August 16, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
Greetings from southern Mindanao. The
morning of August 16 began with a flight covering 700 miles going north from
Pagadian City to Manila, and then boarding a plane from Manila to General
Santos City covering 1,000 miles going south. It has been a long day.
August 15, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
Thanks to your prayers and God’s good
providence, the trip continues to go well here in the Philippines. I am writing
this report from Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur. On August 11 (Monday)
Jonathan Carino, Jack Jaco, and I flew from Cebu City to Pagadian
City. Rody Gumpad had arrived earlier in the day, and as a bonus Tessie
is with him. This week will be devoted to teaching classes on The Home and
Family Life at the Bogo church of Christ here in Pagadian City. Ramon Carino
has preached for these saints for many years but this is their new
location.
August 10, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
Greetings to one and all from the Philippines where the cause of Christ is growing and expanding daily! Filipino brethren
often say much of this growth is made possible because of the prayers and
support of brethren in the U.S. Our financial resources as well as our visits
make it possible for them to travel and open doors for gospel preaching. They simply
cannot reach many of these places without our help. For all of this help they
are eternally grateful. May God use them and us to His glory!
August 6, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
I left home on Tuesday, July 29, and by God’s grace the flights from
Louisville to Manila went well. The effects of a distant typhoon created some
bumpy stretches during the last four hours from Japan into Manila but not
severe. The typhoon which had already passed the Philippines continued dumping
rain on Manila the first few days here, with the promise of another one on the
way. This is typhoon season and an average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines
annually.
PLEASE SHARE THIS LETTER ON GOSPEL PREACHING IN THE PHILIPPINES!
July 3, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear brethren,
God’s good providence involved me in the Philippine work when Jim McDonald took me in 1995, and now my 55th trip is set for July 29-August 28. In Luke 5:1-11 Jesus told Peter to launch his boat into the deep waters of the Sea of Galilee and drop his nets. Though he had fished all night and caught nothing, Peter said, “At thy word I will let down the net.” It took two ships to bring in the tremendous catch of fish! Jesus then promised to teach Peter to “catch men.” McGarvey commented, “Disciples are fishers, human souls are fish, the world is the sea, the gospel is the net, and eternal life is the shore whither the catch is drawn.” At Christ’s word we still cast the gospel net, catching souls for eternal life.
May 3, 2014th Year of Our Lord
HALBROOK REPORT: 54rd PHILIPPINE TRIP
APRIL 1-MAY 1, 2014
Dear brethren,
God blessed my 54th preaching trip to the Philippines April 1-May 1. By His providence the gospel penetrated the dark veil of sin as many Filipinos opened their hearts in a world where many close their eyes “lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4). Not counting presentations by faithful Filipino preachers, I presented 69 lessons, and 33 precious souls confessed Christ, desiring to be baptized.
May 1, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
By the providence of a loving God, I arrived home this evening and it is a great joy to be reunited with Donna! We went immediately from the airport to visit sister Ruth Roederer who suffered a stroke several months ago and almost died. She is improving little by little. After prayer and Scripture reading, we came home so that I can unpack and begin to recuperate from the 24 hours travel.
April 30, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
By God’s grace, on this last segment of the trip I have the privilege to work in the Ilocos Norte Province where I have been welcomed for many years by brethren who are dear to me because of their devotion to the Lord and steadfastness in the faith. On Saturday, April 26, Jonathan Carino and Jack Jaco began their journeys back to their homes in Cebu, Cebu and Victorias City, Negros Occidental respectively where their loved ones miss them and wait for them. Meanwhile, I flew from Cagayan de Oro City on Mindanao to Manila on Luzon where I took a connecting flight to Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. Mat Sibayan, Sr. and Junior met me at the airport and brought me to the hotel. It was a joy to see them again!
April 25, 2014th Year of Our Lord
Dear family, brethren, and friends,
The previous report summarized activities in the Ozamiz City area. On April 22, Tuesday, our drive across the Misamis Occidental Province from Ozamiz City to Cagayan de Oro City took six hours. It would have been eight hours, but we took a ferry across a gulf when we left Ozamiz City and cut out some travel time. We had to contend not only with roller coaster and bumpy roads but also with heavy traffic, road construction, and police and military checkpoints passing through part of Lanao Province which is heavily populated with Muslims who at times become violent. Our driver, Dondon Mabasa, did a good job negotiating all these twists and turns, and we thank God for our safe trip.