SUNDAY, Feb. 17, 2013th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Greetings to all in the name of Christ our Lord. Fortunately, Monday before leaving for the Philippines on Tuesday I walked and jogged for an hour. This gave me stamina for the all-night duty of finishing final preparations and for the 28 hours of travel. By God’s grace the flights were safe from Louisville to Atlanta to Tokyo and on to Manila. The doctor who did the surgery on my left ear for hearing problems did an examination a few days before I left, and he was pleased with the healing process and released me to go. My ear caused me no pain on the flights. I got to bed about 1:30 AM Thursday in the hotel in Manila and slept well.

ThursdayI met Elias Cruz and Teresa Toreja to give them three large boxes of materials to be used in teaching the class next week on the family. They shipped them as air cargo to Cebu City so that I did not have to check them as part of my baggage and pay exorbitant fees. Then I went on to the airport and flew to Cebu City where I met Jonathan Carino at 3:30 PM. It was good to be reunited with this good brother who is so much help to the cause of Christ.Friday, the 15th, we went to the church building at Sitio Marupa, Subabasbas, Lapu-lapu City in the Metro Cebu City area. The area has a population of over two and a half million and Lapu-lapu City has over 350,000. Pablo Espinosa has preached here for many years with good results. Fifty attended today including a large number of Roman Catholics he has been teaching. The lessons presented were basic including “God Created All Things,” “The Purpose of Our Lives,” and “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God.” Jonathan Carino and Fred Ogario helped by summarizing each lesson in the local dialect. The audience was very attentive all day.

Pablo lives are among the poorest people in Cebu City. In fact, they live on government land and the church building is located on government land. The civic leaders are very happy to have Pablo there because of his good influence, his wisdom in resolving disputes, and his ability to help solve crimes. He is often asked to lead prayers at public functions and even to address the people about God’s will.

Here we are in the dead of winter and the high was in the 80’s today. My clothes got wet from sweating, but an extended afternoon shower cooled the atmosphere and made it more bearable. Thank God for all gifts large and small!

Fred Ogario, a former Baptist preacher, helped convert another Baptist preacher named Roy Matta several years ago. Roy has been working diligently after converting many of his former Baptist members. The Labogon church of Christ is located in Mandaue City which is part of Metro Cebu. We spent Saturday preaching there with Roy. The small building was filled nearly to the point of overflowing with about 50 in attendance.

Fred Ogario brought a young Baptist preacher and his family he has been teaching. After the lessons on “Jesus Came to Seek & Save the Lost,” “New Beginnings in Christ,” and “The Resurrection of Christ,” one lady came forward to be baptized. While conversing with the young preacher after the dismissal, I learned he is convinced we are preaching the truth but feels the need to learn a little more. When I preach at Fred’s place on the 25th, this man plans to bring his whole congregation to hear the lessons. Can you imagine that happening there in the U.S.? Actually, such events happened many times during the 1800’s and early 1900’s, but that great harvest season gradually died down. The same thing will happen some day in the Philippines and we must work while it is day!

Today, Sunday, the 17th, was a long hard day. In order to visit the saints in the Ormoc City area on the island of Leyte , it was necessary to leave the hotel just after 4:00 AM to catch the fast craft at 5:30. The first hour of the two-and-a-half-hour trip on this ferry was a wild ride on some of the roughest waves I have ever experienced. The staff sounded a warning several times and told the passengers to take safety precautions-they never told us how-as the vessel bounced, twisted, popped, and creaked. I began to wonder if I was going to have to swim again, not a river this time, but the Visayan Sea! Finally, the waters calmed and we slept the rest of the way.

Willie Pelino has faithfully labored in the Ormoc City area for many years. He lost his support a couple of years ago but continued farming to support himself and then took a teaching job at a new high school. We visited two of the three congregations he serves. At the Linao church of Christ in Ormoc City 25-30 attended in a home where we were packed in like sardines as I taught on “The Resurrection of Christ” (verse by verse study of Mark 16). Jonathan Carino then summarized the lesson in their dialect, and preached a separate lesson on Peter’s denial of Jesus.

Willie then took us to his house out in the country on a tricycle (small motorcycle attached to a carriage with seats at the side and in the back). After his wife served a delicious meal of rice, fish, pork, fresh pineapple, and bananas, 20-25 saints of the San Vicente church of Christ met at 2:00 PM in his home. Jonathan spoke on the rich man and Lazarus, followed by my lesson on “The Resurrection of Christ.” By the time Willie got us to the wharf, we had about an hour’s wait for the 7:15 PM trip back to Cebu City. He proceed to the third congregation which is made up of five high school students he has converted-and some of the parents are visiting with interest.

I got back to the hotel at 10:00 PM, more than ready to sleep but also anxious for the classes on the home to start tomorrow. What a great privilege to work with these diligent Filipino saints of God! Thank you, brethren, for making this work possible by the grace of God!

Did you see the half moon? Remember, I relay my love and greetings via the moon. 🙂

Now, my body demands sleep, and I yield.

In Christian love, Ron