Halbrook Philippine Report Feb. 27-Mar. 5, 2014
March 5, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
The trip has gone well to the last day, but, I must issue this alert! The end time is near! On February 27, the flight Jonathan Carino and I took from Cebu City to Bacolod City, Negros Oriental left ahead of schedule and landed 30 minutes early! This is a first in all my 53 Philippine trips. It may be a first in Philippine aviation history. Of course, we must factor in the fact that this flight originated in Cebu City and not in Manila which is constantly congested, but this is still a significant milestone. Neither Jonathan Carino nor I could remember ever having had this experience.
Jack Jaco and Shem Tagapan met us at the airport and brought us to the hotel for a good night of rest to prepare for the rigors of another very challenging and rewarding day ahead. And, I was counting just one more week till I can see precious Donna and all our loved ones at home!
Friday our circuit visiting churches began just after 7:30 A.M. and we arrived back at the hotel at 9:00 P.M., tired but uplifted by the day’s events. The typhoon Yolanda took its toll on hundreds of Christians in Negros Occidental not so much because of damage to houses, though there was some, but more because of damage to sources of income. This region grows sugarcane and many brethren are day laborers in the cane fields. When the crops were destroyed, their source of income was destroyed. Jobs have been lost and workers displaced. Hunger has been their greatest enemy.
The fields now are becoming active again, but our poor brethren can ill afford the income losses they suffered and many remain out of work. They openly rejoiced at our coming with the benevolence representing the love of God and of brethren from afar. They profusely expressed appreciation although the amount given per person was significantly less than what was given on Leyte because the number of people helped was far greater here on Negros. Some people kept coming back and shook my hand 3-4 times, overcome with joy and thanksgiving.
Benevolence was given in the following areas. These are included in the wide geography of Escalante City: 1. Buenavista (24 members; Jessie Isitan, evangelist). 2. Santa Bangkal, JonobJonob (43 members; Addy Sorbeto, evangelist). 3. Escalante City proper (20; Arnold Garcia, evangelist). 4. Drier, Balintawak (25; Danny Alquiza, evanelist). 5. Old Poblacion (29; Roger Eson, evangelist). 6. Balintawak (84; James Berden, evangelist). 7. Amparo, Mabini (87 members; Morito Panadero, evangelist).
Other churches which received benevolence included Japitan (43 members; Arnel Tayactac, evangelist), Bago, Salvador Benedicto (57; Vicente Alquiza, evangelist), Sagay City (63; Jerry De Erio, evangelist), and Toboso (25; Jun Anonas, evangelist).
The total number of saints who received help today was 491. Ten times today I presented the short lesson on “Benevolence” before giving the funds to the churches. Brethren patiently waited for us during the day because it was not possible to schedule our time due to the travel conditions. We left Bacolod City on good roads but as we got into the countryside filled with sugarcane fields the roads quickly deteriorated. Roads are generally poorly built in the Philippines, but their roads here in this area groan under the constant pressure of huge trucks loaded and overloaded with cane. Also the trucks drop so much cane that the roads ride like washboards. In some places we ran out of pavement and drove on dirt roads. At one place the road ended and we got out and walked some distance to the church building.
There was no time to take a lunch break, and if there had been time, I do not know where we would have found food safe to eat. At a couple of places the brethren cut coconuts open and offered us the meat and milk, both of which are tasty. I drank the coconut milk both times because it is far more effective in counteracting dehydration than the Gatorade we normally drink. I survived fine on the snacks Donna packed such as peanut butter crackers and raisins.
Our morning schedule on Saturday, March 1, was delayed while we tried to find MoneyGram and Western Union agents who open before 10:00 A.M. in order to receive additional funds needed for today’s benevolence. We succeeded but service was so slow we still did not get out of town until 10:15. We call this “operating on Filipino time.” This was another busy day as we traversed the large Sagay City region of Negros Occidental. Funds were delivered to the following churches:
1. Tinabuan, Magdalena Extin., Paraiso, Sagay City (Jessie Isitan, evangelist; 34 members). 2. Pur. Dalia, Brgy. Puey, Sagay City (Jordan Cabras, evangelist; 108 members). 3. Narra, Tinampaan, Cadiz City (Jessie Isitan, evangelist; 28 members). 4. Complex Cadiz City (Jessie Isitan, evangelist; 51 members). 5. Minaposok, Calatrava (Jordan Cabras, evangelist; 11 members). 6. Kawayanan, Taloc, Bago City (Shem Tagapan, evangelist; 51 members). 7. Kapisan Village, Vesta Alegre, Bacolod City (Shem Tagapan, evangelist; 26 members).
The distribution made today reaches another 309 saints who are victims of Yolanda. Arrangements are being made to help another 170 saints in the Negros Occidental Province, bringing the total of recipients from this one effort to 972. This provision was made for food. Additional funds will be sent to address needs for repairing houses. All of this is being made possible by the love and sacrifices of saints around the world, especially in the U.S.
Again today I presented my short lesson on “Benevolence” at each place we visited to give the Bible foundation for this kind of work. Jack has given me more insight into the importance of this benevolence work. He says the amount received in each place is not nearly as important as the encouragement the brethren receive just from seeing us come from afar to show the love and concern we have for them. They feel so small and ignored in this world that their spirits are greatly uplifted by our coming to bring benevolence from saints so far away, regardless of the amount.
On Sunday, March 2, our drive to the Vicotrias City church of Christ where Jack Jaco preaches took less than an hour. When I first visited here in 1999 with Steve Curtis, the church met in a small public chapel. As the church has grown through the years, Jack has extended the space in his house to accommodate their services. This morning that extended room overflowed with more than 100 people packed like sardines in a can, with being forced to stand outside.
