Preach in Philippines April 9 – May 7, 2019
March 24, 2019th Year of Our Lord
Dear brethren,
Preparations are progressing for trip #74 to preach Christ in the Philippines, since my 1995 trip with Jim McDonald. The dates are April 9-May 7. This trip will concentrate on the islands of Luzon and Mindoro. After many invitations, this is the first time I am able to fit Mindoro in the schedule. God offers salvation to all men through the gospel of Christ. “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:16-17). This is a harvest time in the Philippines where many humbly hear, truly believe, and sincerely obey the gospel!
God willing, April 9-10 I will fly from Louisville, KY to Detroit, MI, then to Tokyo, Japan, and into Manila (about 24 hours of travel). The next day will be spent repacking boxes to ship ahead so that materials can be distributed in various areas where I will teach. Elias Cruz and other brethren help when available.
Friday I plan to fly from Manila to Tuguegarao, Cagayan to meet Rody Gumpad so that we can travel westward to the Pamplona region. Robinson Pulveras and other faithful men labor in this area where many Negritos live. These are extremely poor people who emerge from remote mountains in search of food and places to erect their little huts. Many of them are very open to the gospel – many have been converted.
We will travel further west to enter the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur where there are dozens of churches of Christ. These churches are the outgrowth of Mat Sibayan’s and Vic Domingo’s work back through the years, and now many sound preachers proclaim the gospel in this part of Luzon. Sunday I hope to work with Mat at the Laoag City church of Christ, at the jail service, and at the Sinait church. April 15-17 will be devoted to preacher training classes at the Laoag City church on the theme “The Bible Is the Word of God.” 50-100 preachers typically attend such sessions here. The next couple of days will be spent working with Vic Domingo, Remigio Bayaca, Efren Ramos, and other evangelists in the Ilocos region.
April 20 I hope to work with Egdon Sabio at Cabugao, Ilocos Sur and then after lunch travel to Rosario, La Union Province. The Sunday plan is to preach at the Caba church, La Union with Carlos Domingo and at Barangay Labayug, Sison, Pangasinan with Nelson Ricanor. A gospel meeting is scheduled with Rodel Baagin at Rosario, La Union for two days.
April 24-28 is set aside for preaching on the island of Mindoro and I look forward to working with our brethren there. A boat will bring us from Luzon to Mindoro on Monday. The plan for Thursday-Friday is to preach at Aurora, Naujan with Daniel Sikat. The Saturday venue is the Victoria church with Mario Cay. On the Lord’s Day we will worship with the Aurora church in the morning and at the Evangelista church with Claro Cuderias in the afternoon. Mindoro played a historic role in the coming of the gospel to the Philippines. Conservative Christian Churches appeared in the Philippines shortly after the Spanish-American War of 1898. In 1925 George S. Benson entered China to preach but soon fled the communist uprising and came to the Philippines. He baptized several Filipinos on Mindoro but soon returned to China in 1928. H.G. Cassell arrived later that year and preached on Mindoro and in Manila for many years.
After returning to Manila on April 29, I plan to preach several places in Metro Manila but am still working out the schedule. May 6 is reserved to visit the Philippine Bible Society to buy Bibles in various dialects to be shipped to saints all around the Philippines. This is always a high point of every trip!
God willing, I will return to Donna and the saints in Shepherdsville on Tuesday, May 7, to celebrate my 73rd birthday.
Thank you for prayers and donations which make these trips possible! Individuals needing a legal tax deduction may write checks to Help A Neighbor. Write all other checks to Ron Halbrook. Mail all checks to 3505 Horse Run Ct., Shepherdsville, KY 40165-6954. Donors receive financial reports (2 Cor. 8:21).
In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook
Phone 502-955-1748 or 957-6726; e-mail halbrook@twc.com
P.S. There is a dire need for songbooks! I can ship new or used copies very cheaply.