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