Traders Point Church of Christ -- Brothers preach in Philippines

So said J. R. Bronger when a broken-down car on a narrow, rural road far from the nearest Philippine town left him and brothers Dwayne Bronger and Morgan Tharp temporarily stranded. Difficult travel, poor facilities, and generally primitive conditions frequently left J. R., Dwayne, and Morgan vulnerable as they moved from town to town preaching the Gospel in the south Philippines.

Despite these challenges, the brothers reported success when they returned from their two-week Philippine trip at the end of June. Each of them preached several times a day during their stay, frequently delivering unscheduled, extemporaneous sermons. They saw 48 people obey the Gospel, putting on Christ in baptism.

The brothers also met with elders and preachers at several congregations of the Lord's church during their trip. They were delighted to find faithful men leading the congregations there. J. R. remarked, "The Gospel is alive and well in the Philippines."

Much of the Philippines is economically depressed. Morgan described the country as "almost third world." People have few possessions, make very little money, and subsist on a diet of mostly rice. "Wherever we went, they fixed us fried chicken, which is what you feed guests there," Morgan said, because it is available and not prohibitively expensive. "We ate a lot of rice and fried chicken," said Morgan. The impoverished conditions did lead to a few humorous moments. Animals frequently wandered in and out of the often crude structures that served as church buildings. At the end of one sermon, when listeners were invited to obey the Gospel, "a dog was among those who walked to the front," Morgan said. The dog was not baptized.