Dear brethren,

Below is some information about the next Philippine preaching trip planned for November 27-December 18.  Funds for this trip have been slow to come in, especially in view of our concentrated efforts to find financial help for Filipino victims of the super Typhoon Mangkhut (also called Ompong) which hit Luzon on September 15.  Thank you for the generous response to their emergency needs for food, medicines, and repair of their houses.

I must now begin to focus on the preaching trip coming up next month as outlined below.  Also please read the appeal from Steven Saunders below regarding his preparations for the trip.
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Aug. 3, 2018^th Year of Our Lord
HALBROOK REPORT: 71^st PHILIPPINE TRIP JULY 3-AUGUST 2, 2018

Dear brethren,                               

God’s good providence first brought me to preach Christ in the Philippines in 1995 with Jim McDonald and the 71^st trip was completed July 3-August 2.  It was a memorable trip working with Filipino saints who are such an inspiration and having Zach and Taya Martin make their first trip.  Zach effectively proclaimed the gospel and Taya effectively taught ladies’ classes.  He is back in medical school and she is back teaching school, but they will be long remembered by Filipino brethren.  The Philippine fields are white unto harvest because so many souls seek God in the spirit of Psalm 63:1, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.”  I taught 60 lessons and 18 precious souls confessed Christ and were baptized.

Elias Cruz, Sammy Paet, and Jhun Gumpad met us at the hotel in Manila on July 5 to re-pack and ship ahead the 10 boxes of Bibles and study materials we brought to distribute.  July 6-7 I preached a series on “The Bible Is the Word of God” at Kaptibahayn, Navotas with Jerry Toreja. This series proves we have all the original 66 books of the Bible and why the Apocrypha, the pseudepigrapha, and so-called “lost books” are not included in God’s Word.  Zach’s sermons and Taya’s ladies’ classes were well received.  Zach learned about Philippine medical practice by spending time with Dr. Teresa Toreja, and later with Dr. Cathy Forelo.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends,

I made it back home safely by God’s good grace.  The flight from Manila to Tokyo went fine, and from Tokyo to Detroit we encountered turbulence, but I arrived in Louisville, KY about 5:30 PM Thursday as planned.

This has been another heart warming and uplifting trip working with Filipino saints who serve the Lord by faith, hope, and love.  They are an inspiration.

It was also uplifting to have Zach and Taya Martin join with us in the work of the Lord on Luzon.  They were greatly blessed in meeting so many Filipino brethren
and they will never forget them.
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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.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,
                                                            
Wednesday morning we drove from Davao City to Kitakal, Malungon in the province of Sraangani.  Our trip of 2 ½ hours took us from the heavy traffic of Davao to winding roads in the edge of the mountains.  The morning gathering was set aside for me to conduct a wedding ceremony for Dondon Dacayona and Sel Sandoval (they previously had a simple ceremony to satisfy legal requirements, but our purpose was to focus on God’s Word).  My lesson on “Marital Love” summarized the Song of Solomon and made applications showing how to cultivate love in the home.  They have a custom of pinning a light veil over the bride’s head, indicating husband will lead, protect, and provide for her.  To stress the indissoluble nature of the union, a light cord encircles the necks of both parties and connects them.

After lunch I preached “When Peter Confessed Christ” (Matt. 16:13-19), showing that Christ gathers souls as his church based on his divine nature and authority as the Son of God, not based on Peter as the first Pope.  The role of Peter with all of the Apostles was to simply preach the gospel of Christ, thus bringing them to Christ the Savior, the Rock of our salvation.
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Dear family, brethren, and friends around the world,
                                                            
Zach and Taya flew back home on Saturday, July 21, and I received word the next day of their safe arrival, with much thanksgiving.  After their departure I took a flight to Davao City, arriving at 3:30 P.M.  I contacted brother and sister Juanito Balbin and Connie and his family, and they joined me for a pizza supper along with Happy Mae, Connie’s sister.  After exercising and preparing for the next day, I got to bed about 12:30 A.M.

I joined the worship assembly on the Lord’s Day at Lower Madapo in Davao City with Robert Agsao.  This church is located in a squatters’ community right next to a huge Catholic cemetery.  There was a good rain last night and the little path into the community had standing water and mud, but we made our way to the church building.  Including children and seven visitors, there were over 60 in attendance as I preached on “Trust God Till the Danger Passes” (Ps. 57).  Everyone was very attentive.  Robert gave a short summary in the Cebuano dialect.
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