Saturday, December 26, 2009

Need for Lectures & Preacher Training

Scheduled Trip: January 18 – February 12, 2010

For several years, a great deal of time and effort has been invested in trying to reach denominational preachers with two or three days of lectures in various places. Though doors have been largely closed for study with denominational preachers in this country, many such opportunities have been available in the Philippines. The power of the gospel has been clearly seen as many denominational preachers have obeyed the gospel as a result of such efforts. Despite being told that they will suffer the loss of their financial support from their denomination without any promise or prospect of future support for preaching the gospel, many have obeyed the gospel and seek to spread it to others, enduring enormous hardships. Their self-sacrificial work has been a large factor in causing the continued and rapid spread of the gospel across that country. Numerous congregations have been started by such brethren. With this great blessing, a great challenge has also been presented -- the need to ground those in the truth who have recently come out of denominationalism and train them to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). For them to effectively preach the whole counsel of God as commanded, they must have some false concepts of the denominations fully purged from their thinking and a firm foundation of Bible doctrine must be laid down. Failure to do so will limit their effectiveness in spreading the true gospel and possibly increase the likelihood of their apostasy. The Bible pattern shows us that those converted in the first century were revisited in order to confirm their souls (e.g. Acts 14:21-22). The Lord willing, I plan to return to the Philippines from January 18 to February 12, 2010 to help in efforts of both types.

The first part of the trip will be to follow-up on lectures with denominational preachers in the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod. This part of the trip has been added to my plans only in the past three days. Lectures were held in both cities during my last trip and were very well received. Since that time, several denominational preachers have made the commitment to obey the gospel and many others are asking for further studies going into more depth on issues still of concern to them. The brethren working with us during these efforts in the Philippines (Jonathan Carino & Jack Jaco) have urged that we "strike while the iron is hot" to take advantage of the great interest.

The second part of the trip will be for a preacher training program in the city of Tuguegarao. The students who have attended these classes in years past have open doors through their preaching that have led to a rapid spread of the gospel throughout northern Luzon. This training effort will concentrate on some of the older preachers in the area who have asked that we help with more extensive teaching to them since they have seen the rapid growth in many younger men who have gone through the training. Rody Gumpad, Lordy Salunga, Ron Halbrook and I will be teaching in this training program scheduled for January 27 to February 12, 2010.

My estimate for total expenses for my part of this trip is $9500. The last trip left me with a surplus of $580 and will be put towards this effort. Given the fact that this trip had to be advanced one week earlier than planned, I need to raise funds as quickly as possible. Any help you might be able to provide towards this effort would be greatly appreciated. If you know of others who might be able to help, please give them a copy of this letter. There is no way I could be involved in this work without the generosity of churches and individuals interested in this work. I am very thankful for the help of each one in past trips.
While in the Philippines, I provide daily reports on the work done to all interested in the work. Daily reports keep all informed about how the funds are being used and the progress of the work. Those reports are available to all on my daily e-mail list as well as this blog which has the report together with pictures. Every effort is made to keep people involved and informed about the progress and challenges of these endeavors. If you would like to be added to the e-mail list, please send me a post requesting to receive the "Philippine Updates" and I will gladly add your name to that list. Again, please pass this request to others whom you think may be interested in this work. Thank you again for your kind consideration of this request. Your prayers for our efforts would be greatly appreciated. May the Lord bless you as you strive to serve Him.

Brotherly,
Harry Osborne
303 S. Czech Hall Rd.
Tuttle, OK 73089
405-381-9055 (Home phone)
E-mail: harryo@pldi.net (E-mail address at home) or rfh2005@pldi.net (E-mail address away)

Monday, November 16, 2009

Last Day!

My last day started early so I could finish packing and be ready to go when Lordy arrived. Since I had no time to get breakfast (not to mention no desire, given the $16 price), we stopped at a Starbucks on the way. Finally, back to the breakfast of champions!
The venue for the day was a Jollibee, the Filipino version of a McDonald’s. We had an upstairs function room that easily accommodated those present at the start. However, by the end of the day, the room was packed with every seat taken and some having to stay on the outside. They were very attentive and receptive throughout the day. The crowd seemed to be about 80% or more Christians with a few non-Christians visiting. I do not think any of them were denominational preachers.

Since we had a shortened schedule, I wanted to get all the material possible presented. We printed outlines so that all could follow the lessons and have notes to which they could refer later. We also had a PowerPoint projector, allowing us to cover more material. I spoke for the entire morning session (about 2 ½ hours) on “Godly Living in Christ.” In the afternoon, I combined two lessons on “Who Is a Christian?” and “The Plan of Salvation” into one. It took a little under 2 hours to deliver. Lordy extended an invitation, but none were ready to be baptized at that time.

Please excuse the brevity of this report, but I am trying to get it off as soon as possible so I can eat and get to bed. My flight leaves at 6:15 in the morning and I must be at the airport at 4:15am. So, I have a 3am wake-up call that is getting closer and closer. Please know that I extend my deepest thanks for your prayers, encouragement and every form of assistance you have provided to make this effort possible. Words cannot express my appreciation for your helping in making it possible for me to have part in this work of spreading the gospel in the Philippines. May God bless you for your generosity in every way. Please continue to pray that the doors being opened may be fruitful to an even greater spread of the gospel in this country.
Brotherly, Harry O.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Lord's Day in Angeles City

The Lord’s Day here in Angeles City has been a very good day with good opportunities for praising our God and teaching His will. Since the first worship was here in Angeles City, I was able to sleep until 6:30am, eat breakfast and be ready to go at 7:45am. As it turned out, Lordy was delayed getting me because he was tending to some other matters with brethren here. In the Philippines, there is rarely a set meeting time to which all can strictly adhere. Since most depend on unreliable public transportation going through traffic that may be badly delayed, they practice the admonition to “tarry one for another” on a regular basis. The worship that was scheduled to start at 8am actually got started about 45 minutes late. It was my second time to be with them on a Sunday.

The first hour was the Bible study. I spoke on “Faith vs. Doubt” dealing mainly with cases of “great faith” and “little faith” in the book of Matthew. The next hour was the assembly with all gathered for worship. I noticed that their services were much more like that in the US, probably due to the fact that the church has had a history of having American members during the time Clark Air Force Base was functioning. They are the only co I know of in the Philippines that uses the song book arranged by R.J. Stevens that many of us use in the US. My sermon was on “The God of All Comfort” from 2nd Corinthians 1. There were no responses and no non-Christians present as far as I know.

Towards the end of the service, Archie Alarcon arrived from the San Fernando congregation to take me to preach at their services. Since we were running behind schedule, we proceeded immediately to the building and started the services immediately after our arrival. I preached on “Be Not Weary” from Galatians 6:7-9 for the Bible study. The second hour was the assembly for the Lord’s Supper and other acts of worship. I preached during that period from Colossians 1:9-11 concerning “A Godly and Growing Life in Christ.” Again, there were no responses and no visitors of whom I was aware. Archie encouraged the brethren to attend the gospel meeting we will have at a function room in San Fernando tomorrow.

Tonight, I had an enjoyable time going out to eat with Lordy Salunga’s family. I told the family that I would treat them to supper for sharing Lordy with me and allowing him to go on the trip to help in our efforts. Lordy’s wife, Lynne, and his daughters, Tabitha and Gillian, decided they wanted to eat spaghetti or lasagna, so we went to a Sbarro’s in the mall. We enjoyed the visit, had a good meal and I still spent less than I would have for one meal here at the hotel.

After the lectures tomorrow, the Lord willing, I will be taken to Manila where I am due to Fly out early Tuesday morning going home. It has been a productive 3-week trip, but I am very tired and ready to go home! I always know it is time to go home when I get the heat rash that will not go away, but drive me crazy with the itch! It arrived on schedule about 2 days ago and is especially annoying on my neck. However, I am fortunate not to have gotten ill on this trip and I am very thankful for that fact.

Thank you again for reading these reports and encouraging the efforts being made. The Lord willing, I will write my last report from Manila tomorrow night before leaving the country. Please keep the work in this country in your prayers not only for the remainder of this effort, but in continued supplication to our Father. There is so much to be done in reaching out with the truth to those willing to listen and in training men to learn and preach the word to their fellow countrymen, going places we cannot possibly reach.

