Two Baptized in Sogod

We had a drive of over two and a half hours in a rented van to reach our destination today. Several days ago, we changed our original plan to drive from Ormoc to Sogod this morning due to problems in securing a rented van. In recent years before Typhoon Yolanda, we could easily rent a van for 3000 pesos a day (about $68) — often far less. When I came back in January, we could not get one for less than 6000 pesos a day. When the brethren tried to get one for this trip taking us by Ormoc, the prices ranged from 12,000 to 15,000 pesos per day! Brother Nilo, who preaches in Tacloban, found one for 5500 per day and we booked it. With all of the torn up roads after the storm, I can understand why they want more money, but it requires greater effort for us to make sure we stretch our dollars as far as we can.

Upon arriving Sogod, we went on to a very narrow and rough, dare I say “narrow and straightened” :-), road which we followed for several miles. We came to a place where some tarps were spread below coconut palms and saw about 50 gathered there. They were the members of the church in that community. The number grew to 80, but I will have further comments on the number later. Rather than using the time to preach mostly to outsiders, they asked us to preach lessons that would help them become stronger in the faith and grow in the understanding about what was expected of them as Christians. So, I preached a lesson on “Repentance and Godly Living.” Jonathan spent the rest of the morning session “summarizing” and further expanding on the lesson in the dialect to deal with specific needs of those in this culture. There were probably only 3 or 4 that fully understood the lesson in English when I gave it, so the greater need was for Jonathan to take the time necessary in preaching the principles and applications in the dialect.

After lunch, we followed the same plan. I preached a lesson on “Attitudes towards Assembling” from Hebrews 10:19-25. Jonathan then gave the summary and further explanations needed to get the study across in the dialect to the crowd.

When he finished the summary of my lesson, Jonathan preached one in the dialect in order to make the best use of our remaining time. He preached on “Why Are People Lost or Saved?” After Jonathan’s lesson, an invitation was extended and two responded to obey the gospel. They were taken to a nearby place to baptize them.

The day was mostly overcast during the morning hours, but the sun came out strong in the afternoon while the air was dripping with humidity. There was rarely a breeze of any kind, so it became intensely hot by the time we finished. Even the Filipinos were fanning themselves, wiping their faces with rags and sweating. I was drenched! When I talked with my wife and parents back home, they said it was very cold there. If only we could split the difference between us!

Though I wish it was not necessary, I must report the events faced whether good or bad. Our expectation was for a larger number to be present since a number of the baptized members were not in attendance. Upon further investigation, we received reliable testimony from a plurality of the members that a preacher from Baybay, Cirilo Sumabal, had urged the brethren not to come to the lectures. I will be talking directly to the brother about his motives for such action, but the testimony was clear enough to remove any doubt about the fact of what happened. When we distributed the benevolent help in January of this year, there was an attempt by the same brother to misrepresent the facts about the losses suffered and the number needing benevolence. How sad it is that a newly established congregation has to immediately see such divisiveness on the part of supposed brethren! It was very discouraging to them and so totally needless.