As the time for services drew near and the church folks began to arrive early, I began to consider the message I might attempt to deliver that night and I stepped away from the other ministers and the ongoing discussion for a few moments. The good brother Ric then approached me and asked me an unexpected question. He said, will you baptize me? I said that I would be happy to do so, and that my flight did not leave until noon the next day and we would have plenty of time in the morning. After a few minutes of discussion it was decided that we needed to perform the baptism that evening due to Bro. Ric’s morning schedule of activities. The church members had mostly gathered at this point and the desires of Bro. Ric were expressed to the members. They were all happy to receive him and decided to delay the start of services until the baptism could be performed in the nearby Apao River. I changed clothes after being unsuccessful at convincing him to let Bro. Limbert baptize him.

We drove about 3 km to the nearby river which was above flood stage, very muddy, and swiftly flowing. As we approached the swollen river, Bro. Ric broke out into singing, “I surrender all”. This preacher said, “this will be my first real baptism – I just took a bath before.” From the looks of the muddy water, it was obvious that this time the baptism would not be a bath or wash away any filth of the flesh. He also said, “Now, brother Limbert will be my pastor, not just my friend.” With each statement he seemed to grow more happy and excited. We all sang a song and had prayer prior to entering the water.

We could not tell where the bank was supposed to be because the water was well above the normal line of the bank. We had a little difficulty safely getting to the spot to baptize, and we found the normal bank when we immediately dropped from knee deep water to chest deep water. We could have easily swept away in the swift current with that one step, but we were carefully anticipating it and being watchful. I leaned back against the bank and held bro. Epis close as I baptized him to prevent us from both washing downstream. Afterward, Bro. Ric was beaming with joy. We had another prayer and then He began singing again as we made our way back to the car to return to the church for services.

During services that night, bro. Ric was one more happy brother. He was beaming, smiling, and shouted AMEN several times. My topic changed from my earlier meditations and I spoke on the account of Philip and the Eunoch while attempting to make several comparisons to the events of the day. Bro. Ric was really happy and found an answer to a good conscious that he had not before experienced. This brother has since stayed in contact with me, e-mailing me several times and even calling me tonight. It is very expensive for a Filipino to call us here. After we spoke, he continued to text me several messages. I am truly thankful to God for this rich experience and for being blessed to be a part of the conversion of this happy soul. I am thankful that Elder Limbert Dalman, like most of our Filipino Brethren, is very evangelistic and willing to share the doctrines of grace with his neighbors, friends and family members. Bro. Ric is also very excited about sharing his newly discovered doctrinal truths with his family and friends. Although his brother-in-law passed away today and he will be traveling to the funeral services, he was excited as he anticipated sharing his new beliefs with his sister after the funeral services are over. I pray the Lord will bless this dear brother to have many successful years as a PB and maybe even an ordained elder someday.

Blessings,

Darrel Chambers

This particular church is located in the center of a Muslim populated community with a Mosque located across the street less than a block away. The rounded tower of the mosque and its characteristic steeple with the crescent moon on top is very visible and unmistakable. Shortly after the services were ended and the congregation was enjoying fellowship, a noise began to be heard that was coming from outside. It wasn’t long before I recognized the hideous wailing sound as a Muslim call to prayer or prayer chant. It was being broadcast all over the city via loudspeakers. It was such a mournful sound and several dogs behind the church started howling at the sound which made the whole sound resemble that of coyotes or wolves howling. I was immediately able to contrast the stark difference between this mournful sound, made by a mournful people whose religion asks its members to shed their own blood as martyrs. Yet the disciples of Jesus Christ joyously worship One who gave His own precious blood and accomplished eternal salvation for us. One is a message of joy, the other a message of sorrow. One is a message of liberty, the other a message of bondage. One is a message of love, the other a message of condemnation. One worships a harsh god, the other worships and adores a God of unfathomable love and mercy. The joyous singing that was only accompanied by the precious faces filled with love and joy of a redeemed and beloved people, was a stark contrast to the wailing mournful sound of a people sold into bondage to a dreadful religion. How I shall look forward with anticipation to every occasion to sing praises to our great and loving God. Let the voices join in harmony if you will, yet even the most off-key tone deaf Christian sings a joyful song of praise that would ring like beautiful harmony in contrast to the mournful wailing of those with no hope. Let us never be ashamed to lift our voices in praise to the One who is Worthy of all praise – Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Darrel Chambers

I am happy to be home from the Philippines; but at the same time, I enjoyed the visit tremendously and was not actually anxious to return home. The Lord abundantly blessed this last trip in more ways than I can even fathom. I have many rich and precious experiences I would like to share as I have time. I have been asked by several to write about some of my accounts. As I have more time, I hope to do just that.

I am still rejoicing at the sight of Eld. Constacio Tejada who suffered a stroke in September. At the time, I thought I might not ever see him on this earth again. I also thought he might not preach again. Initially, he could not speak, walk, or move his right side. When I saw him at his home, I had a hard time stopping my weeping. It was a joyous reunion. It was amazing to see how he had hung bamboo poles from his ceiling to use as handrails through the middle of his rooms. His bed had been moved into the living area of the house. He is now able to stand and even walk a little with the aid of an assistant and a cane. His speech is very good and clear. He began preaching again the first Sunday in December. The muddy footpath to the church which is located on the side of a mountain (hill) is treacherous and I had difficulty climbing it without falling. But he slowly ascended the slippery, steep path with the aid of a deacon on either side and with me behind him. I almost fell and brought him down with me. What a tragedy it would have been for a younger able-bodied American to have caused this dear saint to have fallen and encountered further injury. The Lord has certainly answered many prayers and blessed this dear brother with strength, healing grace, and a wonderful gift to preach. On previous trips, Elder Const. Tejada served as one of my human guardians, chauffeurs, and body guard. I joked that I had an armed guard – in fact I had a two armed guard. But I am thankful to know we had the same Guardian in our Protecting Heavenly Father. My life is much richer because of my past experiences with this dear brother. May the Lord bless him to be used for many years to come.

