When I get unsolicited emails, I generally put them on the web site because I want other brethren to know that requests are being sent out broadly. I'm not saying that I believe you are trying to deceive anyone. I am saying that information given needs to be confirmed and checked. For example, you didn't mention your young age in your early notes. This may not make a difference to some and a strong difference to others. Since brethren in the United States don't know the area, I also tried to find the distances you were traveling. I merely noted that I could not find Lunay, so I couldn't check or record the distances. One of the problems existing in the Philippines is that preachers have a habit of not living in the area where they preach. That is a point I've been trying to make brethren aware of. It means the preacher is not in good contract with the brethren he is working with and his cost of travel is inflated. It might be justified when comparing the cost of living in the region, but again it is a factor that brethren considering helping need to consider. One final concern is that you mentioned twice not having enough to eat, yet you live at home and have enough funds for Internet service. Again, there are probably good reasons, but these are things brethren considering supporting you would want to think about and check into.
I'll post your explanation in a few days.
Jeffrey W. Hamilton
Minister at the La Vista Church of Christ near Omaha, Nebraska
http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org
Owner of Pistos Computer Services and Pistos Books and Supplies
http://www.pistos.com
On 7/13/2010 7:38 PM, men mark tumandan wrote:
Dear Brother Jeff Hamilton,
Grace, Mercy and Peace be unto you
From God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord
My dear brother Jeff, I am worried and my heart breaks when I search my name in the computer then I found out that my name was published in http://www.pistos.com/corruption/index.htm, in Philippine Corruption Website.
You have said that you did not locate the Lunay area in the map, and I agree with you that even you buy a World Map or search it in wikimapia.com, but the fact still remain that there is a place named Lunay, part of Maasim, Sarangani Province. I want to tell you that I am not the preacher there in Lunay church of Christ, that time we were just invited there to preach but we can't due of the difficulties in the area.
I am not sixteen years old but I am 17, I started preaching when I was 13, I still remember when I was 13 that my dad always practised me how to preach.
The local church also that I mentioned in my previous letter which you have published, the Kamanga church of Christ located also there in Maasim, the preacher is brother Allan Kimnon, a very faithful brother in the name of Christ.
Yes, I am living here in General Santos City, but my provincial address is Sarangani Province, I am pure Full Blooded B'laan Tribe and a Full-Blooded Christian.
I do not know what is your intention why you published my name in the Philippines corruption, is it because you want the brethren to be aware of me...but one thing I want to assure you that I am not using the Gospel of Christ in order for me to get gain in financial matter to be use only for my sake, I am not using the gospel in order for me t be rich, I would rather be poor than to deceived my brethren. I am so afraid in deceiving the brethren because I am so afraid in God.
I am also a preacher as what I have said, one of the thing that I preach is to be honest, then how can I preach it if I am deceiving? Then I deceive my own self first if I deceive somebody especially the brethren and the sisters in Christ.
I am not using the gospel as I have said for me to be rich, but one thing I know that it is the power of God to save mankind. I preach because I dedicated myself to serve God, I want to please God not men.
No matter what the denominational preachers and even my brethren in Christ will tell against me, if they tell that I| am just preaching because I want to have support then, I don't care, that won't bother and affect my faith and my preaching.
>
I want to thank brother Jim Mcdonald for helping us the Filipino brethren, and to all the US brethren that keep on praying for us, keep on believing in us that we are only want to preach Christ and Christ alone.
I am so glad that we are member of the same church, the church built by Jesus Christ on 33 A.D and the only church that hold the doctrine of Christ.
I want to apologize if there is wrong and if I offend you with my letter. Please, pray for us here.
May God bless you and your Family and the brethren and sisters there in your area.
Godspeed!
In Christian LOVE,
Mike
marktumandan@yahoo.com
marktumandan121992@gmail.com
dad's e-mail samtumandan031756@yahoo.com
gospelwork.blogspot.com
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Below was published in http://www.pistos.com/corruption/tumandan-2010-05-31.html by brother Jeff Hamilton and his note is follow!
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Subject: field report
Date: Mon, 31 May 2010 14:25:55 +0800 (SGT)
From: men mark tumandan
Dear Brother ,
Grace, Mercy, and Peace be unto you
From God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord
I am so glad to tell you a field report concerning our worship there in Maasim part of Sarangani Province yesterday.
I with one gospel preacher left our home around 6:45 AM going to Kamanga church of Christ Maasim Sarangani Province with the distance of more than 63.9 km (39.7 miles), and we reached the area around 7:30 AM. I was the one who did the preaching, I preached concerning "WHY WORSHIP?". The preacher there in Kamanga is the the preacher that I accompanied.
From Kamanga, he took me to Lunay church of Christ more than 22 km from Kamanga, the roads are so muddy, there are so many sharp curve roads and the road is so rough. But, due of that, we are running out time to reach the area, in the middle of the way, we went back to Kamanga going to LOOK church of Christ near in Kamanga church of Christ. The LOOK church of Christ is in need of gospel preacher so the said brother recommend me. So happy to tell you, the congregation is so happy to work with me. Therefore, starting this Sunday, I will be the one who preach there.
From the time I left our home till I came back, I am starving in hunger. We have no rice in our home.
Thanks and God bless
Godspeed!
In Christian LOVE,
Mike
marktumandan@yahoo.com
marktumandan121992@gmail.com
dad's e-mail samtumandan031756@yahoo.com
gospelwork.blogspot.com
[Editor's note: I was unable to locate Lunay on a map. Judging from the distances given, Tumandan probably lives in General Santos City. I'm bothered by a few things in this note and am posting this simply to advise caution, but not to say there is absolutely a problem. By the way, Tumandan says in his blog on March 2010 that he is 16 years old.]
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