Brotherly, Harry O.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Capas Lectures

After a very restful morning on Friday, I met Jonathan & Nanette Carino and Jack Jaco for a working lunch at the mall. We discussed needs for follow-up efforts and future plans. The fact that many doors are opening for us to preach in many places is a wonderful opportunity, but it is impossible to take advantage of all open doors. On each trip, the lectures we have produce more invitations for us to speak at denominational churches and conduct lectures with other groups of denominational preachers. It is literally impossible for us to accept all or even a small percentage of the invitations. Please pray that the Lord will guide us by His providence as we decide what to do and pray the Lord to send more laborers – the fields are truly white to harvest! After our discussions, we left for the drive to the airport through the notorious Cebu traffic. Even though the traffic was heavy, we made it with plenty of time to spare.

The flight to Clark Airport in Angeles City was without incident – the smoothest so far this trip. Lordy and several brethren were waiting for me. They dropped me at the hotel about 8:30pm. I had not eaten since an early lunch, so I was hungry. Intending to eat at the cafĂ©, I went in to find they had a buffet. It looked good until I asked the price – about $16! It will be no surprise to those that know me to find that I promptly walked out, squeaking from my tightness the whole way. I found a grilled ham and cheese sandwich available for take-out at a reasonable price, so I got it and went back to the room. Imagine my surprise when I opened the wrapped sandwich to find that a “grilled ham and cheese sandwich” was prepared with ham on the inside of the bread, but the grilled cheese on the outside! To those who are wondering, no, do not try it – murder to eat.

The lectures today were mostly attended by area preachers, but a few denominational people also were present. The venue was in Capas at a function room off of a Chowking, a fast food chain for mostly Asian foods here in the Philippines. Our morning session was over 3 hours and I spoke for the entire time on the error of Premillennialism. We broke for lunch and then I gave a 30 to 40 minute summary of the book of Revelation which I have done several times in our preacher training program and in conjunction with classes on Premillennialism. After that, I preached the “Salvation & Saul” sermon in an effort to reach those who were not yet Christians. That lesson was followed by my lesson (stolen from Jonathan Carino) on “Grace, Faith & Obedience.” This made another 3 ½ hours of preaching for me in the afternoon. The lessons were followed by an invitation, but there were no visible responses. One older lady invited by some of the members told us that she was not ready to be baptized yet, but was closer after hearing some things in the lessons that answered several of her questions.

On the way back, several of us stopped at a mall to eat at KFC so I could avoid the ridiculous prices here at the hotel. (Before I left this morning, I saw that tonight’s buffet was a seafood offering at over $20 a plate.) After getting back to the hotel, I have been writing this report and must now get to bed as soon as possible. The Lord willing, tomorrow starts at 6am so we can begin services at 8am. Thanks again for your encouragement and support in every way. God bless.

Brotherly, Harry O.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Cebu Lectures - One Baptized

After the lectures yesterday, we ate supper with Sam Robinson about whom I wrote yesterday. It was very good to get to know him better and I appreciate him even more now that we have had that opportunity. Sam grew up in Oklahoma City, but has spent his adulthood in a variety of locations with the US Air Force. He has retired here in Cebu and it seems to be agreeing with him.

We handled the lectures differently today than in previous days. Since Ron had to leave at noon to catch his flight, he took the entire time in the morning from 9am to noon. He gave a detailed study of Acts 2 which he broke in the middle to provide a few minutes of rest for himself and the audience. I stayed behind at the hotel to take care of some errands that needed to be run and rest for a while in the air conditioning. At about 11am, I went to the building and was present for the last part of Ron’s lesson as well as the entire Q&A period to end the morning session. In the afternoon, I took the entire time from 1pm to about 4:45pm. During that time, we were able to have three lessons: (1) “Salvation & Saul,” (2) “Being Holy as God Is Holy” and (3) “Repentance: What It Is & What It Does.”

When I concluded my part, Jonathan Carino extended the invitation and one lady responded to be baptized. John talked with her to make sure she understood the commitment being made and then took her confession. She was one of the visitors invited by the members of this local church. Since the pool at my hotel is uninhabited at night, the brethren asked that we use it as the most convenient place to baptize. So, I baptized her into Christ about 8:30 this evening.

At this point, Ron is in Manila boarding a flight to Auckland, New Zealand to work with Lordy Salunga’s brother, Ronnie, in trying to establish a congregation there. There are a number of Filipino brethren that have found work in that city, but have found no sound congregation. The same problem exists with some of the Filipino brethren who have gone to a few places in Australia. While on this trip, I have received two invitations from brethren pleading that I come to Australia in order to help start sound congregations where none exist. In one of the places, the Filipino brethren accepted invitations to work because they were assured a faithful church existed in that place. However, when they started attending, these brethren found the congregation to be unsound in practice as well as the preacher being unsound in his teaching. I told them it would be considered and we would trust God and His providence to open a door in some way for someone.

The Lord willing, I will fly to Clark Airfield near Angeles City and begin working with Lordy Salunga in that area the next day. That will be a special opportunity for me as my father helped build that airfield at the conclusion of World War II. We have no scheduled lectures tomorrow, but will be available for follow-up studies with those who have remaining questions. After almost 4 hours of preaching today, my voice is very raw and my throat is a bit sore. A day’s rest for the voice will be welcomed before I head to Angeles for three days back-to-back with heavy schedules. Please continue your prayers in behalf of these efforts that lost souls may hear the truth and God may use the work done unto His glory.

Brotherly, Harry O.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lectures Begin in Cebu

We flew from Bacolod to Cebu aboard a small prop-driven plane that seated about 50. The flight was very full, so I was stuck sitting by a man who did not know the meaning of the word “bath” much less how to practice that strange custom. It was a short flight – but not short enough.

We arrived at our hotel in Cebu a little after 9pm and finally got to start supper at about 9:30pm. By the time we ate, unpacked and got to bed, it was well after midnight. Ron and I were both dead tired, but a good kind of “tired” given the good reports from the lectures in Bacolod. By the time we landed in Cebu City, Jonathan was getting text messages from denominational preachers in Bacolod thanking us profusely for the teaching and even some asking for our prayers because they knew what they should do, even though it would be very hard. We repeatedly said publicly and privately that we have no support to offer them and that we knew being baptized would end their support from their denomination. I asked them to think what Saul of Tarsus had done – the very same thing! Past experience teaches me that the denominations will increase their funding when they hear some are thinking of obedience to the truth. If they decided to go for the money, they are not worthy of Christ. Obedience demands self-denial and full faith in the Lord.

The lectures in Cebu City are being held at the meeting place of the church that assembles in the center of the city’s business district. Their space is on the 3rd floor of a high rise building. The church rents a small area which they have fixed up nicely to be a very functional place for meeting. However, they only rent the space for Sundays and additional rental is required for each day of extra use. It is in a great location at the heart of the city. The only problem with the space, at least from an American’s point of view, is the lack of air conditioning. During the morning hours, it is comfortable. However, the sun starts hitting the windows in the afternoon and it gets hot very quickly and keeps getting hotter. By the peak at mid-afternoon, it is enough to totally drain one unaccustomed to the Philippine heat.

Ron started out the lectures today with his lesson on “The Message of the Bible.” I followed with a lesson on “Who Is a Christian?” The lesson examines the characteristics of the people called “Christians” in Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16. By the time we finished those lessons, it was time to break for lunch. Ron returned to the hotel for a little lunch and rest since he was unable to sleep much last night. I began the afternoon session with a lesson on “Identifying the New Testament Church.” Since we had a large number of Catholics, Evangelicals and even some institutional brethren present, I made numerous applications that took much longer than I normally go with that lesson. Ron arrived back at the lectures a little after 3pm to finish the afternoon session with his sermon on “The Two Covenants” and then do a Q&A session. I returned to the hotel to write this report and rest in the air conditioning so that I could revive a little.

It was good to see a number of brethren I have known for several years present at these lectures. Since I first worshipped with this congregation in 2002, I have gotten to know many of the brethren as well as watching them grow in their service to God. They have increased in maturity, in spirituality and in number. Sam Robinson, a brother who has recently retired from the US military, has moved to the Cebu area and is now a member of this congregation. I know he will add much strength to the church as he works with them. Jun Apatan preaches at another congregation here in the Cebu City area and I was glad to see him. Other men preaching in this area like Pablo Espanoza, Fred Ogario and Roy Matta are attending these lectures as well as having been with me for other parts of this trip.

As you awake on this Veteran’s Day back home, we are coming to the end of it. If my calculation is correct, I am writing this at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, European time – the official time for the armistice ending World War I, the origin of our Veteran’s Day. Having just come from Leyte where American soldiers shed their blood in pursuit of freedom for the Filipino people, I have been caused to remember with honor, respect and thanks those who gave their lives that others might live in freedom. To those of you who served our country in the military with honor and sacrifice, please accept my deepest thanks for your service to our country and others who aspire to live in peace.

