~The Mission Foundation~

Monday, June 29, 2009

Pastors' Roundtable Luncheon With Governor Bobby Jindal

About seven months ago, Governor Bobby Jindal held a pastors' roundtable luncheon. Pastors came from various parts of our state for this meeting at the Governor's Mansion. I am now able to share the following pictures with you through this blogspot. Please click on each picture for a full screen presentation. Then simply hit the "back" arrow (upper left hand corner of your computer screen) to return to the blog. I know that you may be familiar with this process, but I thought it might be of help to some if I gave this brief explanation.

Pastor's "Roundtable Luncheon" at the Governor's Mansion.

Pastors praying for Governor Bobby Jindal. (This
photo is a bit blurry, but is our only one of the governor
during the time of prayer for him.)

Governor Bobby Jindal - after the luncheon

Louisiana Legislators; Preaching at First Presbyterian of Hattiesburg; Men at the Cross Conference, Baton Rouge

The Mission Foundation
P. O. Box 46358
Baton Rouge, LA 70895

June 29, 2009

Dear friends,

Last Tuesday we held our final Bible Study / Prayer Breakfast for the 2009 Session of the Louisiana Legislature. We were very happy to be joined by former Senators Robert Barham and Mike Smith, who actually drove all the way from his hometown of Winnfield in North Louisiana just to be reunited with us at our breakfast.

I have been involved in ministry at the Capitol for the past 16 years, and this was the 10th year that I have led them in a weekly Bible study. This is a very warm-spirited group that greatly values the special camaraderie they have as lawmakers who love the Savior. These legislators form a beautiful tapestry of Louisiana citizenry. There is a rich diversity of race, gender, party membership, and church affiliation, and the unity they experience in their diversity presents a vivid testimony of the work of Christ who is fashioning a people for Himself. I give thanks to God for His work in and through these legislators.

In the House of Representatives (2008)

Reprentatives Hollis Downs (Ruston) and Frank Hoffman
(Monroe) after my opening of the House of Representatives
in prayer (photo from 2008 session)

I have been involved in ministry at the Capitol for the past 16 years, and this was the 10th year that I have led them in a weekly Bible study. This is a very warm-spirited group that greatly values the special camaraderie they have as lawmakers who love the Savior. These legislators form a beautiful tapestry of Louisiana citizenry. There is a rich diversity of race, gender, party membership, and church affiliation, and the unity they experience in their diversity presents a vivid testimony of the work of Christ who is fashioning a people for Himself. I give thanks to God for His work in and through these legislators.

On Sunday, June 14th, I again had the privilege of preaching at First Presbyterian Church of Hattiesburg, MS. Please click on the following to hear my morning and evening sermons:

“Praying to Our Father, the King” (Matthew 6:5-15)

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=615091038350

“Wearing Gospel Clothes Among the Perishing” (Colossians 4:2-6) This sermon includes a brief overview of our ministry.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=615091049346

Men at the Cross in Baton Rouge, August 14-15th: I hope that many of you men in Louisiana, Mississippi, and East Texas will make plans to attend this event. You can obtain all of the details at http://www.menatthecross.org/. Men at the Cross was founded by Joe White, whom a number of you will know from his many years of ministry through Kanankuk Camps. Joe will be one of the speakers at the Baton Rouge conference, and Michael W. Smith will be among the musicians. I have been invited to serve as the speaker for the Pastors’ Appreciation meeting.

THANK YOU AGAIN for all of your prayers and for your financial support of us in our ministry. If you do not receive our monthly letters by email, would you please email me at rodwoodmission@yahoo.com ? It would be great to hear from you.

Serving with you “while it is still day,”

Rod and Bec

Monday, June 22, 2009

YOU WILL NEED TO CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW IN ORDER TO READ THE POEM.

Monday, June 1, 2009

A Few Video Clips From The Dominican Republic

The following clips are very short. However, I hope that each one will give you some insight into the things we were doing in The Dominican Republic. I will be trying to add a few during the next several days.

Jimmy Kaiser sharing his testimony with those waiting to go into the clinic.

Jimmy Kaiser sharing the Gospel at the door of the clinic

Becky organizing the pharmacy

Dominican ladies sharing the Word of God with their friends.

