August 5, 2013th Year of Our Lord

Dear family, brethren, and friends,

By the grace of God Mark Mayberry and I left our homes on July 31 and met in Detroit, MI. From there we safely continued our trip to Manila , arriving late on the night of Thursday, August 1.

The next day we met with some brethren who took 3 large boxes which needed to be shipped by air cargo to Cebu and to Leyte. For a couple of hours we also studied with them about some details regarding the resurrection of Christ which had disturbed some of our brethren. Mark and I pointed out that miracles are beyond human explanation and that we must confine ourselves to what is specifically revealed. The study was recorded. That evening the brethren who were disputing over the matter gathered, listened to the recording, discussed their differences, and then reconciled, agreeing to stop disputing.

On Saturday we left the hotel shortly after 7:00 A.M. and traveled two hours to the church at Vicas, North Caloocan City to work with Ely and Larry Ebuenga in an all-day gospel meeting. About 25 of the 65 who attended were Roman Catholics. I began with “The Purpose of Our Lives” and Jimmy Bobis was the translator. Mark Mayberry had a very simple and effective lesson on the plan of salvation, showing God’s part and man’s part. Rody Gumpad gave an overview of the Bible and church history to show God ordained only one true church.

Mark spoke after lunch and I followed him with a lesson on “New Beginnings in Christ,” then Rody gave the invitation by emphasizing the steps necessary to receive salvation. A young man was baptized and a lady was restored. A visitor came forward to ask if she could be baptized on behalf of her baby, but Rody pointed out she needed more study. This is the first time I had heard such a request, but it well illustrates how little people understand the truth and how much they need to hear it.

On Sunday Mark went with Rody to the new Edsa-Pasay church while Atoy Franco brought me to the national Bilibid Prison to preach to an overflow crowd in the Catholic chapel we borrowed. It is located in Muntinlupa in Metro Manila. Willie Pastor was incarcerated here almost three years ago and he immediately began preaching the gospel there with the help of his brother Kenneth who lives in the Manila area. My lesson was a verse by verse study of Ezekiel 18 entitled “Man Answers to God.” One man asked to be baptized into Christ.

After the lunch hour Mark and Rody arrived to enter two additional sections of the prison to study with inmates and baptized ten more. Meanwhile, I visited the small new church meeting at the home of Jimmy Battung in Paranaque. My topic was “Back to the Bible.” Jimmy’s son-in-law Ric Halnas is in Timaru, New Zealand and he joined our study via Skype. I baptized him in May while he was home visiting his family and now he has no place to worship in Timaru. I will go there later on this trip.

On August 5 Mark and I flew to Tacloban City on the island of Leyte, very near to where General Douglass MacArthur landed when he returned to the Philippines to liberate the people from the Japanese during World War II. A van brought us to Ormoc City where we began classes today which will continue through this week.

Many prayers of thanksgiving go up to God for all the saints who make these trips possible and for all of you who are praying for us.

In Christian love, Ron Halbrook