The Lord willing, tomorrow will be the conclusion of the lectures here in Cebu and we hope they bear fruit to the glory of God. Please keep us in your prayers as you remain in ours each day. May God bless and keep you always.

Brotherly, Harry O.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Lectures in Bacolod End - 2 Baptized

Today has been and continues to be very busy. After an early breakfast, I went to speak first at the lectures while Ron remained at the hotel to finish some work. My taxi driver had heavy metal music on full blast. Having had my ears violated against my will, I was glad to get to the venue. When I arrived, the crowd had not yet arrived. Shortly before 9am, the people arrived and we began – about 30 minutes late, which is right on schedule by Filipino time.

“Salvation & Saul” was the first lesson and the audience was listening very carefully. When I asked if Paul was saved by faith only along the road to Damascus, several openly said, “Yes!” I asked that the audience look at their Bible to see when he was saved. After showing that Saul was a believer for 3 days before Ananias came to him, but was told to “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16), I asked them to draw the necessary conclusion. If he still had his sins 3 days after he believed, it is clear faith alone did not save him on the Damascus road. After looking at Romans 6:1-11 to see that baptism is the point when Paul was saved by the death of Christ and set free from sin, many were beginning to see the point.

Ron followed by continuing his material on Authority. While he spoke, I had to go back to the hotel, pack my bags and check out of my room. I made it back for the end of Ron’s lecture and noted that the Baptist preacher who debated Cipriano Carpentero was back. (He is the man in the yellow shirt and glasses looking towards the camera.) He and another Baptist preacher were feeding off of one another and openly showing their contempt for the things being taught. Their efforts were not effective as many denominational people around them in the morning, moved elsewhere for the afternoon session.

After the lunch break, I answered some questions from the crowd while Ron was getting ready to speak. The questions again focused on instrumental music in worship and baptism. The questions gave an opportunity to compare human reasoning with the teaching of the Bible.

Ron then preached his application material on “Authority” dealing with errors taught in Catholicism and the Reformation. He noted the need for restoration and how to achieve it – following only the gospel of Christ as our pattern.

I followed with the last lesson of the day on “Grace, Faith & Obedience” while Ron went back to the hotel to pack and check out. For the most part, I used the material developed by Jonathan Carino that he taught earlier in the trip. We saw that God has already fully completed the provisions In the lesson, I focused on the need for man to obey by meeting all of the conditions given by God. You could have heard a pin drop at towards the end. There were many affirmative nod from the crowd and the Baptist preachers were totally silent.

Jack Jaco followed with an invitation and two responded to be baptized into Christ. One was a “Bible Baptist” preacher who had heard the lectures on Panay and came here in order to hear more teaching. The other to respond was a woman who is a business woman with very strong influence in the community and a teacher at a denominational church. Shem Agapan, a very strong and faithful preacher in the Bacoloc area, had invited her and has been working with her. Shem was thrilled at her obedience.

The later part of this report is being written from the back seat of a bouncy van as we travel towards the airport. As we drove along the highway with sugar cane fields on both sides, I saw the field to my left had two large lighthouses in the middle of the fields about 200 to 300 yards from one another. Have no idea what ship would travel so many miles inland just to go through the sugar cane field. However, Ron noted that they must be working because there were no shipwrecks anywhere near the fields.

Please excuse the rush, but I am now sitting at the gate for our flight and I must send the report before boarding. Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement in every way. We will be boarding a flight to Cebu in less 15 minutes. Will write more from there, the Lord willing.

Brotherly, Harry O.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Jonathan Carino came to breakfast with us this morning so that we could talk about what might be expected concerning the lectures that began today. When my trip was first being planned, a man “converted” about a year ago was to make the arrangements. As the responsibility was given, his true colors became apparent. He was asking for support, but was told that we offered no support. He then said he would not arrange for the lectures. That was not a problem, but a help as far as I was concerned. However, it left Jonathan Carino and Jack Jaco with the added task of making special trips in order to arrange logistics with less than 2 weeks to go. Since provisions for the lectures were made with less than two weeks notice, we all agreed to seek a venue that was available in the center of Bacolod (because those would be the only venues with availability) that could easily accommodate the 50 people we thought would attend. At breakfast, John told us that word of the lectures had spread among several denominational groups that had not previously come to hear past lectures. He and Jack both expected the crowd to be closer to 100 than to the 50 anticipated in our planning.