While at Bro. Const’s home, others preacher also visited. One of these was Elder Angel Batulan (not pronounced like the heavenly being). He is 82 and the oldest Filipino preachers I have ever met. He and Elder Const Tejada both leaned on their staffs as they sat together and worshipped and fellowshipped. I was made to think of the passage in Heb 11:21. Bro. Angel first said that he wished I could visit his church, then he sadly stated that he would not have me come there. You see, he lives in one of the most dangerous areas of the PI for Americans. It is the area where kidnappings for ransom are commonplace, especially for American visitors or workers (like teachers or preachers). This area was not far from where we were, and it was close enough for him to come on the back of a motorcycle to the safer area that we were visiting. He went on to explain that he would not have me come to his church and risk being harmed or kidnapped. He said he could not live with himself if he caused me such harm by coercing me to visit him there. When we departed, he climbed on the back of a motorcycle owned by another preacher or deacon. I thought it odd to see an 82 year old man riding on the back of a motorcycle with a walking stick in his hand and no helmet. The terrain they traverse by motorcycle is treacherous enough to walk on and I certainly would not want to ride a motorcycle on it. I wondered, how many other preachers I know would make the sacrifices these men do and risk their lives on a regular basis to worship God and serve His precious children. Please do not be offended, I am not meaning to criticize anyone. Many of you may make equally risky sacrifices to serve God.

During this visit, Bro. Angel asked me for a cell phone. Although he lives in a very dangerous area, he has no phone or other means of communicating with others in distant places. When he is able to speak with someone, he must borrow a cell phone. It was a great blessing to be able to fulfill his request, and it cost me very little in the PI. I thought of the comparison of the paper that I sacrificed vs. the great sacrifices that these dear servants regularly make. There was no real comparison. I also could not have lived with myself if I had denied him this small request and then he got into danger and had no way of contacting others. What a blessing it was to see the face of this dear saint when I fulfilled his request. I hope this doesn’t sound boastful, as I want to share my experiences and truly say it was much more blessed to give than to receive. I am thankful to the Lord for His abundant provision and blessing me to be able to share just a little, while receiving much greater spiritual blessings in return.

I will have to admit that I was tempted to give him my old phone and keep the new one for myself. Then, I considered the fact that I use this Filipino Cell Phone only once or twice a year for a few days. It was more than sufficient for me. So I gave him the newer, nicer one and kept the old one for myself. Later, on the trip I lost the old phone. I was glad that I had given him the better phone. Had I kept the new one, it would have been lost anyway. I have seen Bro. Angel on every visit to the PI. I always enjoy my time with him. He is not much over 4-1/2 feet tall. Every year I wonder if this will be the last time I will see him. So far, I have been blessed to see him again, and he is always smiling and seems as spry as the year before. I know that will not always be the case, but I am thankful for each occasion with him.

I hope to share more experiences later.

Blessings,

Darrel Chambers

In January, 2009, Elders Gus Harter and Darrel Chambers and their Wives, Sisters Betty Jo Harter and Donna Chambers traveled to the Philippines.

This was Elder Darrel Chambers’ 3rd trip and Sister Donna Chambers’ first. The ministers spent the first week in Manila and Ilo Ilo laboring with Ministers and churches, while their wives spent this time in Davao City, Mindanao visiting and working with the Children of Beauty for Ashes. The Sisters only stayed one week and the Elders stayed almost two. The second half of the ministers trip was spent in Davao City, Mindanao.

Following are some selected excerpts from several brief journals of this trip as written by Elder Darrel Chambers:

First, I want to thank all who kept us in your prayers during this trip. We stayed on the go almost non-stop the entire trip. This trip was unique in that our wives accompanied Elder Gus Harter and me. Our wives stayed in Davao City and ministered to the children of Beauty for Ashes (or were ministered to by the children of Beauty for Ashes – a mutual ministry occurred). The children of Beauty for Ashes were as precious as ever. We were glad to see them happy, healthy and well adjusted to life even without the Harter’s presence. They were so glad to see Sister Betty Jo and Brother Gus and took every opportunity to be by their side. It was amazing to see their labor and discipline. They dutifully performed chores all over the farm and preparing meals, etc. I never even noticed the workers giving a word of instruction or correction. It was obvious they were well trained and seemed to perform their work with joy and devotion. They were engaged in singing and devotion from the word of God each evening before bedtime. The boys and girls have separate living quarters and also conducted their devotions separately. The Harters were obviously pleased and relieved to see the children doing so well and being so well adjusted. I believe Sister Harter was resigned to return home with a peaceful feeling that her “children” were well cared for and prospering in life.

