Giving thanks for TWENTY YEARS!

November 22, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving, friends, 

We join with you in giving thanks to our Lord for the many blessings of this year.  We are also giving thanks to Him for TWENTY YEARS of service to Him through The Mission Foundation and for His provision of financial support through friends like you!

We know that you are very familiar with our work, but please reflect briefly with us on twenty years of work: 

• Louisiana Legislature:  Since June of 1993, I have been privileged to serve the men and women of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Senate.  When the upcoming session begins, the Louisiana Legislators’ Bible Study / Prayer Breakfast, which meets weekly during the session, will be in its 15^th year.  Please pray for God’s guiding and protecting Hand over this ministry. 
• The Gathering of Men:  We launched the downtown luncheon in October of 1993, and twenty years later men from all denominations continue to come together for weekly Bible study and prayer.  What a joy it has been to serve the men of our city with my dear friend Tyler Lafauci and other brothers here in Baton Rouge.
• International Ministry:  For the past eleven years, Becky and I have been blessed with many opportunities to serve our Lord’s Church in other countries, including India, El Salvador, Peru, Dominican Republic, Albania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, United Kingdom, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, and a country in East Asia.  Bec has used her teaching gift, her ability to disciple women, and her organizational skills in a number of different ministry contexts, while I have had the opportunity to do interim pastoral work, begin new men’s ministries, teach in seminaries and Bible colleges, and work alongside national Christian leaders in the development of training programs in expository preaching.           
• Monday Morning for Men in Ruston:  A little over a year ago, I was blessed to work with Jeff Peshoff and our son Jake in the establishment of a weekly meeting for men that meets at First National Bank of Ruston.  Those who have participated are members of a number of churches – Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, and Independent.      

We want to give special mention to our recent opportunity to serve at First Methodist Church of Shreveport, a city-center church that continues to thrive and impact the heart of Shreveport through its outreaches and projects and through its collaboration with other churches and ministries.  Through the invitation of Rev. Jonathan Beck, I was the guest speaker for their annual Fall Banquet and for their weekly business luncheon.  Bec and I greatly enjoyed our time with the people of First Methodist.  There were also a number of long-time friends from North Louisiana who attended the meetings, including some legislators and one who previously served in the legislature.  We give thanks to God for allowing us to serve at First Methodist!

In closing, we are in great need of a very strong response to our appeal regarding year-end giving.  Our ministry is highly dependent upon these special gifts.  Would you please prayerfully consider how the Lord might have you participate financially in our work with The Mission Foundation?   We would be extremely grateful for whatever you may feel led to do.  

Giving thanks to our Savior for His blessing over the past twenty years!

Rod and Bec

Thanksgiving for Jonathan and Margaret Lamb's 10 Years of Service with Langham Preaching: Blessings to them in their future service to our Lord!

Dear Jonathan and Margaret,

What a blessed ten years! We give thanks
to God for all that He has done through
you during that decade.

It all got off to a wonderful start at our
First International Consultation at High
Lea Conference Center. There was such
great enthusiasm and anticipation of what
God was going to do through this new
effort to establish expository preaching
movements in countries throughout the
world. It was a very exciting time. And
none of us who were there will ever forget
how the excitement was suddenly taken to
another level when the fire alarm sounded
in the middle of the night twice! – and we
all (including Uncle John in his pajamas!)
came pouring out of the buildings! By the
end of the week, we were off and running,
and the exhilaration has never ended!

Since that blessed beginning, expository
preaching movements have indeed been
established in many places. In the process
of leading this work, the two of you have
encouraged and lovingly served so many
of us. What a joy it has been to labor with
you! We give thanks to God that He has
allowed us to know your gentle and kind
manner.We certainly admire your excellent
gifts for service, but we are most thankful
for your gracious way of relating to all
people.

We pray that the Lord will guide, protect,
and strengthen you as you take your next
steps in His service. We pray that the Holy
Spirit will encourage you day and night.

With much love to both of you!

Rod and Becky Wood, Facilitator

Teaching at Ukraine Biblical Seminary near Kiev

FIRST METHODIST, SHREVEPORT, FALL BANQUET, NOVEMBER 12th