December 26, 2008
Friend of the Forgiveness Foundation
214 Rugby Road
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Re: January 2009 Newsletter
Dear Friend,
I pray that you had a blessed Christmas 2008. I thank and praise God for the gift of His Son Jesus Christ – "God and sinner reconciled."
Over 3,000 Christmas cards were mailed by The Forgiveness Foundation this year sharing the love and the Gospel message with the men and women on death rows throughout the country. I ask that you pray that these cards may plant the seed for the Holy Spirit to harvest. I also thank everyone who helped make our Christmas card ministry come to pass this year.
We need your fervent prayers for God’s direction in our ministering to the men and women on death row, long term inmates and their families. For 2009 God placed the burden to prepare twelve teachings coming from the beatitudes to accompany each inmate letter along with teachings on prayer. As I sought God’s direction for the 2009 outreach He placed a heavy burden on my heart about the teachings of the beatitudes and the need to develop devoted prayer life behind bars teaching inmates to pray for the salvation of their fellow inmates and the prison staff of their respective prisons. We will encourage them to pray for the specific needs of every inmate and prison staffer. We will encourage them to pray for revival within and without the prison. We will encourage them to pray for a revival throughout this great nation. Will you join them? Pray fervently for a revival to overtake your community, your state and this great nation! I encourage you to get real with God and pray, sincerely pray, for those you don’t like. I encourage you to pray for this ministry and those who we minister as we are asking the men and women behind bars to pray for you. Pray fervently expecting God to answer your prayer! James 5:16(b), "The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (NKJV)
As our ministry grows our financial needs grow and we need your support as we continue to reach out to the men and women on death row. It costs $9,080.00 a month ($108,960.00 a year) to minister to every man and woman on death row, long term incarceration and some of their families or $1.82 per person each month. Prayerfully consider increasing your gift or joining with those who support us each month to get the Gospel message to those sentenced to death for a crime for which they were convicted. One robber hanging on a cross beside Jesus reached out to Jesus and was saved that very moment: Luke23:42, "Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom." (43), And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (NKJV)
Thirty-seven men were executed during 2008. Texas executed 18 men, Virginia 4, Georgia 3, South Carolina 3, Florida 2, Ohio 2, Oklahoma 2, Mississippi 2 and Kentucky 1. The Forgiveness Foundation knows of seven men from this list being saved. Most were indifferent. One died a Muslim. It saddens me greatly knowing that we failed to plant a seed for the Holy Spirit to harvest with each of these men.
During the month of January 2009 the following eight men are scheduled for execution. Please pray for salvation for the unsaved, for peace for the saved and that if any are innocent that their innocence is revealed before they are executed.
January 14, 2009 Curtis Moore Texas
January 15, 2009 James Callahan Alabama
January 15, 2009 Jose Garcia Briseno Texas
January 21, 2009 Frank Moore Texas
January 22, 2009 Darwin Brown Oklahoma
January 22, 2009 Reginald Perkins Texas
January 28, 2009 Virgil Martinez Texas
January 29, 2009 Ricardo Ortiz Texas
I encourage you to pray for the families of these men and the families of the victims of the crimes for which these men were convicted. Please pray for salvation for the unsaved, peace for the unsaved and the ability to forgive.
In closing I thank you for your prayer and financial support and pray that you have a blessed new year.
Blessings,
Rodney Rexrode
The Forgiveness Foundation
