Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Rody and Tessie Gumpad and I arrived at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia at 1:40 A.M. Saturday, took a short rest, and proceeded to the place where the saints meet at 9:00 A.M.  Nick Rowe and his wife welcomed us at the airport and assisted us in every way possible for the three days we labored with them and the other saints.

Many Filipinos work in Malaysia and we are trying to spread the word about the church in Kota Kinabalu because living in a country which is officially Muslim makes it difficult for the brethren to do normal advertising of their presence.  A Filipino sister working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia traveled about 1,000 miles by air (over twice that distance if by land and sea – Malaysia is a widespread nation) to join our studies.

Nick was born of a Jewish and European background and married a Malaysian, but they were converted by Andy DeKlerk during Nick’s medical training in Iowa about 1983.  Though he has benefitted from his association with U.S. saints through the years, he struggles against great odds unknown to us because of the constraints of life in a Muslim culture.  We are not well equipped to guide brethren in the best ways to navigate such challenges, other than teaching them the general principles of Scripture which God designed to penetrate all nations.

To be legally recognized in Malaysia, churches must be organized under a headquarters and join an association which puts them all under government scrutiny and regulation.  Of course, this violates the New Testament pattern for the Lord’s church, so our brethren would be considered officially “illegal” and must operate quietly, “under the radar.”  The saints meet in a rented room on the 4^th floor adequate to the purpose in a strip mall, requiring a climb of 47 steps to reach the room.  There is no sign announcing the church meets here.

Malaysia is not a land where a great harvest is occurring as in the Philippines, so saints there are largely isolated and must struggle with great difficulty to find ways to spread the gospel.  The part of Malaysia where Kota Kinabalu is located has many Catholic churches and Protestant denominations registered with the government, and it may be possible for our brethren to find contacts among these religions who would be open to hear the pure and original gospel of Christ.

The saints in Kota Kinabalu remind me of Noah because they are not ashamed to be few in serving the Lord and upholding the truth.  We had 18 in attendance Saturday, 30 on the Lord’s Day, and about a dozen Monday.  Rody taught valuable lessons about the death and resurrection of Jesus and about the New Testament church versus departures from the Bible pattern for the true church.  My studies included “When Peter Confessed Christ,” “Legalizing Sin,” “Christmas Observance: From Heaven or Of Men?”, “The Final Prophet: Jesus Christ or Mohamed?”, and “Wait on the Lord.”  Monday, I gathered everyone at joined tables to conduct two home Bible studies on “God’s Great Plan for Our Salvation” in the hope they may be able to adapt these simple introductory lessons in teaching people here.

Four lengthy Q & A sessions reflected their healthy desire to learn more and to go deeper in understanding God’s Word – a very wide range of topics were covered.

Charlie, Cephas (Charlie’s son), Jack, and Jonathan (Nick’s adopted son) seem to be stable and strong members.  Jonathan is married to a Muslim who was very attentive to the lessons she heard, including my discussion of Muslim misconceptions about God and Christ.  I especially focused on the death of Christ as the perfect sacrifice for sin, which no other religion provides.

We hope and pray the faith of these saints has been strengthened by our time together.  Most certainly, Rody, Tessie, and I have been strengthened by the saints in Kota Kinabalu!

Our flight back to Manila left Kota Kinabalu at 2:30 A.M. and arrived at 4:35 A.M.  I spent today resting some and taking exercise to rebuild my stamina.  I also worked on this report and sent requested materials to Kota Kinabalu via email, plus taking care of some details necessary for the activities scheduled here in the Philippines.  A mild earthquake rocked the hotel this afternoon, but there is no damage, and I am fine.

Thank you to everyone who helped make all this possible by your donations and prayers!  We have been praying for you, as well.

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
https://www.hebronlanechurchofchrist.com
https://biblework.congregateclients.com
https://truthbooks.com
https://www.truthmagazine.com