby Holmes and Tom Roberts a year ago about the pressing need of a church building in Bangalore, India. The church was meeting in a home but had grown to over 60 and could not accommodate the crowd. We agreed that Bobby and Tom could utilize our service to raise funds for a meeting place for these saints. Because land is at a premium, the land and building will cost close to $80,000. In spite of their poverty, the Indian brethren have pledged to give $5,000 toward the total. So far, around $30,000 has been raised, and one donor is willing to give the final $10,000 when we reach that point!
2. Bibles and songbooks are desperately needed in the Philippines because souls are obeying the gospel and churches are being planted throughout the nation. Because of their poverty, many Filipinos cannot afford a Bible and many churches have few or no songbooks. Not only do we need to ship English songbooks, but also we need to provide resources for Filipino brethren to publish songbooks in their native dialects. $2,000 will print several hundred songbooks in their dialect.
3. Brethren plead for study materials, which we often take for granted. Poverty makes it hard or impossible for them to obtain such materials. Lordy Salunga began publishing and editing a quarterly Filipino gospel journal under the name Sword & Shield in 1999, most articles being written by Filipinos including articles in various dialects. Jim McDonald helped raise funds for this important work as long as he could. Then Bill Cavender took it over. Both Jim and Bill have encouraged me to seek funds for Lordy. The last issue was published in January of 2009 for lack of funds. It costs about $1,500 each quarter to publish Sword & Shield. Funds can be sent directly to Lordy, or via Help A Neighbor if a tax deduction is needed. Perhaps some good hearted brother is able to pay for a whole quarter, or perhaps several would agree to do it jointly. Also, many Filipino brethren are pleading for subscriptions to Truth Magazine. I can provide names and addresses. Foreign subscriptions cost $27 per year. If some individual wants to send a group of 10 or more subscriptions, we can help you with the tax deduction.
4. Medical needs constantly come to our attention. Children needing surgery, saints needing a blood transfusion, and many others. For instance, an older faithful preacher needs eye surgery costing $600 in Mindanao (Jose Cabisada, Sr.). He is still preaching but can hardly read the Bible at all any more.
To satisfy the IRS requirements, my wife, our sons, and I are listed as the board of Help A Neighbor. Donors can request funds to be used for specified purposes. We make decisions in the context of our legal, moral, and ethical obligations including guidelines required by the IRS Code for 501 (C) 3 charitable organizations. This could include the necessity to decline or return donations if requests are inconsistent with such obligations. We will always do our best to serve as your messengers to help Filipinos or occasionally others within a legal context which allows you to take a tax deduction on donations.
As soon as funds are received, we try to get them out where they are needed. Other than the money accumulating for the Bangalore, India church building, there is only $372 on hand. Because I am constantly distributing Bibles and Bible study materials, at any given time I may owe $3,000-$5,000. I have been scolded by a few brethren for making such debts, but I notice brethren making debts for boats, guns, vacations, and other material things. Some of the Bibles and literature distributed will outlive us, and I plan to continue pressing hard to get these materials into waiting hands.
I will provide donors a financial accounting later but I leave within a few hours on my 43rd Philippine trip.
