Friday in Tacloban

Friday was our last day on Leyte with preaching scheduled for the day at the meeting place of the brethren where Nilo Zabala preaches. The meeting place is far off of the road down a dirt path that has footbridges spanning two sharp drop-offs. Since it was raining today, the path was muddy and very slippery. Several individuals gave funds for the congregation to erect a small building after the place where they met was wiped out by Yolanda. They have built a small structure from simple concrete block, but it has no lights or electrical power at this time. Some extension cords brought power from next door so we could have the projector and a fan.

After several songs being sung while we set up, I gave the first lesson on “Repentance and Its Works.” This lesson was requested by the brethren as they wanted to day’s teaching geared specifically towards the brethren and their needs in edification. It dealt with the need to live lives of holiness and eliminate the use of intoxicants, immodest dress, sexual immorality, gambling and other sinful conduct. Those attending were all Christians from several congregations in the area. I would guess attendance to be about 60 or so, but I am not at all sure that is an accurate count. After that lesson, Jonathan Carino summarized into the dialect because most could not speak English.

While getting towards the end of the first lesson, I started to feel worse. I was sick through much of the night, but was able to get going this morning, though not feeling normal. I decided I would preach another lesson before lunch because I was afraid I might not be able to make it through the afternoon. So, I preached a lesson on “Assembling to Worship and Edifying One Another.” I vaguely remember getting to the end of the lesson, but I evidently passed out across a chair and table as I went to sit down. The next thing I knew, a nurse that was a member of the congregation was rubbing something on my forehead and neck while having something under my nose to bring me to. (The nurse is the lady in the black and white stripped shirt to the left in this picture.) I think it was a combination of the sickness I have been fighting together with heat and exhaustion, but I feel better this evening. I am still not up to eating solid food yet, but I have taken in a great deal of fluids and some soup.

The Lord willing, we will fly from Tacloban to Cebu tomorrow morning and on to Pagadian tomorrow afternoon. We have no preaching scheduled due to the travel, so I will have some time to recover more. God bless!