A view of our clinic

Another short video of our clinic

Matt Slate, College Pastor of Crossroads, preaching the Gospel

Sandee Sledge fanning the patients -- I'm sure they were very grateful!

Jake and Lyle Hitt attending to a patient

Trace Kaiser fitting glasses, speaking Spanish that he learned while working among the people.

Jake singing with little girl at the orphange

Sunday, May 31, 2009

The Dominican Republic - Please see article in blog below

Lyle Hitt (#65, 300 pound right guard at LSU) and Mason Hitt (#90, 270 pound defensive tackle at LA Tech) -- Some of you might know that they do go head-to-head when the two teams meet. But you might be surprised to know that I have carried both of them on my back at the same time -- actually, one of them on my shoulders and the other one on my back. However, I should add that I did that about 15 years ago! What a great joy it has been to see these young men and their brother Tucker grow up, not just phyically but also spiritually.

Jake and Momma

Three young girls gather to Jake at the orphanage

Jake and Lyle

Looking into the clinic with searching little eyes

This lady's leg was broken when an automobile hit her while she was riding a motorbike (There are many, many motorbikes in D. R.) about two months ago. She has received no treatment because she could not afford the hardware needed to make the very extensive repairs to her leg. While Jake was attending to her, contact was made with the CURE Hospital in hope that she might have the greatly needed surgery. Because of the long delay and the extent of the damage to her leg, it is questionable as to whether she will ever walk again. Please consider taking a moment right now to pray for her.

Dr. Freddy Michaelson

Jake with Alex, a Dominican medical student who worked alongside Jake all week. Jake taught him medicine, and Alex helped Jake in his learning of Spanish. They greatly enjoyed working together.

The people waiting for admittance outside one of the churches

Dr. Freddy and a sweet young boy

This little boy was so badly dehydrated that he passed out while in clinic. After replenishing his fluids, Jake and the other medics recommended that he be taken to the hospital. The cause of the dehydration was uncertain, and he needed further evaluation. This was the only situation we faced in which someone's life was in immediate peril.

Rachel Lee, a pre-med student at LA Tech who shadows Jake at his clinic in Ruston, gives her testimony publicly. Rachel is a cheerleader for the Bulldogs at Tech, but she is unaccustomed to public speaking, and this was her first time to give her testimony before a group. Her gentle words and countenance were very well received by the Dominicans who listened intently. I was given the responsibility for organizing the evangelism, and it was a tremendous joy to see the team members, from the youngest to the oldest, one after another, giving brief words of testimony -- some of them for the first time!

One of the four churches in which we served

Bec greatly enjoyed organizing and working in the pharmacy.

This is a kind of service that she loves.

Lyle Hitt of LSU in Triage

These ladies were laughing and enjoying themselves greatly while doing one another's hair. Their spirits seemed to be so undampened by the material poverty in which they lived.

Matt Slate and Bob Nilsen (SCORE missionary) praying with a patient

Mason Hitt (defensive tackle at LA Tech) and one of the many friends he made as he admitted the people to the clinic.

Jake giving attention to a lady
and her children

Trevor Torres is in Jake's Sunday night ECD (Excellentia Coram Deo -- Excellence Before the Face of God) group that meets every week in his home in Ruston. Trace Kaiser and Mason Hitt are also in that group.

Mason and Trace happily and helpfully greeted hundreds of people through the course of the week. As you see in the picture, Trace kept his Spanish dictionary in hand as he and Mason served the people, calling out their numbers for admittance and relating warmly to them as they waited.

Reading the Gospel Tract given to him by Tucker Hitt

A brief pause in loading -- or possibly unloading

Organizing meds

One of the girls at an orphanage where we spent part of an afternoon.

Happy children in the clinic

Dr. Will Sanders will soon be joining Jake in practice at Green Clinic in Ruston, LA. What a blessing it was to have Will on this mission.

Jimmy Kaiser giving his testimony and passionately sharing the Gospel

Rachel Lee and Merrick Nunn, pre-med students at LA Tech,

and Lyle Hitt of LSU in Triage

The people listened very sweetly as I spoke with them about Christ. They were very kind and helpful to me as I sought to communicate the Gospel for my first time in Spanish.

Tucker Hitt shares a Gospel tract with a young man who is waiting to see one of the doctors. Throughout the week, Tucker's job was to assist the patients in getting from triage to one of our doctors.