Lord's Day Worship - One Baptized

It has been a very busy and enjoyable Lord’s day here in Tuguegarao. We started the Bible class this morning at 8:30 where Ron taught on “Because Christ Came, We Must Go.” It was a lesson encouraging all to increased efforts in evangelism. The lesson was very good to encourage the students who are preaching to work harder as well as helping each Christian realize the opportunities that we have to teach others the gospel as doors of opportunity are opened to us.

During the second hour, we partook of the Lord’s Supper and had the collection as brethren are doing across the globe on this same day. Rody led the singing while some of the students read Scripture and led prayers. I preached on “God Satisfies the Longing Heart” from Psalm 107. No one responded to the invitation when it was extended.

After lunch, Dennis Yuson took Lordy and I to a congregation started by Robert Rances. At least one family at 84th Street had helped that congregation buy land and erect a building. The building is not finished, but it has a roof and most of the walls up. They are very happy to have the place as they were previously meeting in a home where only a few could fit inside while most had to sit outside. I preached from 2nd Timothy 1:8-13 on “Passing the Gospel on to Others.” The lesson focused on the kind of heart one must have to see the necessity of passing on the pure gospel to others. At the invitation, one young mother with an infant in arms came forward to be baptized. After the service, we took her back to the church building at Tuguegarao which has a baptistery and baptized her into Christ. We rejoiced with her at her decision to obey the Lord.

Whenever I ride very far in a car here in the Philippines, I always see things that amuse me. This afternoon, we passed several buildings with unique combinations of businesses inside. Over one set of double doors were two signs side-by-side. One was an “all-u-can-eat” place and the other was for kidney dialysis. A little farther out from town was another building that looked like a garage with one sign announcing it as a place to eat noodles and rice as well as change your car’s oil. Crisco or Pennzoil?

Another interesting thing has come to my attention over here on this trip. Since I have never cared much for the breakfast at the hotel café, Lordy and I decided to try getting McDonald’s to deliver breakfast, as I noted earlier. It has been an improvement and it has cost less. Now for the interesting discovery. Every single day, without exception, the breakfast order from McDonald’s has arrived exactly on time and with exactly the correct items as ordered. What are the chances of that in the US? I think the US fast-food industry needs to send their employees over here for training because they evidently know how to do it here. If they make the trainees come over in the middle of the very hot summers, they could increase productivity by threatening to send them back if they messed up.

Thanks again for reading these reports and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We hope and pray that you will have a great day to worship and praise our Lord on that side of the globe as well. May God guide your hearts and actions as you serve Him whole-heartedly according to His will.

Brotherly, Harry O.