Dear brethren,

I wanted to update the situation in the Philippines regarding the effects of coronavirus regulations on Christians there.  This nation is near China.  When I was in the Philippines in February, the news hit about the rise of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China and the Philippine President immediately shut down flights coming from that area.  March 16 he put Luzon under a lockdown and soon the whole nation was included.  It was extended to April 30 and now again to May 15.  Though this is a third world country, this aggressive policy of containing the disease has resulted in less than 10,000 cases and only 637 deaths.  Most of our brethren are day laborers, meaning “no work, no eat,” and they have been suffering hunger because they cannot go to their jobs.  There are thousands of Christians scattered throughout the Philippines.

Many of you have already responded to this vast ongoing need, and also to the needs of saints stranded in tent cities in southern Mindanao as a result of 11 earthquakes with over 4,000 aftershocks.  As previously stated, I feel like a pygmy trying to sweep back the ocean with a small toothbrush because these emergency needs are so vast.  Yet, I also trust in God who feeds billions of birds and clothes untold billions of flowers every day (Matt. 6:24-34).  It is a privilege to do what we can and by faith leave all the results in God’s hands.  Your donations have made it possible to relay well over $100,000 to our brethren and help has been distributed to hundreds of congregations with thousands of saints.  Truly, as Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
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Dear brethren in the Philippines, in Africa, in India, and around the world,

Greetings in the holy name of Christ!

Christians around the world are struggling with many trials because of the coronavirus pandemic — worship assemblies are interrupted, saints have died, saints cannot go to their work and do not know how to pay their bills, saints are suffering hunger, and other trials also.  In all of our trials, we cannot forget the precious and powerful promise of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:20, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”  God holds the universe in His hands and He holds our lives in His hands.

Donna and I are well along with our brethren by God’s good grace.  I hope you, your family, and our brethren there are also safe from coronavirus infection.

These are trying times when we must learn more and more the meaning of Psalm 27:14, “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”  The government forced the close of most businesses in the U.S.  Our nation now has more cases of the coronavirus than any other nation:  almost 450,000 infected people and almost 16,000 deaths. The saints here are just meeting in our homes at this time to comply with the government effort to stop the spread of the virus.  I know thousands of brethren in the Philippines are suffering hunger because they cannot work and government officials do not allow citizens to go out.  Your nation is on total lock down in this crisis.  Others countries are having the same experience.
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Dear brethren,

Rody and Tessie Gumpad started laboring in the gospel in the Cagayan Province in northern Luzon in 1984.  Through their efforts in cooperation with other faithful brethren, there are over 100 local churches within driving distance of Tuguegarao.

In past years I participated many times in teaching intensive preacher training classes arranged by Rody at Tuguegarao.  About 30 students of mixed ages were enrolled each year in a one-month program and sit-in students joined us every year.  As a result the gospel spread rapidly in this province and surrounding provinces.  These classes were extremely effective.  Numerous other American brethren joined us in teaching these classes from year to year until they were closed.

The classes were dropped about 10 years ago because of changing economic conditions plus the loss of a substantial financial supporter of the classes.  We greatly regretted the end of these classes and have often discussed the need to renew them.
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Dear brethren,

How do you express the importance and the joy of providing Bibles!  One of the highlights of sharing with Filipinos in the cause of Christ is providing Bibles for them to put into the hands of souls longing to know more about God’s Word.

I have just returned from the Philippine Bible Society where I ordered 830 Bibles in various dialects to be shipped throughout the Philippines.  Why such a large order?  The gospel continues to spread here and most of the people being converted live in poverty, struggling to feed their families.  In addition, the series of five earthquakes with over 3,000 aftershocks in southern Mindanao during October-December 2019 destroyed many homes and church buildings including their contents.  Thousands of people including many of our brethren are still struggling to recover.  In the wake of these disasters, our brethren continue spreading the gospel and again hundreds of precious souls are being converted to Christ.  A large percentage of these Bibles will go to Mindanao.
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