Another unique feature of this trip was that instead of traveling extensively among the various churches in the Philippines, we traveled to 3 central locations and had the ministers and some church members travel to visit us. The exception to this was that we did travel around the Metro-Manila area and visit various churches in that area. We limited our travels due to concerns over safety of travel in some of the remote regions. However, the ministers seemed to enjoy their trips to visit with us and other ministers. I missed traveling to the remote areas and seeing more of the members and their living conditions, but recognize this was a necessity for safety. Although I have faith in God’s protection and provision, I also recognize the need to be wise regarding safety. I suspect that being reckless and careless would be equivalent to tempting God. When Satan tempted Jesus to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple so that he would demonstrate being the Son of God by having angels bear Him up, Jesus replied, “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy God.” In other words, Jesus would not knowingly put Himself in harms way just to prove God’s protection over Him. Neither should we.

I greatly enjoyed the fellowship with our brethren, but more importantly I enjoyed seeing these brethren fellowshipping and encouraging one another. Many of these brethren are located in remote areas and have little opportunity for regular fellowship and meeting together. We wanted to encourage such fellowship and visitation among the Filipinos. The Filipino ministers preached most of the sermons with Gus and I having a more limited part than on previous trips. Still we preached every day and sometimes multiple times daily. We are hoping these men will develop a more independent reliance on American brethren and rely on God and their brethren closer to home for encouragement, reinforcement, correction, instruction, etc.

We spent the majority of the first half of our trip in Manila, which is very dirty and polluted. I would wipe my arms or face with a handkerchief and it would have what appeared to be black soot all over it. Even the inside of my nostrils would turn a Q-tip black. But, the Metro-Manila area of the Philippines is one of the most exciting areas we visited. There are churches in various quadrants of this huge city of over 13 Million people. They are evangelizing others in this area and 6 preachers were ordained on this trip some of which were baptized 1-2 years ago. These men came from different backgrounds and we had two days with them with the ordination on the afternoon of the second day (Saturday). We had thorough conversations and scriptural examinations of these men. They are extremely well studied and some are brilliant. The ordination was perhaps the longest and definitely the hardest I’ve participated in here or in the states (for the candidate examination portion). Some of their questions were very difficult; but, I am happy to say, these men answered all questions extremely well. Their own Filipino brethren asked the toughest questions. They asked them not only to explain their beliefs on all major points of doctrine and practice, but to also explain some of the toughest scriptures in the New Testament. Their answers would perhaps rival the answers of some of our most able and seasoned preachers in the states.

One of the most exciting accounts we were informed of was the news of more outreaches, outside interests, church growth and evangelistic efforts among some of these brethren. One minister in particular (I hate to single him out by name for fear of stirring jealousy) had been instrumental in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth and for helping establish new churches and outreaches in the Manila area. We asked this dear brother to share with us and the other ministers what he did. Basically, he befriended people, attempted to meet their needs, and patiently over time presented small amounts of truths and scriptural principles. He was never pushy to those who objected and waited for them to respond before dropping the next golden nugget of truth. He is also diligent to constantly be visiting, encouraging and sharing more of God’s precious truths. This labor takes devotion of time and effort that was very evident. This brother was extremely esteemed as one who has brought so many to the knowledge of the truth and been willing to share precious truths to God’s hungering children. I hope I can be a student of his example and be more willing and zealous to share these precious truths with others outside our local assembly in America.

All of the services were extremely well attended and the people were excited and still freshly in love with the doctrines of Grace. We met one day with ministers from Bacolod (Negros Island), Guimaras Island and IloIlo and learned they are doing quite well. Elder Harter had been concerned because he was hearing little from that area and had not recently visited them. There were several ministers of other denominations in attendance and some seemed very eager to learn more about the doctrines of Grace and had lots of questions. Before the meeting was over, they at least understood the doctrines of Grace, temporal salvation, and how consistent these doctrines are with the totality of scripture and logical thinking (they seemed excited). We are hopeful some will fully embrace these doctrines. I baptized a preacher in this area that had converted to these doctrines and desired to be a Primitive Baptist. He is already building a new building on a main road out in the countryside community in which he lives. He has several converts that are helping and planning to constitute a church some day at a later time. While in this area, I was blessed to spend time with my old friend Nolli Hechanova from Bacolod, and he looked very well. He has many hardships (even more than many Filipinos) but is full of faith and zeal.

On this particular night in Ilo Ilo, we met at a YMCA building where a group regularly meets for worship services. Elder Efran Delmo meets with this group and hopes to one day constitute a church here. On this evening the rented room was almost full and the meeting was attended by several PB ministers, several ministers of other denominations who are inquiring about the doctrines of grace, Elder Delmo’s 21 year old daughter, and 3 of her friends of other denominations.

After 2-3 songs (very beautiful singing) we preached over the noise of a street festival (they were celebrating the Chinese New Year) and then the wailing of Muslims in prayer. Both Elder Harter and I spoke on the basic doctrines of grace followed by a methodical presentation of the doctrines of grace and the phases of salvation contained in the handout that Elder Harter routinely uses both in the states and abroad. This was followed by a very good question and answer session in which we answered many good and typical questions. The local PB ministers provided many comments and answers and did an excellent job of defending the faith and distinguishing between eternal and temporal salvation. We also distinguished the purpose of the gospel from the work of the Holy Spirit. The answers all seemed to be well received.

At this point it is probably good to note that the work in the Philippines is not one of attempting to steal other congregations or sheep from other congregations. The reality though is that as men have shared their newly learned doctrines with their friends and family, they have successfully taught many that previously believed other doctrines the truth. Several ministers have been successful at teaching their former congregations and converting them all. Others have left everything, including congregations and family, to follow the truth. Men come to the PB church of their own free will after they have learned the truths we hold dear. Yet, even with this conversion of Christians to a new and more accurate doctrine, the Filipinos are also zealously teaching those in their communities who had not previously been associated with any other Christian religion. But, for many who were very active in another denomination, their friends and family are also members of their former denomination and are interested in learning about the new doctrines their brother has found and why he left his former group to join with those folks called Primitive Baptists. They are afforded a wonderful opportunity to share their new beliefs and seem to be successful in instructing and converting others.

I wanted to share an example of some of the hardships and sad news that often accompanies the ministers in the PI so that you would have a flavor of what some are going through. I will share some of the experiences and expressions of Bro. Roseller “Rolly” Nemeno who lives and serves churches and outreaches near Molave. Eld. Nemeno is a man I have met on both trips before. He is himself unhealthy and has an ongoing problem that requires medication. He is not financially able to pay the ~$80/mo for the medicine he needs. Yet he doesn’t complain. I would guess Bro. Rolly to weigh less than 100#. Bro. Rolly has been a faithful servant for several years and is a good preacher. He is very soft spoken, but when I heard him preach in his native language of Cebuano on my last trip, the congregation was very responsive to his message.

Bro. Rolly has a wonderful family and his son Marjone is very talented with singing and leading singing. His wife is a very supportive preachers wife and a loving mother. Sadly, they lost one of their 5 sons to a swimming accident last year. David (Dave) had gone with his friends to swim in the ocean and drowned while doing so. Eld Nemeno said he rejoices in the knowledge that his son is still alive in the paradise of heaven, though they grieve over the loss of him here. He said, “God is still in control, Peace be still.”

Bro. Rolly showed me a photo album containing several pictures of churches, baptisms, our visit last year, etc. One of the pictures showed Eld. Shannon Whipp with Romeo Canama and his wife. This past November 8, Romeo was murdered by his own brother over a land dispute.

Bro. Rolly showed me a picture of himself baptizing a young teenager. This young man was later murdered during a random attack by the MILF (Moro International Liberation Front), a terrorist organization of rebels that is prominent in Mindanao. The attack occurred in Lanao del Norte in 2008 and several were killed. Bro. Rolly said he had to travel through several kilometers of MILF infested area to walk to some of the churches and outreaches he serves. He asks for our prayers for his safety as he ministers to God’s children in these remote areas.

He also showed me a picture of him baptizing several rebel returnees who repented and joined the church. One of them was murdered in Oct. 08, also by his brother over a land dispute. Apparently when these people leave and return from being a rebel, there may be some disputes about family restoration of property rights.

During one of our meetings with the ministers from Mindanao, Elder Rolly Nemeno spoke on Glory through Suffering. Elder Nemeno shared many of his feelings and experiences of the past year due to the loss of so many beloved brethren and his own son. Some of the scriptures he used were 1Cor 10:31, Tit 2:13, Rom 8:25. I noted the following statement during his discourse, “Do not look to America; but, look to God.” Elder Nemeno had never preached in English before and was very conscientious regarding the language barrier. However, he preached well and his message was well received.

Since my last trip, Bro. Rolly has left his secular job as an electronics technician after over 20 years service. He said he wanted to devote more time to the ministry as his job was hindering him from conducting several bible studies in outlying areas during the week. He is faithful that God will provide. He has researched the growing of bonsai and has begun to raise and manage the bonsai plants behind the church building as a source of income for his family.

I asked Bro. Rolly what were his greatest needs besides monthly medications. He said that a good quality mountain bike would help him to climb the very rocky mountain roads he travels through the MILF areas to serve churches. He said a good quality bike costs a little over 5,000 pesos (apx. $100 – $150). Funds were provided for the purchase of a mountain bike before we left the Philippines.

The most touching thing about my conversation with Bro. Rolly was his relating to me about his prayers for us. He named me about 1 dozen U.S. preachers that he said he prayed for by name every day and he rattled off the names by memory (including mine). These were men that had visited him or helped him in some way in the past. He said he could never help us financially, so he helped us with spiritual blessings by praying for us daily. I was so touched and appreciative of his prayers on my behalf.

The hardships that Elder Rolly Nemeno experiences are fairly common for the Filipinos. Though some hardships are different at different locations, I believe it is fair to say, the Filipino’s in general have many more hardships than the average American Primitive Baptist. I don’t say this to criticize us or to glorify them. I want to encourage God’s children everywhere to remain faithful and trust in God in the face of hardships and trials. It is encouraging for me to witness joy among brethren who are persecuted and are suffering for the cause of Christ. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to be a single witness among a great cloud of their witnesses to their faith. I am also glad to have witnessed and experienced the faithfulness of God to keep His promises. Although my mind has acknowledged this truth about God for years, there is something about experiences make these truths more real and personal.

Even in the face of these hardships we heard many encouraging and uplifting messages. For instance, Elder Constacio Tejada spoke on “Gods care in times of crisis” using Phil 4:19-20 as his text. He also spoke of the experiences of the Children of Israel. He described the book of Numbers as a book of murmuring and a book of wandering. He made the following general observations about the first 4 books of the bible: In Genesis, man is ruined. In Exodus, man is redeemed, In Leviticus, man is worshiping. In Numbers, man is serving a Living God. He related that this sequence is the same for man today. Serving is an evidence, not a cause of redemption. He spoke of the Children of Israel’s wandering experience when they had no blade of grass, no drop of water, no visible means of support, no road for direction; but, God provided everything they needed for 40 years. Oh! How God provides for His people in times of crisis. He said that sometimes in our lives there is no visible means of support, but God. Then he related how, last August, he had no rice, no pesos, etc. He said that God’s reasoning in times of crisis was for man to learn that we must trust in Him and not in man. He said that just like the Children of Israel murmured, I murmur many times. But Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water.

Elder Harter and I attempted to encourage our Filipino Brethren to work together to resolve issues and to use Matthew 18 and Gal 6 as a pattern for laboring together and resolving differences. We also encouraged them not to divide into clichés over minor or non-essential differences. We were thankful to see them receptive to these instructions and to see many brethren “hardshelling” (ministers setting together and discussing scriptures) and enjoying fellowship like I have witnessed all my life among Old Baptists in the USA. It is so important to recognize the need for fellowship and brotherly admonition by God’s people in all parts of the world.

We were also successful in encouraging the candidates for baptism to allow their pastors to baptize on this trip. I only baptized one person, but more than ten were baptized during our trip. Several others were awaiting baptism by their pastors. I don’t remember Elder Harter baptizing any. I was careful to point out that I would not refuse to baptize, but that I thought it was much more appropriate for the pastors to baptize their own members. We also encouraged most of the participation in the ordinations be performed by the home ministers. I was reminded of 2 Cor 1:24, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” If we attempt to exercise dominion over them, we shall all fail miserably. Verse 21 also states, “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God.” These brethren will stand by God’s grace and their faith in Him and His word. He is the one that has established and anointed them. To God be the glory! I count it a privilege to have witnessed God’s work and to have been blessed to have a small portion of service to the One who has blessed me so greatly.

Elder Gus Harter seemed as strong as ever although he celebrated his 70th Birthday during this trip. I did notice that he doesn’t climb into Jeepney’s as limberly as he once did. His preaching and teaching during the entire trip were excellent and extremely well received by our Filipino Brethren.

I will close this account by saying again, that I was very encouraged by the soundness of these brethren and their zeal to labor diligently in the Kingdom of God to the glory of God. Overall, these brethren are still basking in their first love for the Lord and their newfound understanding of the glorious doctrines of grace. It is refreshing and exciting to see their zeal and to become more zealous as a result. My prayer to God is that they will continue to be blessed both Spiritually and naturally. I am deeply saddened by the persecution of these people by the Muslims and other militant groups. It is disturbing to see the living conditions of some, especially in and around the city of Manila. People live on the streets and many have very little opportunity to make a decent living. Even with the hardships we are facing in America due to economic problems, we are still much more blessed than most Filipinos. May we remember to be less complaining and more thankful to God; for we truly are blessed. I encourage everyone to keep these precious brethren in your prayers and to help them in any other way you can.

Blessings,

Darrel Chambers

It is with joyous reflection that I pen down some accounts of my recent trip to the Philippines. On this trip, I was accompanied by Elder Shannon Whipp, pastor of Radnor Primitive Baptist Church near Nashville, TN. Elder Whipp proved to be a faithful and enjoyable traveling companion and I will cherish the memory of our time together. This, my second trip in 2007, was truly a greater blessing for me than I had imagined beforehand. Though the Filipino’s speak of the blessing we are to them, I have found that they are the greater blessing to me. I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for His gracious providential care and bountiful blessings towards one so unworthy as I am to be so highly blessed with the great privileges this trip afforded. There were many new and different experiences, but also some familiar ones that I rejoiced to experience once again.
The schedule for this trip was fast and full. Except for one day, there was little time for rest, study, journaling, or any other leisurely activities. Yet, there was much fellowship, conversation, worship, instruction, preaching, teaching, and adventure. Adventure is a word that doesn’t seem to fit the previous list of descriptive activities, but one that I did experience. Who could argue that the lives of many men of God, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures, were not lives of great adventure? For this brief period of my life, every day for 2 weeks was filled with activities that I would describe as godly adventures. There were times that I could relate to an Indiana Jones movie, except the treasure I sought were the rich experiences in the labors of my Master. The timely rewards of our Savior are much more precious than the golden jewels buried in any of the Pharaohs’ ancient tombs.

After arriving in the Philippines and getting a good night’s sleep, the activities began with an exciting meeting with several men who had been meeting with some of the local Philippine Primitive Baptist ministers. They had been studying the doctrines of grace, as embraced by the Primitive Baptists, and were interested in learning more about our beliefs, church practices, and discipline. It was refreshing to see the reflections of joy in the faces of these men as we presented New Testament doctrines and practices, and then answered their questions. Many of our answers were initially skeptically received until further biblical proofs and explanations were provided. It was equally exciting to hear some of the local Filipino ministers answer questions and raise questions that they were raising just to make some important points they wanted these inquirers to hear. In particular, I was impressed with their articulate distinctions between some men’s ideas of gospel regeneration and the immediate Holy Spirit regeneration taught in the scriptures and believed by the Primitive Baptists. I was amazed at our Filipino brethren’s adamant stand that anyone who taught the experience of the Philippian jailer as described in Acts Ch. 16 as a method to obtain eternal salvation was considered by them to be an heretic. Though I totally agreed with their assessment, the fact they felt this was important to bring out in this meeting with these inquirers was very impressive to me. It seems that several of them had come out of a Reformed Calvinistic religion or some Arminian religion and had heard this lesson misapplied to the point of disgust. I appreciated their bold stance and clear teachings to these inquiring potential converts. I was also impressed when there was no hesitation or wavering by Elder Harter to address their questions regarding the need for baptism before there could be any recognition of these men as Primitive Baptists. This would be followed by a period of preaching and then re-ordination before they would be recognized as gospel ministers with the rites to exercise the ordinances of the church. Before the meeting was over, some of these men were already recognizing their need to be baptized and expressing a desire to unite with us. It was very encouraging to see the excitement on the faces of these inquirers as they heard about our strict church discipline and to hear them express disdain for the false teaching of “easy believism” – the teaching that we can easily believe for salvation and then be content to continue in sin that grace may abound.
This meeting was quickly followed by several worship services, 20 baptisms, 2 ordinations of ministers, and 2 church constitutions. We met with several fellowships and outreaches that were not yet constituted, some of which did not yet have a public building for worship other than a home. We met in the homes of those interested in our doctrines, those suffering hardships, those who were faithful members, those who are faithful servants or ministers, and even in the home of a business owner who has a heart to help spread the gospel and aid churches of a variety of denominations. This all occurred in the space of about 3-4 days with barely time to catch our breaths between activities. On some days, the travel and activities took the better part of 18-20 hours. We traveled to several remote areas, wondered across beautiful tropical islands, drove through a maze of muddy paths through hundreds of acres of sugar cane fields and witnessed a joyous people who are rich in the Lord’s blessings despite their often plight of great poverty of earthly goods. We saw old church buildings, primitive church buildings, new bamboo buildings, buildings under construction, nice facilities, new concrete buildings, and buildings that were the handiwork of several American preachers and deacons. I was especially touched as we met in a building that was constructed with the aid of several American brethren I love and respect, including the late Elder James Pruitt. We often sat on primitive split log seats, bamboo seats, plastic seats, and preached in a variety of environments. We saw the fruit of the love offerings of many faithful American members and most especially through it all, we saw the manifold blessings of God. One common denominator in all the church meetings was that there were a large percentage of children in every congregation, and the services were filled with zeal and joy – especially the song services. This time of year was the rainy season in the Philippines, and it rained every day or night (at least a little) that we were there. Many of the church services were held during the middle of the workweek and often during the middle of the day. Several members were unable to attend as a result. However, the weather was often the biggest factor in the absence of some members. Sometimes members were unable to cross the swollen rivers to make it to the meetinghouses. Others were hesitant to tread through the mud and downpours to walk the several miles they normally walked to church services. Some of the mountain roads were washed out or had mudslides and were impassible by car. One minister rode a motorcycle for 7 hours to attend a meeting with us. He didn’t have the money to pay for his gas, but was glad to make the trip when we sent word via a text message that we would pay for his gas. The pastors always seemed apologetic regarding the numbers attending the services, although most were well attended, especially for the time of day and week that many occurred, and considering the weather conditions. I often wondered why so many Filipino’s thought it necessary to have a PA system in the small buildings they often meet in. These PA systems are usually nothing more than an inexpensive Karaoke machine. But, now I know how hard it is to preach over the deafening sound of a monsoon on a tin roof and recognize the necessity. I also recognize the very noisy environment around many of the churches that have to be overcome by the preacher’s voice. Many of the churches located in crowded towns have to compete with the constant sound of car horns, blasting radios, etc. I was especially touched by the sincerity of the young members who were baptized during this trip. We carefully instructed and questioned the candidates prior to baptizing them. They all appeared younger than they actually were. Some, in their mid 20’s appeared to us to be young teenagers. It was moving to baptize the wife of a pastor we were about to ordain. She had previously been satisfied with the baptism in her former religion; but had recently become convinced to be baptized again. She could now serve as a member of the church that her husband was about to be ordained to pastor, and he seemed very happy that she was submitting to baptism. This same man was one I had witnessed being baptized in January. He had served as a Charismatic minister prior to converting to the Primitive Baptists. The pastor closed the baptismal service with prayer, standing with both hands lifted upwards toward heaven as he praised and thanked God. Later, they both seemed very happy during the ordination service as they sat together during the charge with big smiles on their faces. Most of the baptisms occurred in rented swimming pools, but one baptismal service was held in a river. I performed this service and was surprised at how swift and rough the water was. It was during this service that I had water splash into my mouth during the baptism of one sister. While baptizing another, my foot slipped and I thought we were about to be swept downstream. I was glad to regain my footing after taking a couple of steps. Later, I was surprised at how calm the water looked in the photographs in comparison to how it looked in reality. I was glad that we suffered no ill effects from the swift and rocky stream; however, I did suffer the consequences of that mouthful of dirty water and had some stomach problems for much of the trip. I was also not as careful and ate more of the food that was not prepackaged or well cooked. I enjoyed eating the food, but not the results. Since January, when we visited the city of Bacolod on the Island of Negros, Elder Nolli Hechanova and the congregation there had purchased a lot containing a rough building. From that they had built a beautiful church building. The church, Gleam of Hope Primitive Baptist, had not only been upgraded from a crude building already on the lot, but freshly painted, a new tin roof installed (to replace the original leaky palm thatch roof), and a Comfort Room (CR) added. (In America, we call a CR a restroom). Elder Hechanova lived in an adjacent building that had open lattice walls, a dirt floor, and a bamboo bed (no mattress). All the children slept in one room and Elder and Sister Hechanova slept on the bamboo bed in the living room. The only other room in the small house was a kitchen. Elder Hechanova is a very humble man that is sincerely dedicated to serving our Lord. I grew to love this servant of God on my first trip. During both trips, he served as our chauffeur and guide while we were on Negros Island. Elder Hechanova gave up much when he grew to know and love the doctrines of Grace. He left a church with approximately 300 members, a good salary, a ceiled and air-conditioned house, a car, and his children’s enrollment in a private school to become a Primitive Baptist. He did this to joyously preach the truth he now understands and to serve the Lord by pastoring His children. The Hechanova’s struggle to not complain, especially when the floods from the monsoons run into their home and muddy the dirt floor. He says he constantly reminds his wife and children that their small sacrifices are worth the joy of being blessed to know, understand, and teach the truth. After all, God sacrificed His only begotten Son for them and has providentially cared for them in so many ways, how could they complain? His wife has been healed twice from cancer and he has learned to trust in the Lord’s providence and to pray often. Since returning from this trip, I was saddened to receive a call from Elder Hechanova saying that he and his wife had been involved in an accident and his wife was in much pain in the hospital and had already undergone surgery for a broken collarbone. Recent letters have indicated that Sister Hechanova is recovering and feeling much better. The expense from this accident seems insurmountable to him at this time. I not only pray for the Lord’s blessing but know of more than one donor that has helped the Hechanova’s with a portion of the needed funds to help them through this trying time. I do hope Elder Hechanova’s wife will have a full and speedy recovery and that God will touch the hearts of others to help them through this trying time. During the service at Gleam of Hope PBC, the rain poured and the noise on the tin roof sounded like we were standing beside a speeding freight train. However, the congregation was very attentive and responsive. I was more overcome with emotion during this service than any other. I was filled with joy over the providence of God, the fruit of Elder Nolli’s labors, the good and efficient use of the funds that had been donated by American donors, and the zeal of this congregation. I believe this congregation will continue to grow and prosper under the guidance of this humble man of God. This church is located in a very poor squatter’s area of Bacolod. Though the members are mostly poor in worldly goods, they are richly blessed with joy and love. While in Negros we visited several outreaches and churches in remote areas of sugar cane plantations. On one occasion, while returning home from night services, the wheel of the van slid into a 4 foot deep trench that had been apparently dug by a backhoe. The walls of this trench were straight down and grown up with tall grass so that it was not even apparent from driving down the road that there was a ditch there. These trenches were common around the sugarcane fields. They are used to drain the water in rainy seasons and irrigate the fields in dry seasons. When the wheel went into the ditch, the van almost rolled over and remained at a steep angle with the bottom of the van resting on the road. This made it very difficult to get out. In fact, Elder Harter had difficulty getting out and a zealous Filipino, in an effort to help him lift his foot, wrenched his knee and Elder Harter suffered with a limp and pain the rest of the time we were there. About fifteen of us tried pushing and pulling the van, and even with the assistance of a jeepney attached by a cable, we were not able to pull the van from the ditch. While we were stranded there and wondering how or if we would get the van out, one of the young sisters (about 13 or 14 yrs. old) from the church we had just visited began singing songs of praise. She had a beautiful voice and I was amazed at how calming the singing was. The whole mood of the situation changed and I was reminded of how Paul and Silas had sung songs of praise after being beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. Finally we started all lifting the van and moving it over 1-2 inches at a time until we were able to get the wheel out of the ditch enough to pull it out with the other vehicle. While we were in Mindanao, Elder Harter had to fly to Manila to take care of business at the American Embassy to be able to bring his children back to the US. He arranged for Elder Whipp and I to be escorted by Elders Constacio Tojada and Manolo Dalman during his absence. Both of these faithful servants have been preaching for the Primitive Baptists for several years and are still contending for the faith. They have both traveled to the United States and preached among our people here. They sacrificed several days of their time to travel with us. Elder Dalman also provided the use of his car as we traveled several hundred kilometers across some rough and dangerous parts of Mindanao. I grew to know and love these dear brethren more on this trip and will cherish many of the memories of this time with them. I will especially cherish the memory of the one service in which we were blessed to hear several Filipino ministers preach, including our two companions. While traveling through Mindanao in Elder Dalman’s car, we actually broke a main accessory belt while ascending a mountain road in a Muslim controlled section. We spent several hours on the side of this mountain with a very scenic view of the countryside below. It took a couple of hours for Elder Tejada to ride a rented motorcycle back to a neighboring town to get a part and return. Then, we discovered the new belt was too small and he had to make the trip again. Overall we were stranded for about 6 hours in the humid sweltering heat. Some of the local church members drove to where we were stranded and picked up Elder Whipp, who went ahead to the destination and preached and met with some of the members while we took care of the car. We were able to make the evening service that night though. It was while stranded here and waiting for parts that I was able to meet some of the local children that attended a 1 room school across the road from where we were stranded. They were playing basketball on a small court with a broken goal. I played with them awhile and then while we were resting under the overhang of the school building during an afternoon shower, Elder