Dear family, brethren, and friends,

The 67th Philippine trip started in the usual way: I worked all Monday night and barely had time to shower before my dependable friend Doug Rush showed up with his truck to take me with a suitcase and six boxes of Bible study materials to the airport.  The 8:30 AM flight from Louisville brought me to Atlanta on Tuesday, August 1, where a noon flight originated going to Tokyo, Japan, and the final flight pulled up at the gate in Manila about 9:00 PM on Wednesday – a little over 24 hours of safe travel by God’s grace.  (The time in the Philippines is 12 hours ahead of U.S. time.) In addition to a few naps, all that time in the air was productive study time.

Thursday morning Sammy Paet and Elias Cruz met me at the hotel to re-pack the boxes in order to ship them via air cargo to the destinations where I will be preaching and teaching classes.  I cannot check them with my suitcase because the excess weight costs an arm and both legs, but they can fly on the same airplane with me as “cargo” for a very reasonable rate.

Before de-planning last night I noticed one of my hearing aids had quit working.  Dr. Teresa Toreja located an Oticon hearing aid agent in a mall.  For many years Elias Cruz has volunteered his time and expert knowledge of Metro Manila to take me anywhere I have needed to go.  While Sammy took the boxes to air cargo, Elias drove 2 ½ hours to bring me to that mall.  The agent will now send the hearing aid to a technician.  After several days Elias will retrieve the repaired unit and ship it to me, God willing.

Stay tuned – there is always an interesting adventure ready to happen in the Philippines at any moment.

On a sober note, please keep Jonathan Carino in your prayers.  After his wife, a daughter, and a son recently spent time in the hospital, he has suffered severe vomiting and had to be hospitalized twice in the last several days.  He requested the doctor to let him go home today to save on expenses – the doctor changed some of his medicines on the theory he may be suffering side effects from prescribed medicines he takes.  Doctors have diagnosed his underlying issues as diabetes and resulting chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and carotid artery disease.

At this time Jonathan is so weak he cannot join Jack Jaco and me on the first leg of our itinerary on Negros Oriental.  Also he is scheduled to teach with me on Negros Occidental starting Monday, and it is doubtful he will be able to do so.  August 14-25 I am scheduled to preach and conduct classes on Cebu Island where Jonathan lives, and he will be the host for the classes.  Let us please pray he will recover by that time.

A typhoon just recently passed through the Manila area.  We are having some rain and the atmosphere is cooled down into the mid-80’s, which is a blessing!  It is still plenty hot but not hot, hot, hot…yet !  Count our blessings.

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