Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,

On the Lord’s Day we worshiped with Ben Canada in the small newly constructed church building at Kiblawan, Davao del Sur.  My morning sermon was on “Salvation: Amazing, Astonishing” (Isa. 52:13-15).  We were blessed with visitors from denominations who are retired school teachers, servicemen, and policemen who have been studying with Ben and were very attentive all day.  One man took notes constantly.

The weather is quite hot again and I was soaked in sweat before lunch time – a small price for such a wonderful privilege.  After the lunch break I preached on “How Sinners Receive Salvation” (Rom. 10:1-17).   Comparing this passage with Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2, Acts 8:35-39, and Acts 22:16 proves that men “call on the name of the Lord” to receive salvation when they submit by faith to Christ in water baptism.

Afterward, the floor was opened for questions.  Such topics were covered as differences between water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism, the salvation of the thief on the cross (he was saved before Christ gave the Great Commission in Mark 16:15-16), and differences between Bible baptism and denominational baptism.

Everyone was satisfied, but I felt more teaching was needed on the New Testament church and so I proceeded to teach from Matthew 16:13-19 “When Peter Confessed Christ.”  Jesus promised, “I will build my church,” upon the foundation confessed by Peter, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  The church of Christ was established on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when all sinners who submitted to Christ in water baptism were forgiven and were added to his church – long before the Roman Catholic religion and modern denominations were formed.  I stressed the importance of obeying the gospel as soon as it is understood and believed.

There was no microphone and my voice was under considerable duress because rain began to fall very loudly on the tin roof shortly after the lesson began.  Someone must have been praying for us because I did not lose my voice as I feared would happen.  Some of the audience had to move their chairs to avoid dripping water and we moved the table with the laptop and projector for the same reason.  No one was baptized today, but is was obvious from audience reactions that several people are near the kingdom.

Again on Monday our schedule brought us back to Kiblawan for another day of preaching with Ben Canada.  Several preachers from Digos and beyond joined us including the Notarte family, Franklin Isla, Connie Balbin from Davao City, Jolly Julom from General Santos City, and others.  The weather was quite hot this morning under the galvanized tin roof as we studied “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God” (Rom. 1:16-17).  The Bible reveals the right God, the right Savior, the right gospel, the right baptism, the right church, and the right life.  Everyone listened well in spite of the heat.

In the afternoon my subjects were “The Prison of Sin” (1 Pet. 3:19) and “Trust God Till the Danger Passes” (Ps. 57).  Another afternoon rainstorm pelted the roof with deafening sound, but fortunately Julie Notarte brought his sound system and the microphone was a voice saver as well as an amplifier of the sermon.

When we offered a Q & A session, no one had any questions and so we proceeded to sing an invitation song.  Five precious souls acted on their faith, confessing the name of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and submitting to him in water baptism to receive God’s grace of forgiveness.  Always remember these conversions are more the fruit of the labor of Filipino preachers such as Ben than of American visitors like myself, but we are laborers together with God and He gives the increase.  To God be all glory!

One brother from a remote area asked about David Halbrook and Deborah (now Williams), whose work in this area is still favorably remembered from past years.

God was merciful Tuesday to guide Jack Jaco back to his home on Negros and Jonathan Carino to Pagadian City for a two-day meeting, and He gave me a safe and on-time flight from Davao City on Mindanao to Manila on Luzon.  The Cebu Pacific plane could seat about 450 people (such planes are typically used for international travel) and it was 3/4 full.  More and more Filipinos are using planes and the airlines offer promotional prices to encourage this trend, a painful loss to the bus industry which has been dominate for generations.

I worked until 1:00 A.M. last night in part preparing the order for Bibles which have been requested in many parts of the Philippines.  It was imperative the order be submitted today via email because it will involve several thousand dollars and the Philippine Bible Society was kind enough to notify me their prices would be raised on Wednesday, i.e., tomorrow.  If the order was formally submitted today, they could charge me at the old rate.

I will struggle to cover this bill for Bibles when I get home because I have only a few dollars cash left with me for the last couple of days and the funds remaining at home will be needed for credit card expenses.  By God’s providence when I paid the expenses for the last two days of preaching in Kiblawan, it was almost exactly the amount which remained in my envelope (and, no, the host did not previously know how much I had – he simply submitted his expenses).  The Philippine work has confirmed my faith in God’s providence over and over again!

In recent months Filipino brethren have complained of the domino effect of the government’s new tax policy designed to raise money for infrastructure projects – it is driving up prices all across the board including prime commodities.   I hear it from brethren and read it in the news.  I have definitely felt the pressure on this trip because I could see my funds being stretched thinner and thinner as I moved around the country meeting my appointments.  At the end I barely had enough cash on hand, but this shows again that if we will do God’s work, without question the promise of Jesus in Matthew 28:20 will be fulfilled in many ways: “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

I was so tired on today’s flight that I fell asleep before take off and slept most of the two hour trip.  I will exercise this afternoon and catch up on some more rest tonight and will be ready to visit the Philippine Bible Society tomorrow.  I always look forward to the privilege of purchasing Bibles in Filipino dialects as one of the highlights of the trip!

Jun Gumpad and Sammy Paet took me to the Philippine Bible Society today (Wednesday) where I ordered 495 Bibles to be shipped to 15 destinations for distribution among our brethren!  I can only imagine the joy it will bring to waiting hands and hearts and only God can measure the good that will be accomplished in the lives of precious souls who will study His Word.  Last minute appeals arrived which I could not accommodate, but I will start a list for the December trip.  These 495 Bibles will cost close to $3,800.  About $1,200 was donated for Bibles for this trip, but I did not want to turn down brethren seeking this most precious and powerful gift of God.  God will surely make a way to make up this deficit.

I will exercise tonight, do last minute packing, get a few hours sleep, and then start the long journey back home.  My heart is filled with gratitude to God, to our Filipino brethren, to Donna, to donors, and to all brethren who pray for this work!  And, I must not forget all my moon watchers also!

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook