Dear family, brethren, and friends,

The Sampaloc church of Christ in Metro Manila is composed of brethren who are deaf mutes.  On Friday I visited this church where Tony Hornado has preached for many years.  Rody and Tessie Gumpad and Sammy and Marie Paet went to assist and encourage.  About 25 attended today as I presented three lessons on “How to Study the Bible” to complete the series I started last December, followed by the subject of “The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible.”  Rody Gumpad also preached, which was his first time to teach deaf mutes.

We preach by presenting PowerPoint charts and making notations on a white board at the side.  Meanwhile, someone who signs stands at the other side translating into sign language everything he sees which we present.  The audience interacts with the person signing and with each other as we go along to clarify what they are learning.  Three men took turns signing for the different lessons today.   A young man who appeared to be in his 20’s came forward to submit to Christ in water baptism for the remission of his sins.  We all rejoiced with the angels of heaven.

This is wintertime in the Philippines because we are north of the equator, but the high today was about 90°F (32° C).  I was sweating as I got into the first lesson and soon my clothes were wet – and stayed wet the rest of the day.  As far as I can tell, it did not snow anywhere in Manila today!

A brother from Mindanao was in the Manila area to take care of some business, so he joined us for most of the day.  Afterward he joined us at Edsa-Pasay where Tessie Gumpad prepared a delicious meal.  He discussed the fact that he was involved in sin during the past year and he wants to correct his life.  We prayed for him and he plans to go home and make a public correction of his sins.

Though there is no speaking involved in teaching deaf mutes, it is exhausting in the heat to constantly write notes on the white board, erase them, and write more notes while concentrating on the best way to explain each point of the lesson.  But these precious souls have as much right to learn the gospel and be saved as those of us who do not have such handicaps.  What a privilege to teach them!  How thankful I am for saints who make it possible to come and teach them!

The series on the Bible continued at the deaf mute church in Sampaloc on Saturday.  First, we studied about “The Glory of God” in Psalm 19 which focuses on God’s great work in the universe and in Scripture.  Next we considered “The Writing and Canon of Scripture,” then “Apocryphal Books and Other False Scriptures,” and finally I squeezed two lessons into an hour and a half on “The Bible: God’s Only True Word.”  I taught from 1:30 to 5:00 with a 10 minute break, which might not have been possible were I required to speak while teaching.  While exhausting, it was also exhilarating because of the level of interest shown by the audience.

A young lady who appeared to be in her 20’s repented of her sins, confessed Christ, and was immersed into the body of Christ.  Our hearts were filled with great joy again!

Five different men signed the lessons to our audience for these two days.  One brother is 23 years old and he is a sharp go-getter.  Rody, Sammy, and I had our picture taken with them and with Tony Hornedo.  Tony showed me a picture of my daughter Deborah and me which was taken when we visited this church in 2006.  Has it really been 12 years since then?  They were asking when she can come back, but I explained she is married to Jamie Williams and they have three children to raise, so she cannot travel as freely as she did when she came in 2006.

This was another hot humid day in the room without windows or air conditioning below street level.  My clothes were wet all day again, but I am just glad it is not yet summer in the Philippines!  Thank God for all blessings, large and small.

Sammy Paet took me to meet Ely Ebuenga for the Sunday service at Muntinlupa City with inmates in the Bilibid Prison, the national prison, in the Medium Security Camp.  Our attendance was 35 meeting under a shed built around a tree with a dirt floor.  Our attendance was 35.  Ely translated as I preached “Your Eternal Home: Heaven or Hell?” and “True Worship:  Do Not Add or Subtract.”  Five souls were harvested on this beautiful Lord’s Day for Christ as a result of Ely’s ongoing work alongside inmate Sonny Ibanez, and hopefully my two lessons also helped to motivate them to submit to Christ..

For the afternoon service, Sammy drove me to the City of Paranaque where a church meets in a garage at the home of Jimmy Battung, a retired police chief.  He continues to suffer from heart problems but is gaining ground – feeling better and looking better.  He is 76 years young.  Several of his family members have been converted and they faithfully meet for worship every Sunday along with other saints who assemble with them.  There were 17 assembled today.

Kyle Halnas, one of the grandsons, is an excellent song leader.  He recently changed jobs to escape the need of rushing away to go to work after worship.  He is 24 and now works for the Geek Squad handling clients via chat messages.  Other family members continue to be faithful and to grow also.  Since I was here in December, a young man who was invited by one of Jimmy’s granddaughters has been baptized and continues to learn and grow.  Today we studied “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be” and “Whatever Happened to Hell?”

May God bless these saints to have many years in His service and to be with Him in heaven forever!

This winter weather in the Philippines is just tooo cold – 91°F (33° C) today, Monday.  It is about time to go home and warm up (yes, you may smile!).  Sammy Paet and Rody Gumpad took me to the Philippine Bible Society this morning where I ordered 435 Bibles in several Filipino dialects to be shipped to brethren who requested them at different places.  What a great privilege it is to share God’s Word with brethren who are hungry to read, study, learn, and obey the will of our great and loving God.  God knows and will reward the many saints who donated funds making this possible.  This afternoon I will send email notices to the brethren who requested Bibles to notify them the shipments will go out soon.

The rest of the day will be spent preparing for the long but greatly anticipated trip back home to Donna and all the saints at the Hebron Lane church of Christ whom I miss when I travel and preach.  Please pray for my safe return.

It is hard to realize the first trip for 2018 is almost complete.  Time marches on until our Lord will return, and we must fight on until Christ comes in his final victory and glory.  May God bless every saint in the Philippines and around the world as we prepare to enter heaven where we will love Him, serve Him, and praise Him forever.  We will sing with all the hosts of heaven, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com