When we showed up at the venue this morning, there were 120 already registered in attendance. Since we had to set up and start teaching, we had no further update until the noon break. By that time, we had about 200 registered attendees. This is by far the largest crowd I have ever seen come for our lectures in Bacolod. When we went through the registration sheets, we found out that the great majority are denominational preachers or teachers. The crowd was very attentive, well-ordered and respectful throughout the day’s study. After the noon hour, a Reformed Baptist preacher, who had debated Cipriano Carpentero several years ago, came to see what was happening. We have seen him before as he has tried to stir a disturbance, but he was very respectful and listened well throughout the time he was present. After the day’s lectures, I met a number of denominational preachers who told me it was their first time to attend the lectures. In the end, I think the short advance notice for the lectures ended up boosting our attendance significantly. In previous years, the local ministerial alliance actively worked to discourage attendance to the lectures. It may be that the short time did not allow those opposing the lectures to get out their forces to discourage attendance.

Ron spoke in the first lesson of the morning on “The Message of the Bible.” I followed with the study on “The Inspiration of the Scripture.” In the afternoon, Ron delivered his material on distinguishing between the two covenants to start the session. I preached next on “Holy Living in Christ.” Ron then got started with his material on “Authority” then answered questions which took the remainder of the time.

The Q&A session included questions on several subjects: (1) those obligated to keep the old covenant law of Moses, (2) whether the Lord’s Supper is a continuous sacrifice of Christ, (3) whether infants are born in sin, (5) whether baptism is necessary for salvation, (6) if baptism is a burial of the dead, is one dead in Christ, (7) whether baptism is the fruit of grace or the root of grace, (8) whether 1 Cor. 15:52 allows us to use the instrument of music (trumpet) in worship, (9) whether the use of instruments by angels allows us to use the instruments in worship, (10) whether there is a verse to forbid instruments of music in worship, (11) whether churches using instruments of music in worship will all go to hell, (12) whether Ephesians 2:8 excludes the need for baptism, (13) whether one needs to be “baptized again” if baptized with denominational baptism, and a few more of similar content. This is a fairly typical mix of questions focusing on instrumental music and the necessity of baptism in salvation of the sinner.

While we are very encouraged by the large number that has come to hear, there is a cost associated with it. The venues we can use for such studies charge per capita of attendance. We do not get discounts for greater numbers, but must pay the same for each one attending plus any costs associated with the increased number. The increased printing cost for outlines is also a significant amount as copying is more expensive here than in the US. In short, the repeated cases we have had of larger than expected numbers of attendees have hit the pocketbook very hard. It is fortunate that I received more than was requested in my letter seeking support because my part of the trip is likely to exceed the estimate by at least $2000 to $3000 – entirely due to the greater attendance. I am cutting costs where possible, but cannot cut enough to make up for these unexpected expenses.

The Lord willing, we will conclude these studies tomorrow and travel tomorrow night to Cebu. If at all possible, I will send a report concerning the results of this lectureship before we travel to Cebu. During today’s lectures, I posted pictures on FaceBook for those on that forum and will do so tomorrow if a connection to the internet is again available.

Thanks again for your encouragement, prayers and support for this effort. This is the 2-week point of my trip and I have only one week remaining. Though I am tired and look forward to returning home, I am enjoying the work very much and look forward to the opportunities yet ahead. Please continue to pray for us that we may speak the truth with proper attitudes, wisdom and boldness. May God bless you all.

Brotherly, Harry O.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Lectures in Victorias City

Saturday was a day of travel. We crossed the narrow passage between Panay Island and Negros by fastcraft, a dual-hulled motorboat that holds about 200 passengers. We left Ilo-Ilo at about 10:30am and arrived at 11:15am in Bacolod. The seas were very rough the entire way, so it took an extra 15 minutes. After checking in to the hotel, we all had preparations to make for the lectures in this area. I had to get some supplies at the mall and then prepare some lessons for Sunday’s lectures. Ron was arranging some outlines, putting them into computer files and was then to bring them to me for printing on my printer. To those of you that know Ron, you may suspect that this presented a great potential for trouble when he does something on a computer and brings it to another for help.

