Halbrook Philippine Report May 13-18, 2013
May 18, 2013th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
Greetings to all the family and saints back at home in the U.S.A. (and also some in Australia).
The last activity scheduled for this trip is a preacher training class to be conducted at the Kapitbahayan church of Christ, Navotas, in Metro Manila on May 13-24. Elias Cruz is an evangelist there and Jerry Toreja is one of the elders. Atoy Franco guided Steven and me to the church building via the Mass Rail Transit (MRT), a new experience. We hoped this would save time, but by the time we took a taxi after leaving the MRT we did not save much time. Therefore, Atoy plans to take us in his car tomorrow.
Our preacher training classes got off to a good start with 25 men enrolled. The students ranged in age from 9 to the 30’s with one man in his 70’s. They are sleeping on pasteboard and mats at the second floor of the building. A room was set up with handmade wooden tables and plastic chairs so the students can open their Bibles, books, and notepads as we study.
The teachers are Steven Deaton, Lordy Salunga , and me. Each day Steven teaches the Old Testament prophets, the New Testament through 1 Corinthians, and denominational doctrines. Lordy teaches an Old Testament survey through the Song of Solomon, the New Testament from 2 Corinthians to the end, and The New Testament Church book by Roy E. Cogdill. My classes cover issues dividing brethren historically (such as missionary societies, instrumental music, etc.), the preacher’s life and work, church history, and Bible study tools (using Strong’s Concordance and the Zondervan Bible dictionary).
On May 14-15, as we are progressing through the second and third days, all the teachers have remarked on the unusual reaction of our students. Typically in our experience teaching such classes, Filipinos are slow to participate by initiating questions and discussions. This group constantly asks questions, so much it is hard to complete the lessons. Even when we finish, they will come up to ask additional questions. They cut into their lunch time asking questions. This is wonderful even if the lessons are hard to complete – it shows they are listening and learning!
Thursday, May 16, we continue to cover a lot of material and the students are remarkably attentive. They continue to ask all sorts of questions, for which we are thrilled.
Friday started as a normal day and the classes proceeded well. I may have eaten something bad for the stomach or gotten a 24 hour virus because I began to have diarrhea about 11:00 A.M. After I started my afternoon classes, about 3:00 P.M. I had to stop and lay down on a cot in the adjoining room because of stomach pain. Dr. Teresa Toreja administered some medicines but there was no improvement. I stayed there on the cot fighting the urge to vomit, and dozing, until 7:00 P.M. Since I was not able to take water, I was becoming dehydrated. Dr. Teresa decided to take me to her clinic and keep me overnight to give me an IV bottle along with several medicines.
On Saturday by God’s grace I was able to teach by 9:00 A.M. after Lordy finished. I completed my classes today feeling tired but no longer sick. I began teaching how to outline by taking the class through Genesis 1, and showing them how to make applications from the text. For instance, the text makes it clear the days are 24 hour days because it keeps repeating the expression “the evening and the morning,” i.e., 12 hours darkness and 12 light, so there is no room for the evolutionary theory of billions of years. Also, the Bible is accurate in biology and zoology by teaching life comes from life, and life reproduces after its kind from the seed.
We have one more week of classes to complete this preacher training series. Steven will return home on May 25.
As a result of the two day gospel meeting at the new Edsa church last Saturday and Sunday, I learned that members of the Jimmy Battung family are seriously studying the gospel. His daughter Malaine said she and her husband with their two children have been studying since they first heard me preach about six years ago. They have been comparing what we teach with Catholic teaching and with denominational teaching. Her husband is working in New Zealand and will arrive here to visit his family on Saturday, May 25. They requested to talk to me about obeying the gospel at that time. Therefore, I have delayed my return from May 25 to May 27 to accommodate this request. I have done this only two times in all these 50 trips, only when there is some pressing reason. I fully expect to report several baptisms as a result of working with this family. Jimmy Battung also said he is ready to place membership at the Edsa church.
I miss everyone back home and am counting the days until my return. Meanwhile, may God bless and keep everyone of you!
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
To see good Bible study material, go to: