Philippine Report for Wednesday (4/19/06)
April 19, 2006
from Harry Osborne in Tuguegarao, Luzon, Philippines

The Wednesday classes have gone well as we are now functioning in an order routine. The classes are already underway with Rody teaching when Steve arrives each morning for his 9am class. Mike and I wait until just before my 10am class before we come over from the hotel. Mike does some preparation for his class while I am teaching mine. I work on reports, materials to be prepared and other work while he and Steve teach.

In my morning class, we studied 1st Timothy 2:8 -13 and dealt with modest dress at some length – no pun intended. When we saw all that the Bible said about what rendered one “naked” in biblical terms if left uncovered, they readily saw the need cover the body from the shoulders down past the thighs. It is amazing how little argument there is on the subject, even among those who have not practiced such, if they will simply accept the Bible teaching on the subject and not seek to replace it with modern societal values.

In my last afternoon class on Church History, we examined the beginning of the early reformers who set the stage for the main Reformation Movement. In the class on Issue That Divided Brethren, we studied the Scriptures on the music commanded by God for worship under the gospel. Of course, instrumental music is widely practiced in the denominational world here just as it is in America. There was good participation as we dealt with most of the typical arguments to justify instrumental music in worship and showed the fallacy of such efforts. The students seemed to feel much more confident in their ability to defend the truth after the study. Throughout the class, they were taking notes very well and clearly showing their deep interest in the study.

It is such a joy to teach these young men who come up to you after each class and thank you for the teaching. Rody has taught them to express their respect and appreciation to others as a part of their daily life, not just these classes. They are required to write their parents and their families several times to express their thanks. Ron Halbrook also has them write to explain what all they are learning and how they want to use the blessings they have received in preaching the gospel. I am requiring each student to write a letter to their parents thanking them for their work in raising them, correcting any outstanding wrongs on sons’ part and expressing a desire that all join together in the work of the Lord as they help each other get to heaven. During these classes, we are not just trying to teach these men an academic knowledge of the Bible, but how it must be applied and how to live as servants of God. They are showing great growth and maturity as they are progressing in many ways.

Today, we installed a wireless network in Rody’s office so that several of us can be online at the same time. One of the great delays in sending out reports and doing research via the internet is waiting for others to finish with the one computer hooked up for going online. With the addition of this new capability, we will all be aided in doing our work more easily. The cost was not very great, but the benefit has already been well worth it.

As for the daily life matters, this morning was the first time I heard the 4am bell ringer at the Catholic Church building. The bells are directly across from Mike and Steve’s room so they bear a much greater problem with ding-dongs. With Mike’s military background, I have put him in charge of devising a plan to take out the bells. He is now deciding what caliber of gun or type of RPG, bazooka or other artillery would be best for the job. Since he is a pilot having flown both jets and Blackhawk helicopters, I am sure he would prefer that platform, but I doubt they would be easy to come by in this area. We will let you know how that goes J.

Supper is getting near and we must go eat and then get to the evening service. Last night, we did some work with the maps. Tonight, we will not have long to teach as it is the regular mid-week service of the church here and that will take the bulk of our time. The Lord willing, we will return to our lessons on use of the cross-reference Bible, maps, concordance and Bible dictionary tomorrow night.

Thank you again for your gracious help in making these classes possible. Without your support, this effort would not be possible. With your sacrifice, these 24 men are being given a great opportunity to learn and grow in service to God and others in a way that will aid the cause of Christ. There is no way for us to know all of the good that will be done as a result of these classes, but God will know and He will richly bless your efforts to assist in this training program. For my part, I want to thank you for making it possible for me to be a part of this work. With each year I teach in this program, I am encouraged and challenged to a greater commitment to the Lord and His work. Without your help and prayers, I would not have this great blessing in my life. Mere words cannot express my gratitude for being given this opportunity.

Brotherly, Harry O.

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