Welcome to Johannesburg, South Africa!

2/11/02 Update:

Cuba
a personal letter from Ron and Lana Wood...

Dear Friends,

Lana and I are in America. I came home to attend an urgent team meeting in New Jersey, to take stock of what to do next in the absence of adequate transportation funds in Africa, and for Lana and myself to rest. We stopped over at her parents' home in Mississippi after visiting her brother and his wife in Tennessee. Now, we are in Arkansas with our children. After that, we hope to spend time in North Carolina at The Rock of Wilmington, a great missionary church led by pastor Ron McGee.

I heard an encouraging report from Cuba while in New Jersey. Barbara Ramos, the wife of Bishop Samuel Ramos of Cuba, brought a wonderful testimony to members of the team that thrilled my heart. Sister Ramos has charge of developing the seminary now under construction in Holguin, Cuba. Barbara fairly glowed as she told of the effect of the new Spanish edition of my book, Thief in the Storehouse, which was delivered to two hundred pastors in Cuba early in December. These 200 pastors serve 300 churches. They labor under great hardship due to communist oppression and the U.S. embargo.

A year ago while I was there, I saw the pitiful offerings in the Cuban churches, a few coins in a basket. I wondered how pastors could survive since the communist government cuts off permission to work when they convert to Christ. I felt like God showed me if the truth about tithing to support ministry could be sown into the churches in Cuba, that He would cause the embargo to be lifted and Cuba to prosper. But it had to be done NOW. Praise God, we did it!

Sister Ramos said the income of all their churches had risen markedly since my book was distributed, pastors have talked about it extensively, and they are eager for me to return to Cuba to minister. I praise God, because what they are rejoicing over is God's goodness found in God's word. I just happened to be the messenger who got to deliver the good news, thanks to your partnership.

Your financial contributions are now producing tangible results, good fruit, among the poor. The work of God in Cuba will now advance more quickly, more preachers will be set apart for the ministry, more pastors will be able to feed their families, and more churches will be built because you invested in Touched by Grace and partnered with us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

In South Africa, Lana and I also found a hunger for God's word. Most of the churches there are still developing. They are not fully locked into traditions like many churches in America, therefore, they are not resistant to new truth from the Bible. America has the resources to send workers, but the harvest is primarily in the poor nations. Because of the rapid evanglistic growth, the greatest felt need is for trained workers solidly grounded in the Bible.

The spiritual warfare in Africa is blatant and pervasive, so believers there are quicker to equip themselves for battle and not be complacent. And, as in Cuba, the absence of material wealth tends to make people more susceptible to spiritual realities, including the gospel of Christ's kingdom. As the Bible says, "God has chosen the poor of this world rich in faith..." Why not take God's word to where they are dying to hear it?

In addition to preaching, we prepared printed materials for leaders. Several hundred brochures and several training manuals entitled "A Pastor's Care Package" were distributed to leaders at meetings in South Africa. Significant openings for God's word were identified and new contacts were created by the Holy Spirit for future ministry. We need to prepare ourselves for these opportunities.

There is a great work to be done and no guarantee of tomorrow. Two weeks ago, I awoke with this phrase ringing in my mind, "Three Days to Change the World." I immediately knew what it meant. It is time to pray for Israel to be saved.

The fact that God has knocked America to her feet to deal with Islamic terrorists is an indicator that God wants the church to powerfully go to war in prayer. It is time for the evil principality in the Middle East to come down, the anti-christ spirit which has withstood the gospel and which diabolically hates Israel and America's Christianity. A conspiracy has been unleashed against God's covenant people, both Old and New.

The real war is in the heavens. God is unleashing judgment against the devil's works on the earth. Judgment and harvest occur at the same time. There is now a window in time in which prophetic actions can alter situations for good forever.

We need to discern the times. On the Jewish Calendar, the Feast of Esther and Purim occur this year on February 25 and 26. Those dates happen to fall on my birthday and my wife's birthday! This feast of Irael celebrates the miraculous rescue of the Jews from Haman's plot to destroy the whole Hebrew race. The Bible tells the story: Esther, urged by Mordecai to intercede with the king, fasted three days with no food or water. God heard her entreaty and turned the plot around on Haman, saving the Jews from annihilation.

Since the 9-11 terrorist attack on America, I have prayed this prayer: "For each life lost I ask You, Lord, to raise up apostles like Paul among the Arab nations." Jesus said for us to pray for laborers, didn't He? Since God is just, we have the right to plead our case before Him. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for good to triumph over evil. It is vital that Israel win the war against terrorism. If not, persecution against Christians everywhere will accelerate and intensify.

How do we pray? Pray for a fountain of repentance to be opened for Israel (Zechariah 13:1). Pray for a revelation of Jesus to be given to the Jews (Zechariah 12:10). Their salvation will be life to the world (see Romans 11). The veil needs to come off their minds so they can believe in their Messiah. We are in debt to the Jews. It is time to show Israel the mercy of God that only the church can truly demonstrate.

Prayerfully consider setting aside on your calendar February 24-26, the Feast of Esther, as a three day fast specifically for Israel to be saved. Ask God to open the floodgates for Jews to return safely to their homeland. Intercede for the Jews and the Palestinians, for the eyes of their hearts to be opened to the true identity of Jesus the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, who died for their sins and ours.

God is about to intervene in human history again in a mighty way. Signs and wonders will increase. A transfer of wealth is in the works. The gospel will prevail just as surely as Jesus died on the cross and rose again!

A Personal Note

Lana and I are very weary from dealing with many pressures and travels. We need your prayers for strength. Also, please pray for us as we make major decisons in consultation with our Touched By Grace board of directors in the next few weeks that will affect our location and operation.

Thank you for your faithful contributions and your prayer support. We are so grateful for your partnership with us in this work. We pray for you, that God will prosper you in every way. In heaven, you will all share in the fruit with us as we team up to take the riches of Christ to the poor of the earth.

Remember this: "We are touched by grace to touch the world!"

Ron and Lana Wood

For email contacts:
ron@touchedbygrace.org

For resources and pictures:
www.touchedbygrace.org

To send contributions:

Touched by Grace, Inc.
P. O. Box 12749
Wilmington, NC 28405 USA