It is at this point that I pause to apologize to Randy, Ronny and all of the other computer experts at home who put up with my lack of computer literacy. I repent in sackcloth and ashes after my experience last night. I think I know why you grow weary of my ineptness.

Returning to Ron’s preparation of the outlines for printing, the first statement should have shown me we had a problem. Ron brought his computer in, pointed at it, and said, “Here they are.” As may be deduced, my printer is attached to my computer. I said, “Do you have your files on memory stick?” Ron replies, “Oh, do you need that?” After explaining that the files could not fly into the printer, no matter the nearness of his computer, Ron went to his room and got his memory stick. We are now ready for problem two. On the memory stick, I brought up the file name he gave me and it was a mess of sundry titles without organization. After asking him, he said that was not it and he did not know how that file got on the stick. (Can anyone help him?) For the next five minutes, he was busy at his computer searching it and announcing that the file was not on his computer. Though I am still unclear as to how this bit of information helped in our task, it seemed to satisfy his mind. After finally finding the intended file on the stick, it will not surprise you to find that it was not ready to be printed. After changing margins in order to fit the material within the page, the outline was filled with gaps and problems because it was not made with the outline feature, but by typing each line, hitting “enter” and then hitting the space bar until it approximated lining up. If any of you brethren get this report from Hebron Lane, my prayers are with you :-). I am very thankful that Ron’s knowledge and preaching of God’s word far exceeds his computer skills.

We met with the brethren in Victorias City where brother Jack Jaco preaches for morning worship and a lectureship for the remainder of the day. The brethren had invited many visitors. We expected and prepared for 100. The actual number of attendees exceeded 170. The venue rented was the same one I used with Cipriano Carpentero about 6 years ago. When I saw the venue, I had to wipe away some tears as I thought of my dear, departed brother whom I loved as my own family in the flesh. He was the most effective in doing this work of anyone that I have ever met.

Ron started out the lectures with a lesson on “The Gospel Makes Us Right with God” He preached the first part in that first hour and concluded it in the first lesson after lunch. It was an excellent lesson summarizing the need to seek God and His instruction to believe and practice what is religiously right in all things. Ron’s last lesson of the day was “Purify Your Soul” showing the need for one to purify the life in godly living and in obedience to the truth.

My lessons for the lectures were on “God’s Thoughts & God’s Revelation,” “Grace, Faith & Obedience” and “Counting the Cost.” The audience was very attentive throughout the day. The vast majority (probably 70%) were non-Christians. Most of that number had not previously heard the gospel. Many were from Baptist churches or other evangelical groups. They were very troubled by the teaching that showed them the reception of God’s grace through faith demanded that they meet all of His conditions, including baptism, for the remission of sins.

At the invitation offered by Jack, two came to be baptized. One was a retired school teacher who has been a teacher in the Seventh-Day Adventists church. The other was a cane field worker without any religious background. Several of the members here in Victorias City had been working with him for some time. Many others were very receptive and desiring of further study. Two ladies, who are teachers in a local Baptist church, attended the lectures at the invitation of their father, a faithful member of the Victorias congregation. They were very troubled at the teaching about salvation and were visibly shaken as the studies continued. Both made arrangements to study further with Jack and were very insistent that they wanted to do so quickly. We pray those studies will soon bear fruit.

It was great to be with Jack as well as his wife, Del, and their children: Jireah, Shalom and Shammah. Jireah has his college degree and is seeking a job. The two girls, Shalom and Shammah, are in college taking Nursing and hope to be finished within two years. (They call me “Uncle Harry.”) The whole family has always been very dear to me and it is always good to see them again. This family is diligent in their service for the Lord’s kingdom and all are wonderful examples of godly, zealous Christians. We are leaning more and more on Jack to help make contacts and follow-up on efforts throughout the Visayas. He has grown tremendously since being baptized about 10 years ago. Jack was formerly in the Baptist Church and one of the most widely used and widely known preachers from that group, still highly respected by former colleagues. He is working closely with Jonathan Carino in efforts throughout the Visayas and some on Mindanao, but is in need of added support to pay for the travel necessary.

This report is being written as I ride along the very bumpy Philippine roads, so please excuse the typos. As we approach the end of our day, we know you have not yet met for your services. May God bless you as you meet in varied places to serve the same Lord according to the same truth.

Brotherly, Harry O.