April Newsletter - Lufkin

March…..Spring break came and went. And the madness continued.   

EMPLOYMENT REPORT:

• New jobs-4
• Still working-6
• Day labor-1
• The Mosaic Center-1
• The Fieldhouse– 4
• Profession of Faith-1

Praise the Lord!
 
The Mosaic Center and The Fieldhouse sessions continued. Central Church of Christ is hosting the graduation for the ladies of The Mosaic Center. Janis is “our” graduate. We are pleased that she committed and completed her goal after 12 weeks of classes. The students attended classes by way of Zoom technology.

The Fieldhouse will have its graduation May 3. Location to be announced later. GODTEL had four men students. Two men left in the middle of the session. Robert moved out of GODTEL, but has continued to attend classes. That leaves Tony as “our” on sight graduate.

Two of our residents lost close family members. Lee and his mother were residents several years ago. Lee was a young boy. As a young man, Lee checked in a few times. GODTEL was here each time he wanted to “make a life change”. He was not doing so well. He checked in, again.

The opportunity to attend the Christian Men’s Job Corps-The Fieldhouse and Lee signed up. Half way through the session Lee got the news that his mother had died. He was quite upset. He told Martin that he had not talked to his mother in a year. We prayed for him. We consoled him. He waited to hear of funeral arrangements. And then one day he left. We have not seen him or heard from him. We don’t know if he connected with his family or found another form of comfort. Pray for Lee.

Louis arrived on our doorstep in mid February. He heard talk about The Fieldhouse. Classes were already in session. He asked Martin if he could attend. Martin and the administrator said yes. Louis attended the classes and did the make-up work.

While here, Louis made a profession of faith. He was baptized. He seemed to be moving in the right direction, desiring to learn more about the Lord.

One afternoon, Louis came in and told us that his grandfather had died. His grandfather was the one who raised him and they were very close. He asked Martin if he could skip class that evening. Louis said he needed time to deal with this situation. He was not in the GODTEL Bible Study. He was not here at curfew. We did not know where he was.

We heard that he was seen with a girl and going to Dallas. Then we heard that he was coming back from New Orleans after the funeral of his grandfather. We don’t know what the truth is, but God does. We only want the best for Louis and Lee. And we thank the Lord for allowing us the opportunity to know and help them.

Our guest cooks came bearing gifts, the gift of food. We ate a chicken, rice and veggies meal brought in by Ligon Chapel Church. The Woodmen of the World treated us to a delicious lasagna meal from The Olive Garden. Believers Bible Church prepared, delivered and served chicken parmigiano (homemade). Marinated chicken with sides was delicious. All the chicken dishes were different and much appreciated. Pizza, not to be left out, was the meal to end our month.

Fun with names. Bible names include Cleophus, Joseph, and Elijah. Who is Mac? McCullough or McCulloch? Bartlett was here but not related to the pear. Two of the men were the 4th in their family with the same name. There was nothing serene about Serenity.  No matter the name, we know Moore will come through our doors who will hear the gospel of Jesus and have a bed for the night.

Our daughter came for a brief afternoon visit. She brought Milo with her. He enjoyed exploring this new place. He gave kisses away. He inspected our backyard, his tail wagging with approval. I think it passed with flying colors. Milo rolled unto his back and wallered in the grass. When he got up his coat was decorated with those irritating fuzzy stickers. We hope Milo comes back for another visit and brings Emily and Lauren with him.

We appreciate The Spud and The Red Tulip for their donations to GODTEL. These food items add to the meals Dolores prepares and serves. Dolores “recycles” the potatoes in a variety of ways. The individually packaged treats from the Tulip (as we call it) are perfect for the workers’ lunches, late comers to meals or for that forbidden late night snack. So, take a break and support one of these local businesses. It will put a smile on your face and satisfy your hunger.

GODTEL Ministries has received a gift... 

IN MEMORY OF
Marlene Yoder

We had the privilege to know Mrs. Yoder. Even though she was older than me, we had several things in common. Her husband saved his pocket change throughout the year and donated it to GODTEL. She  moved closer to family after her husband died. I will miss her.

Thank you for your support this past month. Thank you for your prayers. And you are in our prayers.
Be careful. Be safe. And be His.

Because we serve a Living God,
~Martin and Mary Baker