Lord's Day in Manila Area - Three Baptized

The work for this trip is now history as we have just finished our last schedule and returned to the hotel this Lord’s Day. We left at 6:30am with brother Atoy Franco who took us to Kapitbahayan for their services that start at 7:30am. Lody Salunga then went on with Atoy to worship with the congregation meeting in the Makati area.

Chip spoke in the Bible study hour, preaching on “Blessings in Christ.” I followed with a study on “Defeating the Devil” for the second hour. After the preaching, we observed the Lord’s Supper and had the collection. The singing was excellent with several young men leading and doing excellent jobs as the whole congregation engaged in spirited worship through songs. At the close of the service, one young lady made known her desire to be baptized into Christ.

We had a very short time to visit with Jerry and Teresa Toreja. Teresa is a medical doctor and she is the daughter of the late Ben Cruz. Teresa was the one who helped advise me concerning the illness I had early in this trip. It was also good to speak for a short time with her mother and extend my personal sympathies over the passing of her dear husband, Ben, late last year. We had to hurry to make it to Muntinlupa for the afternoon schedule. So we got on our way quickly – still without coffee! While I know this does not rank up there with being beaten, stoned or shipwrecked, it classifies as “suffering” to Chip and me with our coffee-dependent bodies.

Elias Cruz, one of Ben’s sons, along with Freddie Ong took us to Muntinlupa where we were to meet Atoy and Lordy for a 1pm schedule. On the way there, I received a text message from Kenneth Pastor, Willy’s brother, who was expecting us at 9am for their first service at the RDC facility in the prison. There was no way we could get there, but I told him we planned to be at the 1pm schedule. As it turned out, not only were we badly delayed getting there, but so were Atoy and Lordy. We also learned on the way that we could not be with Willy if we went to the medium security facility to preach there. With about 30 minutes of our time and my voice gone, we decided to let Lordy preach in the medium security prison as no translation would be needed with him. After a short greeting with Willy and Kathy, his wife, Lordy, Atoy and Kenneth left to do the preaching, while Chip and I stayed to visit longer with Willey and Kathy. It is a great encouragement for me to be with them each time as we shed tears of joy and sorrow and help build each other’s faith. I love and admire them both as they have endured this hardship with grace, dignity and great faith.

Willy is still waiting on word for the pardon or parole that could be coming any day. As most of you know, he was cleared of wrong-doing in a simple case of self-defense where a woman entered his house with a gun, stating the intent to kill. However, because the woman’s family is rich, they pursued charges against Willy and bought vengeance through a very corrupt system in this country. Willy’s case has been recommended as one of 16 to the Philippine President for a full and complete pardon. It could come at any day, but until then he continues to teach in the prison and bring many to Christ. I have forgotten how many hundreds have been baptized through his work. Please keep him and Kathy in your prayers. He is also in need of some monthly help as well as about $1300 for legal fees involved with his pardon. If you could be of any help, I will be glad to talk with you about it.

The Lord willing, tomorrow will be a day of rest and material preparation for my Wednesday class on study aids with the high school and junior high classes. Our flights home are scheduled to leave early Tuesday morning. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel home. Thank you again for helping to make this trip possible. I will not know for sure until I do the final math on the flight home, but it looks like I will return with a surplus of just under $200 for this trip which will be used to defray a deficit of over $700 in my account used for preaching in the Philippines.

Brotherly, Harry O.


P.S. Just got word that two men decided to be baptized after the session at the prison.