[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13022]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    WELCOMING REV. THOMAS A. RHODES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN. Madam Speaker, today Pastor Tom Rhodes visits 
our Chamber from Folsom, California, where he is the pastor of Mount 
Olive Lutheran Church. He makes this journey with his son, Matt, less 
than a week after Father's Day as a reward for Matt's graduation from 
high school in Folsom.
  Part of the purpose of their trip is to expose Matt to the history 
and tradition of American civic dedication, since Matt is interested in 
public service. One thing they will see as they visit the halls of 
Congress and the battlefields of the Civil War is that there is no 
shortage of ways and opportunities to serve one's country. And that is 
what we find in Matt's father, Pastor Tom. He told us that the 
opportunity to stand here today as our guest chaplain would show his 
son that ``service to our country takes on a variety of forms.''
  But Pastor Tom's prayer for us this morning, like the prayers his 
congregation in Folsom regularly offer, isn't the only place we see 
this evidence; it is in his lifetime of service to God and country. 
Besides serving as the Pastor of Mount Olive, Pastor Tom has held a 
variety of ministry positions in church, including pastor, elder, 
librarian, Sunday school teacher and committee chair.
  Outside of church, he has been a member of the local PTAs, on the 
Board of Directors for the Twin Lakes Food Bank, a narrator for the 
Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, and a part of the Civil 
Air Patrol for 3 years.
  We are glad to have you here with us today, Pastor Tom. Thank you for 
your continued prayers and service to your community and country. And 
Matt, congratulations on your recent graduation and good luck in your 
future endeavors.

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