To begin, I wish to thank the many people who made it possible for me to take this trip.

• First and foremost, I thank God, who granted us safe passage there and back.
• I thank my dear wife, Rita, who suffered the loss of her mother the day I left, but still encouraged me to go and preach to the lost souls in the Philippines.
• I thank the Knollwood elders who helped and encouraged me to go, and I thank the Knollwood brethren who filled in for me in many ways. I will never be able to express my gratitude for the love shown to Rita during her mother's illness and death.
• I thank the many churches and the individuals who provided financial support for the trip.
• And I'm very grateful to Brother Ron Halbrook, who invited me and worked with me during the trip.

This was my first preaching trip to the Philippines. For many years, I have had questions concerning the work and efforts being put forth in that country. While preaching in Las Vegas, I corresponded with seven Filipino preachers to whom I sent teaching and preaching materials to aid them in their work. A number of times, the Knollwood church has sent benevolent aid in response to requests for assistance. More than once, Brother Halbrook asked me to accompany him on one of his Philippine trips. In the spring of 2000, I began planning to go in the spring of 2002.

During the four weeks I was in the Philippines (Brother Halbrook was there for seven weeks), we visited sixteen different cities. Brothers Cipriano S. Carpentero and Jonathan R. Carino accompanied us, and were with us for the entire month. Brother Jonathan did all the planning and scheduling for the preaching we would accomplish during the trip. They also translated for us.

After nineteen hours in the air, on Wednesday, April 10, at 10:30 p.m., I landed in Manila. On Thursday, Brother Halbrook and I spent the day searching for a bank that would cash our travelers checks and convert them to pesos. Later, we discovered the reason for our difficulty. Someone had learned to make counterfeit checks, and the islands were flooded with bad travelers checks. Smaller banks, and even some larger ones, were afraid to accept them. We found that the easiest way to convert was to locate one of the Filipino brethren who had a bank account, sign the checks over for him to deposit in the account, then withdraw the money in pesos.

On Friday, we flew to Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao for a two-day lectureship. Over 100 attended. There is no faithful church in Dipolog City. A number of denominational preachers attended both days. One was converted, and another was baptized on Sunday morning before we left. Follow-up work will attempt to start a faithful congregation in Mindanao.

Sunday and Monday were spent at Orquieta, Misamis Occidental with Brother Nelson Flores. We worshipped with the brethren there on Sunday and conducted afternoon sessions. On Sunday evening, Ron and I preached at different places. On Monday, we had all-day lectures, which about 40 people attended. Many were Filipino preachers. Good questions were asked during the open forum. Monday evening, we traveled by van to Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur--about a three-hour journey.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent working with Ramon Carino, (Jonathan's father) and Jun Apatan. On Tuesday, having begun early in the morning, we visited eight different churches. Many of these churches were located in the mountains. We went by boat, and then hiked up into the mountains. Many of the brethren waited most of the day for us to reach their churches. It was 7 p.m. when we reached the last congregation. I met many preachers who have spent 15-20 years preaching in those mountains, with no support! The encouragement these brethren derived from our visit was very touching to me personally. Some waited more than ten hours, in the heat of the day, just so they could meet us and hear us speak. It was an exhausting day, but at the same time, it was very uplifting.

Wednesday, we went on to visit, and to speak at, four more churches. On Wednesday evening, Brother Halbrook and I spoke at Jun Apatan's home congregation. Questions lasted until 11 p.m. About 70 attend the church where Brother Apatan labors.

On Thursday, we traveled to Iligan, Lanao del Norte, where we worked with Brother Edgar Samodal in a three-day lectureship. Here, four were baptized. I even preached a funeral for a brother who had been killed in an accident. Saturday evening, we traveled to Cagayon de Oro to work and worship on Sunday with the local church where Brother Carpenero labors.

On Sunday morning, Ron and I spoke at different places. In the afternoon, we had a lectureship, with an open forum. A lady preacher from one of the denominations attended the open forum. Many good questions were asked, and there was a long discussion about women and their role in the church. This lady left quite bothered by what the scriptures taught regarding what she was doing. Brother Carpenero and another brother there plan to follow up and study with her.

On Monday, April 22 we traveled to Kitaptao, Bukidnon for a two-day lecture with Brother Julie Notarte. Brother Notarte does much preaching in the mountains in this area, with great results. This is a very difficult work that requires traveling into locales where rebels hide in the mountains. Brother Notarte has converted hundreds and established a number of churches. Over 100 attended the lectureship. Most came down out of the mountains. During the two days, we baptized 38 people. To ensure our protection, Brother Notarte arranged for security guards to be in the audience, but he did not inform us until after the lectureship.

On Wednesday, April 24, accompanied by security escorts, we traveled by van to General Santos, South Catabato, about an eight-hour trip. We arrived in Lake Sebu late in the evening. On Thursday, we began a two-day lectureship with Brother Leonardo Maste. Over 150, including some who were living in polygamy, attended. Twenty-two people, including five denominational preachers, were baptized. Good questions were asked during the open forum, and we had a good discussion about polygamy and marriage, divorce, and remarriage.

