Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Our flight from Zamboanga City to Cebu City on Monday was delayed several times so that we missed our connection to Pagadian City.  Cebu Pacific Airlines put us in a hotel in Cebu City and rescheduled us to get our connecting flight the next day.  Meanwhile, this made it possible for Jack, Adel, and me to visit Jonathan Carino in the hospital where he had surgery Saturday to remove a bone in his big toe because of serious infection complicated by diabetes.  His recovery is going well and he can return home tomorrow but cannot travel for a month.  He must use a wheelchair to get around.

To catch our Tuesday plane to Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur on Mindanao required getting up at 6:00 A.M.  Arriving in Pagadian City mid-morning, we checked into our hotel, took a short rest, ate a light lunch, then started the lectures at the Bogo church on the theme “God’s Truth Defeats Satan’s Lies” at 2:00 P.M.  Without the morning session, all 4 of today’s sermons had to be preached this afternoon.

Starting with 2 lessons on “God’s Truth VS Satan’s Lies,” I then followed with another 2 sermons on “Overcoming Sin,” finishing just before 7:00 P.M.  Because of the late start, there was no open forum.  After getting to my room after supper, I worked some, exercised, reviewed tomorrow’s sermons, and fell into bed at 12:30 A.M.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

On the 9^th of August I flew from Manila to Zamboanga City located on the far western edge of the island of Mindanao where there are many Muslims.  I was here over 20 years ago with Ramon Carino.  He showed me the Catholic Church where as a young man he helped the priest gather Bibles from the community to burn them oin the church!  He later became a true Christian and a dedicated gospel preacher who died in 2018.  Subsequently, it became unsafe to visit here because of Muslim tenstions, but last year it was safe and I returned, and again this year.  Jack and Adel Jaco met me to work with Alvin Miguel and other saints of the Canelar church.

A function room was rented near our hotel for 2 days of Bible preaching on the theme “The Authority of Christ,” beginning Saturday.   About 60 of us gathered, starting the lessons at 8:30 A.M. with local visitors and with preachers who traveled as far as 185 miles.  In the morning session we studied Christ’s authority is expressed in Scripture, his authority as our Savior and head of the church, then in the afternoon gradual departures from the true gospel resulting in the formation of Roman Catholicism.  Next came the reaction against the corruptions of Catholicism resulting in the Protestant Reformation which produced a multitude of denominations.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

On Monday, August 5, Edwin Cortez guided me to the Paris airport and helped me check in with my suitcase and 2 large boxes of Bibles and books to distribute in the Philippines.  A Qatar Airways flight flew about 7 hours to a luxurious airport in Doha, Qatar (oil money on display!), where I caught a 9-hour flight to Manila, arriving at 8:15 A.M. on Tuesday.

This has been a busy but good day after arriving here.  Elias Cruz with several other brethren met me at the hotel to unpack the boxes and organize the packages according to their labels so they can be shipped ahead by plane and bus to the various venues where I will preach, God willing.  After running typical first-day errands, reviewing the 4 sermons for tomorrow, and exercising, I got to bed by midnight – a little earlier than last week – hoping to boost my stamina.

God has given me the privilege to preach at the Kapitbahayan church of Christ in Navotas, Metro Manila many time since Jim McDonald first brought me to the Philippines in 1995.  Ben Cruz was an evangelist with this church for many years, but he passed away and now his son Elias continues the work.  It was my privilege to preach there again Wednesday to about 50 souls as we began a 2-day Bible lectureship on “God’s Truth Defeats Satan’s Lies.”
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Moving into the next segment of this trip, on August 1 I flew from London to Paris, France where Edwin Cortez met me.  We first became acquainted on one of my early Philippine trips, but he moved here over 20 years ago to work.  He with several other Filipinos tried worshiping with an institutional group in the hope of being an influence for good, but as the group became more liberal he and other saints formed a new congregation.

The members have been primarily Filipinos through the years because they can hardly find Frenchmen willing to study the gospel.  They have been forced to move their meeting place several times and covid closed the restaurant where they had rented a good room for several years.  They are now renting a small office space for 3 hours on Sunday, but it is expensive.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Starting this 87^th trip included a few bumps such as a flight change which brought me to London later than the original plan, and the taxi dropped me at the wrong hotel.  But, all is well that ends well:  I am in London at the right hotel now ready to review lessons, rest, exercise, and be prepared to begin preaching for the saints at Brighton tomorrow, God willing.

I was able to discuss religion with that first taxi driver, which revealed that he is a disillusioned Muslim who has looked into other religions.  I explained that Bible Christianity is distinct from all other religions because it is based on evidence rather than culture, tradition, and emotion.  He now has a tract and my email address, so let us hope he contacts me and more seed can be planted.

The first preaching appointment was for 2 days with the church at Brighton about 2 hours east of London where Constant Coulibaly serves as an evangelist.  The theme was “Moral Truth in an Amoral Age.”  Four topics were covered on Saturday including “Legalizing Sin Does Not Change God’s Truth,” “The Truth about Abortion,” “The Truth about Homosexuality,” and “The Truth about Transgender.”
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May 11, 2024^th Year of Our Lord

HALBROOK REPORT: 86^th PHILIPPINE TRIP APRIL 22-MAY 11, 2024

Dear brethren,                               

God again opened the way April 22-May 11 for me to preach the gospel in the Philippines for the 86^th time since Jim McDonald first took me there in 1995.  I taught 58 lessons introducing the original gospel of Christ mostly to denominational preachers.  None were immediately converted but several are asking for follow up studies and are expressing an interest in obeying the gospel.  While preaching among churches of Christ, six people submitted to Christ in baptism for the remission of their sins.

Isaiah 11 prophesied the coming of our Savior to reconcile us to God and to unite the bitterest enemies in peace, joy, and love – including Jews and Gentiles and other divided peoples everywhere.  “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (vs. 9). As the gospel spreads around the world, many Filipinos have obeyed it.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

By the good grace of God, after leaving the hotel in Manila about 28 hours ago I have arrived safely home about 1:00 AM Sunday.  The flights were safe although we passed through some rainstorms and turbulent weather.

It has been my privilege to labor in the Philippines for the 86^th time alongside my dear Filipino brethren who are diligently and sacrificially serving the Lord.  I was blessed to have 58 opportunities to teach and to see 6 precious souls confess Christ in order to yield to him in water baptism for the forgiveness of their sins through his atoning blood.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

On the Lord’s Day, our round trip to Balasan in the Iloilo Province on Panay Island consumed five hours, but Jack Jaco and James Paet did an excellent job getting us there and back to Iloilo City.  We passed miles and miles of rice fields which should be standing in water but were barren and dry because of drought.  Romeo Jaco, Jack’s brother, labors with this congregation of about 30 souls in a rural area, but there were 50 present for all-day preaching today including visitors who are good prospects.

I preached a series of four sermons on the theme of “Seeking God and Salvation.”  I first presented “Evidence God Exists (Ps. 19:1),” followed by “Salvation: Amazing, Astonishing (Isa. 52:13-15).”

During a break I had a good discussion with a Baptist visitor who was interested in the difference between Baptist baptism and the original baptism commanded by Christ in the Great Commission.  I drew a simple chart on paper showing that Jesus said in Mark 16:16 Believe + Baptized = Saved.  Baptist doctrine teaches Believe = Saved + Baptized to join a local Baptist church.   He wants to teach his family what he is learning before he is baptized, which is typical for many Filipinos.  He urged me to return and go with him to the community he came from to preach the original gospel of Christ there.
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