Golden Opportunity to do Good in the Philippines
Golden Opportunity to do Good in the Philippines
Dear brethren,
There are times we need to act without delay! “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again….Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (Eccl. 11:1, 6 NIV). When there is a need and we have the means to act, we should act in confidence that God will bless our efforts to have a good result. Please read about this golden opportunity to cast our bread and sow our seed.
Davao City in southern Mindanao has the largest land area of any Philippine city with a population of 1,500,000 (add another million for Metro Davao). Juanito P. Balbin was baptized in 1962 and became a librarian at the Zamboanga Bible College in Zamboanga City in western Mindanao, a school run by institutional liberals. There he read the debate on institutionalism between Roy E. Cogdill and Guy N. Woods, which led him to resign his position and to stand against institutionalism in the mid-1960’s. He did pioneering work in Davao City to establish a strong church committed to the New Testament pattern in all things beginning in 1966. Today the New Matina Church of Christ is fully organized with elders, deacons, evangelists, and teachers. Classes are held to train and equip new preachers. His grown sons Dudley Ross, Sonni Dave, and W. Connie are also very active in preaching the gospel and are excellent song leaders. Juanito is now 72 years old and very active in spite of health problems such as diabetes.
Brother Balbin’s residence and the church building are located on prime property in downtown Davao City. On Saturday, August 8, I arrived in Davao City to work with Juanito for a week. That first afternoon we spent over two hours visiting at his place. We discussed his present and future plans for the church. The church has done well through the years under the circumstances, but their potential is diminished by the fact that their building stands at the end of a very narrow alley type street – there is absolutely no place near or remote to park vehicles. In an urban downtown setting, no parking space is a definite hindrance to the work. In fact, while I was there for the week, I had two personal Bible studies with prospects who have vehicles. If they are converted, it is not likely they could worship there because they live some distance from the meeting place and would need to travel using their vehicles to attend services.
Brother Balbin and the brethren at the New Matina church have sacrificed and worked to improve the meeting place (such as adding small air conditioners) even at the expense of neglecting his small house which is rotting and leaking rain water in several places. For many years brother Balbin has been sacrificing from his support (and he has lost some significant support) to make regular payments on another prime property at the crossroads of major highways in the city. He took me to see it and I marvel at the prime location and spacious area! It is the kind of property where a mall might well be built. In fact, he is in danger of having the property sold from under him by the owner who would like to sell to investors for several times the price Juanito is paying.
He is looking for ways and means to get this paid off within the next year (about $15,000), and to secure the title. When the title is secured, a brother who inherited some property is going to sell it to help finance a new church building with rooms for Bible classes and regular preacher training sessions. If all this can be accomplished, it will be a major step forward for the cause of Christ in Davao City!
Many Filipino preachers have lost all or much of their support since the recession hit the U.S. in recent years. Juanito has lost significant support and yet has sacrificed even food and medicines to keep making the payments on the land. He has written at times about receiving warnings that his water will be cut off, but he keeps making those land payments in spite of everything. After suffering all these trials and with the goal in sight, he now fears losing the land if he is even late on a payment as he explains:
“It is in the noble purpose, that my wife and I, have tried to put all our means in the installment payment of this said land. But now, brother Ron, we are now exhausted because of the cutting off of the big portion of my support…. From that time on, we suffered hardships too much. But we did not surrender in acquiring this land, for we had already paid a very considerable amount of precious money for it. We have given more than a million pesos already for this, as seen in its “Deed of Sale” [note: a million pesos is over $22,000 U.S. dollars; R.H.]. Presently, we have a balance of an amount more or less than $15,000. We pay it by installment basis for even as low as $1,000 of payment monthly.
“I may also say in passing, that the land in consideration is now worth sixty million pesos or more [note: equivalent to over $1,300,000 U.S. dollars; R.H.]. It is hotcake to multi-million businessmen, for the place is ideal for a big mall.
“I am very much worried now, brother Ron, because the land owner have been demanding me to pay him the lowest amount of an equivalent of $1,000. He is now angry in fact, and threatening, for I could not give already the amount due him. Hence, I wrote you, brother Ron, to plead with you in this great problem I am facing now. Please help me, dear brother. Please help me, for I am afraid that the owner will take back on my technical default of being not anymore in time of paying him my dues. Please help us, brother Ron, that this balance of $15,000 is fully paid, either by installment or in cash basis. And in cash form, there is a considerable discount of it. Brother Ron, please help me of this problem.”
Corruption is rampant in Philippine culture and the lure of millions in profit could cause the landowner to use any possible technicality to cancel the sell to brother Balbin after all these years of payments and to resell to the highest bidder.
This is a unique golden opportunity to help brethren who have sacrificed and suffered much to help themselves! If we can spread the word to individual saints, surely there are brethren who will be interested in helping this worthy project. Let’s try to gather the necessary funds to pay off this land ASAP before the owner can take the land back because of a late payment or some other pretext. I will gladly put anyone in touch with brother Balbin so that donations can be sent directly to him, or I will help gather funds to send to him.
Individuals not needing a tax deduction can make checks to Ron Halbrook and send them to 3505 Horse Run Ct., Shepherdsville, KY 40165-6954. Individuals needing a tax deduction can make checks to Help A Neighbor and send them to the same address.
Juanito Balbin is a longtime experienced and mature gospel preacher and the New Matina Church of Christ is a stable congregation. They have carried the ball 95 yards to the five yard line by much sweat and many tears – let’s help them reach the goal line.
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again….Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well” (Eccl. 11:1, 6 NIV).
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
Update:
Dear brethren,
God’s people are so gracious! Last Thursday, September 3, I sent out a notice about a “golden opportunity to do good in the Philippines.” Juanito Balbin has been making payments for many years on a piece of property in a prime location in Davao City on Mindanao for a new church building. After sacrificing much through the years to make the necessary payments, he currently lacks $15,000 to complete the payments.
Monday was the Labor Day holiday, so no mail was delivered. When the mail arrived on Tuesday, I was shocked to find that the current need has already been met! There is no need to send additional donations.
I will be making arrangements to send the money to brother Balbin soon. I can only imagine how overjoyed he will be to learn about the love and generosity of the saints!
Thank you, on behalf of brother Balbin and all the saints in Davao City.
This is a major step for the advancement of the cause of Christ in southern Mindanao. I am often reminded of Psalm 107:8, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
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