Dalman informed me we were in a Muslim controlled area. He also told me that he and Elder Tejada had inquired when we first broke down and determined we were safe. But, being in a Muslim area, I took the opportunity to speak to the children about Jonah being swallowed by a whale. I then related this to the 3 days and nights that Jesus body lay in the tomb and how he died to pay for our sins and then rose from the grave. They had never heard of Jonah and most had never heard of Jesus. It is unclear how much they understood of my accounts of Jesus and Jonah. But I was glad to make use of this time by sharing a little bit of information about my Savior and His great sacrifice for His people. I was greatly blessed again to visit with the Harters and their precious adopted children and to spend time in their home. It was amazing to see the difference in the physical condition of Sister Betty Jo Harter since January. God has indeed miraculously blessed her with a great recovery of her ability to walk. Although she still has much pain at times, she is at least mobile and very active. I am sure that she must feel that the progress has been slow in coming, but I marvel at how well she appears to be. The Harter children seemed to really fall in love with Elder Shannon Whipp as did the children in most places we visited. He not only has a wonderful gift to preach, but was also blessed to communicate and relate to the younger folks in many of the congregations. Somewhere along the way, Elder Whipp picked up the nickname of “Goliath” because of his stature. However, Elder Harter’s secretary, Rey jokingly commented, “I thought Goliath had muscles?” On our last evening in the Harter’s home, the younger children decorated “Goliath” with their blankets, crawled all over him, gave him a new hairdo as he made funny faces, and the children giggled a lot. The scene was so funny, that I could barely stop laughing long enough to take a few pictures. This was a fun and relaxing break from the very serious labor we were conducting during the rest of the trip. We visited Providence Primitive Baptist Church and spoke on Sunday Morning and Night. I spoke to Providence Church on Sunday Night about the scriptural examples of having multiple elders serve them. They will be served by 3 capable pastors once Elder Harter leaves. I admonished them from the scriptures and used many personal experiences that I have had while serving as a pastor of a church with two other pastors. (Elder Gene Thomas and Elder Leon Etheredge) I was also blessed to spend time with the 3 pastors and answer questions regarding my experiences and several biblical principles that I feel are very applicable to their situation. We also visited Beauty for Ashes and witnessed the progress of the newly completed facilities. It was a joy once again to see the children of Beauty for Ashes and to hear them sing songs of praise to God. They had prepared banners and personalized pictures and letters they had colored for me and Elder Whipp. Their new facilities are great, and the children are surrounded by a caring and capable staff. We were pleased to tour the facilities and to see the excellent provisions that have been built with donations from so many caring people. The farming operation had expanded since the January visit. It is very productive, and has the prospects of providing most of their food as well as extra cash crops to keep the workers employed so that Beauty for Ashes may be somewhat financially self-sustaining. On the return leg of our trip we traveled back to Luzon and preached in the Manila area. There, we had a meeting with over 100 ministers of mostly Charismatic backgrounds. This is a multi-denominational group of ministers that meets monthly, and we had been granted the opportunity to speak at one of their monthly meetings. We presented the doctrines of grace and gave out many books (mostly books authored by Elder Michael Gowens) and some of the standard TULIP flyers that Elder Harter has distributed here and in the US for many years. We met for several hours and the doctrines appeared to be well received by many. After about two hours of preaching on the phases of Salvation by Elder Harter, each of us made a presentation of one of the doctrines of grace. We were each allowed to choose the topic we would present. I chose to speak on the Preservation of the Saints and enjoyed discussing this doctrine with those who, as a group, often do not believe that our salvation is eternally sure. It is a great blessing and assurance to know that our salvation is just as sure as our Savior and rests on His finished work and strength to maintain the everlasting covenant with His Father. This was a very exciting meeting for all of us and the local Primitive Baptist Ministers in the Manila area who also attended. Two of the Filipino ministers presented two of the discourses. We heard many say, “Amen” on several occasions. At the conclusion of the presentation though, as expected, we did receive some rebuttals and questions regarding the points we taught. One member of this group, who is a Reformed Calvinist, was very excited to have these doctrines presented, although he disagreed with a couple of our teachings (as we did with his). I think Elder Harter gave out about 150 copies of the various books and pamphlets he brought and seemed very excited about the prospects from this meeting. We concluded the session with a short question and answer session followed by photographs with the group. Overall, this was a very blessed trip. The time was filled with joyous services and instructions in the word of God. Many new friendships were developed and familiar friends were met again. More time was spent in the remote areas where we met with local congregations and actually saw the living conditions and beautiful landscapes of the countryside. Though many Filipinos are poor in this world’s goods, I have found them to be rich in the Spiritual blessings of God. In comparison, I fear many of our American brethren are growing colder to their Spiritual needs and neglecting the blessed service of God while growing richer in worldly goods. The concept of giving to those in need is a scriptural one and there are many blessings to be experienced when we are obedient to this command. Many have been blessed to participate in this service and the recipients have been blessed by your gifts. Yet the ones I fear that are in the greatest need are those in America who are rich in this worlds goods and poor in Spiritual things. It is easy to see one’s natural poverty, but Satan attempts to deceive us into believing we have no spiritual needs. Oftentimes, I find myself in the condition of a Laodicean – God forgive and God help!

By traveling to the Philippines, I have once again been given a great gift that I hope will be used of God to overcome some of my Spiritual poverty. Let us remember that God has a poor and afflicted people all over this world. Many of His children in the Philippines are a meek and loving people who are thankful to be associated with the Primitive Baptists. Let us be equally thankful to be associated with such loving, devoted, and faithful brethren as these precious Children of God are. Let us remember to reach out to those around us and let our lights shine to the glory of God. Let us also remember to encourage, help and support those of like precious faith wherever they are in this world. It is easy to find fault and criticize others and become like the Pharisees. But, I’d rather have the fellowship that Christ showed the sinners, than the rebuke He gave the Pharisees. I will cherish my precious memories among God’s children and my brethren in Christ, both here and abroad.