My lesson was on “The Prison of Sin” (1 Pet. 3:18-4:11). Six visitors responded to the Lord’s invitation and confessed Christ – I missed the baptisms because I had to hurry to the airport. At the end of the service, I gave the short lesson on “Benevolence.” There was again much joy and thanksgiving.
The islands hit by typhoon Yolanda are having many conversions to Christ. This is not due to the occasional benevolence, because brethren do not advertise it, but people in times of suffering are humbled and often begin to seek God during times of disaster. It is sad to know that tragedy forces people to recognize God when we all ought to be so thankful for every moment of life and every blessing of life that it would win us to God in thanksgiving! Especially when we consider that He gave His Son to die for our sins, which we can never earn, deserve, or merit!
Sunday afternoon I flew to Manila to spend a short night. It was necessary to get up at 3:45 A.M. to catch a 5:00 A.M. flight to the island of Masbate where I preached in December. Many denominational preachers have been converted and have been busy baptizing their members into the church of Christ. Now other denominational preachers are willing to study, so I prepared to teach the series of lessons on “The Authority of Christ,” and Jonathan and Jack could help with other basic subjects.
3:45 A.M. came in a hurry on Monday, but Jonathan, Jack, and I made it to Masbate by 6:00 A.M. Greg Jumao-as, a preacher converted from the Baptists last year, met us and guided us to a church where he had helped to convert a friend, Edgar Diaz. This new brother was also a former Baptist and he had invited contacts who were curious to understand why he had left the Baptist faith. We traveled on asphalt paved roads, concrete roads, and dirt and gravel roads to reach Dimasalang and begin preaching about 10:00 A.M.
My first lesson was a detailed study of “The Great Commission” as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. There were 70 in attendance representing all ages – a group of young people sat near the front and paid close attention. Building on the same passage, I began teaching “The Authority of Christ.” This material was entirely new to our audience, but it was clear that many were absorbing the point as various applications were made.
After two of these lessons, the floor was opened to questions. The questions clarified that the collection should be every Sunday but not every time there is a meeting during the week, and God does not bind tithing today. As always, several questions focused on baptism, whether it is essential for salvation, and whether people baptized into a denomination should be baptized again.
One “pastor” was quite defensive of the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, but when we dismissed he said he learned new things today and he would definitely return the next day. His wife and children are with him. A man from Belgium married to a Filipina attended in December and was here today for the whole day. He brought 15 people in his pickup truck. He has no particular religion though he received Catholic sprinkling as an infant, but his face showed the gospel is touching his heart. The great joy of the Philippine work is seeing the hunger of souls to learn God’s Word!
On Tuesday, March 4, we again traveled an hour and a half to reach Dimasalang. The day began with two lessons contrasting the doctrine of Christ with the faith and practices of the Roman Catholic religion and the Protestant denominations. These lesson include historical information on how these religious groups developed as a result of departures from the authority of Christ. In the afternoon I spoke on the restoration plea and its proper application. Jonathan preached on “Obedience” and on “Baptism.”
The open forum included questions about tithing, the two covenants, and especially instrumental music. Jack Jaco exhorted the audience to obey the gospel, and one precious soul did! There will certainly be others to follow, but we do not expect large numbers of baptisms when most of the audience have been saturated in denominationalism for many years, and then they hear the original gospel for the first time. We will patiently trust in the power of the gospel to do its work in the souls of men who open their minds and hearts to hear it.
The Belgium man was back again for the full day. He has become very attentive. During lunch I discussed his doubts that the Bible has been accurately preserved which seemed to help him. One of the “pastors” who fought us on baptism yesterday and on instrumental music today is pleading for me to let him gather many other “pastors” who are his friends to hear what we are teaching. Truly, the fields are white unto harvest!
Today, Wednesday, at last we have reached our last day of work on this trip. We got up at 5:15 A.M. to catch our flight to Manila. When we arrived, I thanked Jonathan and Jack for their great help and we parted company. Jimmy Battung brought Terry Parchman to the hotel and I studied with him for an hour. Terry moved from the U.S. to Manila. His background is in the church of Christ, among liberals, but he has graduated to the ecumenical denominational concept of Christians in all denominations and he works with an interdenominational group. He had begun circulating among our brethren in Manila, saying he was a member of the church of Christ.
I started with Mark 16:15-16 to show Jesus teaches that only people who first believe the gospel and then submit to Christ in baptism receive salvation or forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ. People in denominations have not submitted to this plan of salvation and are therefore lost. Terry said that Jesus did not mean in this passage that men must be baptized to be saved, but we erroneously read it that way! Terry explains it can also mean a person who believes is saved and can be baptized later. It is clear we do not believe and practice the same thing, but the discussion was held in a healthy manner.
As soon as this study was finished, we left to go downtown to the Philippine Bible Society where I purchased 1,112 Bibles in several dialects. These will be shipped to the waiting hands of saints on Luzon, on Mindanao, and especially in the Visayas where typhoon Yolanda swept away Bibles and church buildings, not to mention almost 10,000 lives. Many who read these reports made this order possible by the grace of God and by generous giving. It is by far the largest number of Bibles I have ever bought. Only God knows how gratefully they will be received and how effectively they will work in the hearts and lives of people who will use them.
As this trip now ends, my heart overflows with thanksgiving for God’s providence in making it possible and for all the prayers and financial contributions of the saints of God.
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
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