Dear family, brethren, and friends,

God continues to open doors here in New Zealand for the proclamation of the gospel.  Our five-hour journey on Friday, December 16, began with prayer and thanksgiving because this is the third time we have been invited to work with the new congregation in Ohope, Whakatane District, Bay of Plenty Region.  Abner and Lani Salinguit started this work in 2011.  They were formerly with the International Churches of Christ (the old Crossroads Movement which began in Gainsville, FL in 1967), but they have moved beyond those errors.  Ronnie Salunga and I visited these brethren first in December of 2011, again in December of 2014, so this latest trip is our third visit.

We stopped in route to see beautiful scenery by riding a gondola to the top of Mount Ngongotaha overlooking the city of Rotorua and the huge lake which is the city’s namesake.  After lunch Ronnie presented me with a five-dip ice cream cone that looked like a skyscraper – I had ordered one dip but somehow managed to set a new record by eating the whole thing!  It were good and I were full.

Friday night we studied at a large farmhouse about 40 minutes from Ohope with some 20 Filipinos working on area dairy farms.  Their religious backgrounds are varied, but Abner has been gathering them for Bible study for several weeks.  They were very attentive to the study “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.  Some of them are attending the Sunday P.M. service (they are busy on the farms every morning).  There is good potential to convert some of these people – they are even sharing what they are learning with their families back in the Philippines.

The weather was beautiful during our three days visit with temperatures from about 70 degrees during the day to 50 at nights.  Saturday morning we visited a flea market which included fruit and bought delicious strawberries and Seminole tangelos (a cross between mandarin oranges and grapefruit, very juicy, tasting like tangerines).  We next drove to a macadamia orchard.  The tress are native to Australia but were taken by soldiers to Hawaii during WWII and thrive well also here in New Zealand.  We tasted the fresh nuts, homemade ice cream made from the nuts, and a macadamia spread for bread – all definitely delicious.

After lunch I conducted a Bible study on “The Purpose of Our Lives” (Gen. 1:27) for two hours with four young men aged 15-22. They all participated well.  RonRon Salunga is the only one who had been baptized and we pray the others will submit to Christ soon.

There were a couple of free hours before other guests were scheduled to arrive, so I walked five minutes to the beach on the Bay of Plenty fed by the waters of the South Pacific Ocean.  I swam for an hour in the 65 degree ocean water – that will make your eyes pop wide open!

After getting cleaned up, I enjoyed a delicious supper of tender lamb and fresh crab provided by the Salinguit family who are very gracious hosts.  About 20 people including several young people gathered for a lesson entitled “Young People, Read the Bible” (Ps. 119:18-20).  There was good interest in the topic and several questions about how God preserved the Scriptures through the ages.  We finished about 10:00 P.M.

A few minutes later the Salinguit and Salunga families joined me to study “Modest Dress through the Ages” (1 Tim. 2:9-10).  Again, everyone was very receptive and appreciated the lesson.  I got to bed about 1:30 A.M. after doing some more study.

The work here has been growing and the brethren no longer conduct their Sunday services in the Salinguit’s house but in a rented room at a community center.  About 15 gathered for the A.M. service (we were not able to stay for the P.M. service).  I taught two lessons on the topic “Two Attitudes Toward God’s Word: Conservative and Liberal” (Jer. 6:16).  One thing the lesson covered is the weak way some liberal churches teach on baptism – they affirm baptism is necessary for salvation but fail to emphasize that people who are not baptized or who are baptized unscripturally are lost.  Some of these churches accept people on their previous denominational baptism, and some have open fellowship with denominational churches and preachers.

A lady who had been regularly attending and who was baptized in a denomination approached me after the service to discuss her baptism.  When she understood the point, she approached another lady in the same situation to call her attention to their state.  We hope they both will soon repent and be baptized into Christ and his church.

In expressing appreciation for the lessons in closing announcements, Abner made it clear the church would follow the New Testament pattern for benevolence to be distributed to faithful Christians in need and individuals should use their personal funds to help sinners in the world rather than expecting the church to do so.  He also commented on how impressed he was in reading Exodus and Leviticus with God’s insistence that the Jews follow strictly the pattern of instruction given for such things as building the tabernacle and offering sacrifices.

These brethren are striving to learn and to follow the New Testament pattern for the church in its work, worship, and organization.  May God bless their efforts.  And may God bless all who are helping to make it possible for me to visit, edify, and encourage these dear saints.

Driving back to Auckland for five hours, we stopped along the way to take a break and view The Redwoods of the Whatkarewarewa Forest near Rotorua City.  While walking through the trees, we found one so big that Ronnie, RonRon, and myself could barely reach around it by joining our hands and making a circle.  Later we encountered some even bigger.  God’s handiwork far outshines anything man can make or build.

We were back in Auckland by dark.  After unpacking the car, we had time for snacks, then I worked on email and studied, followed by a good night of rest.

Monday was a busy day of study here in Auckland.  Eleven souls assembled at 8:15 P.M. for a sermon on “Modest Dress through the Ages” (1 Tim. 2:9-10).  This led into the open forum dealing with questions about dancing and the prom, and how Christians must deal with the challenge of living in the world but not being of the world.  We finished at 10:45 P.M.  The young people attending who are not Christians have been very attentive and have freely participated in the discussions – they are learning.  It is exhausting to stand and teach for 2 ½ hours but also wonderfully rewarding when I see these good responses and signs of progress.

The Salungas and the Cabrillas are to be commended for the way they cooperate in providing hospitality night after night to the guests who join us.  We quickly eat supper each evening and then gather for study in the basement, then reconvene at the dining table upstairs for snacks and additional discussion.

It was hard to realize Tuesday had arrived, the last day of my labor in New Zealand on this trip.  Roanna Salunga’s fiancee Marius arrived from Arizona this morning to spend time with her and the family.  Having known Roan since her childhood, I hope and pray the two of them will have a happy, stable, lifelong marriage serving God and each other.  Her uncle Lordy Salunga will come from the Philippines in March to perform their ceremony, to admonish them from God’s Word, and to ask God’s blessing on their union.

Today, finally, the Auckland skies are clear and sunny with the temperature at 70, the prettiest day yet. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, I squeezed in both a morning and an afternoon walk, which really boosts my energy and stamina.  Regardless of the weather, the whole Salunga family are very gracious hosts.  They have a freestanding large one-room apartment style building in their backyard where visiting preachers and other guests stay.  They stock the refrigerator and provide for every need.  They treat me like one of their own family – and truly we are one family in Christ.

The topic for our study was “Why Saints Assemble” (Heb. 10:24-25).  This involved a verse by verse study of Hebrews 10 to show the riches of God’s grace through Christ which motivate us to serve and worship him faithfully.  The open forum included questions about challenges to attendance presented by work schedules or other factors beyond our control such as caring for the sick.  While must make worshiping God our priority, God judges us according to what we are able to do, not what we are unable to do (2 Cor. 8:12).  We discussed how the priority of worship should be applied when traveling or moving to a new location to work or live.

Twenty joined us for this last service which lasted from 8:15 to 10:15 P.M.  After snacks and goodbyes, I wen to the Holiday Inn near the airport to sleep a few hours and then catch an early Wednesday morning flight to Australia. This concludes my 7th trip to Auckland to work with the Meadowood saints and my third opportunity to work with the saints in Ohope.  May God continue to bless all of these dear saints in their efforts to spread the gospel and to bring glory to His name.

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com