On Saturday, April 27, we worked with Jolly Julom and spent an entire day with the church there. About 60 attended. That evening, we and our escorts traveled three hours to Davao City, Davao del Sur.

On Sunday, April 28, we worshipped with the brethren where Brother Juanito Balbin preaches and serves as one of the elders. Afternoon sessions were held, and Ron and I spoke on the radio program from 5:30--6:30 p.m. Nine people were baptized that afternoon.

On Monday, April 29, we flew (on two different flights) from Davao City to Bacolod City, Negros Occidental for a two-day lectureship with two local preachers in the area. June, one of the local men, lost his wife in an accident the previous week. Attendance at this lectureship was excellent, with many non-Christians attending. The four who were baptized included a Baptist preacher who had been preaching for 50 years. The open forum was excellent, with good questions and lively discussion.

On Wednesday, May 1, we traveled to Cadiz to preach with Brother Jessie Isitan. We preached until 4 p.m., and five were baptized. Then, we went on to San Carlos, arriving late that evening.

On Thursday and Friday, we worked in a lectureship with Brother Erie Mahinay. It was an excellent Bible seminar, with about 30 in attendance. Following the open-forum question-and-answer session, three were baptized.

On Saturday morning, we traveled (leaving by boat at 4 a.m.) to Toledo City, where Ron and I spoke on baptism. In attendance, were 60 Evangelical church people with whom the local preacher had been studying. The next day, the local preacher reinforced our lessons, and 36 people left the Evangelical church and obeyed the gospel. The opportunity to preach there was well worth getting only four hours of sleep. We proceeded to Tagbilaran, Bohol, arriving at 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 5 and Monday, May 6, we conducted a two-day lectureship at the hotel where we were staying. About 35, including ten preachers, attended. Four were baptized. Also, on Monday evening, we and six of the preachers studied privately for about three hours.

Our Tuesday, May 7 travel brought us to Cebu City where Jonathan Carino preaches. In Brother Carino's home, with Ron and I both speaking, we studied with many of the preachers around Cebu City. They questioned us until 4:30 p.m. We left Jonathan in Cebu City, and Brother Carpentero went with Ron and I to catch the flight back to Manila, for our Wednesday morning flight back to the United States. Brother Ben Cruz and his family met us at the airport, and we visited in the hotel until 11 p.m. At 4:30 a.m. the next morning, we left for the airport and began our trip home.

Concluding Remarks:
In all, during the seven-week trip, we visited 23 cities, and 180 were baptized (120 during the four weeks I was there). (Ron visited seven cities on the islands of Luzon before my arrival, and the two of us visited 15). During my one-month stay in the Philippines, I preached a total of 64 times.

I believe there remains a great harvest of Philippine souls yet to be reached. One problem that must be addressed is the growing number of young preachers who are badly in need of training. Many of them have been converted out of other religions, and they need Bible instruction. I know that, subsequent to our departure, the Filipino preachers are doing follow-up visits. Brothers Carpentero and Carino do numerous lectures that focus on training preachers. But, more needs to be done.

The Philippine poverty, and the lack of support for many of the preachers, is overwhelming. Among all the churches in this country, there isn't sufficient wealth to fill the void that these areas present. What can we do? One thing we must not do is promise these preachers and brethren that we are their way out of poverty. We go there to preach the gospel to the lost and to edify the Christians. Our work must focus on these needs. Yes, we can, as we have opportunity, help to ease some of the needs for benevolence, but we cannot fulfill them all. We can support some of the preachers, but each church must examine each man carefully and be sure he is worthy of support.

We can send teaching materials for the classes, especially young people's classes. The brethren there have no access to such materials. Most can use the materials in English. Bibles and songbooks are also very scarce. Some are needed in the Filipino dialect, and some use our English songbooks. The best way to help is through good, sound men, through whom we can work to get the materials where they are most needed. Also, preachers need help with building their personal libraries. I intend to help both Jonathan and Cipriano build good libraries. This is something we can all do. If you would like to help in this area, please let me know. Remember, we cannot answer every request for support or benevolence. Let us seek to help where we can and where it will do the most good.

Finally, many have asked whether I'll go back. The answer is "yes," if the Lord wills it to be so. This trip renewed my faith in the power of God's word. The gospel does touch honest hearts, even the hearts of men who are teaching error and false doctrine. Sometimes I wonder, because of the lack of response from those outside the church, if there's something wrong with my preaching. In the Philippines, I preached the same gospel, in the same manner, but the results were quite different. The audiences were more willing to listen. Poverty tends to foster open-mindedness regarding spiritual matters.

May God continue to bless our efforts, not only in the Philippines, but throughout the world where the gospel can be preached. All over this world, souls are dying unprepared to meet God. May God touch our hearts to seek ways to share the message of the cross with those who are lost--wherever they may be. Thank you again for your support, prayers, love for the lost, and willingness to help. May God grant us opportunity to work together, for His cause, again in the future. All the glory for this trip belongs to the Lord who gave the increase when His word was planted in honest hearts. God's word can still touch the heart that is seeking truth--thanks be to God for the power of that word!