February Newsletter - Nacogdoches/Livingston

Every year the month of January is a whirlwind of activity, paperwork and otherwise. There are statistics to gather (including those at the bottom of this page), employee forms to generate for the I.R.S. and Social Security department, sales tax to calculate and pay, and the year-end report for the Nacogdoches Area United Way. All this, in addition to the regular office work (which includes accounting), counseling, correspondence with individuals, churches, and prisoners, production of our church bulletins/song sheets, and composition and reproduction of the GODTEL Report for February. (I am also working at finding time to proof and make corrections to two books Bro. June has written.)

The insert this month is the brochure we provide to people who make inquiries about what we do. It has a brief history, statistics for last year (in a different form than shown here), and other information. It also contains a statement acknowledging that in 2020 the pandemic lowered the number of people we served.
 
About the January “Report”
 
I must apologize for the condition and poor quality of last month’s newsletter. My Xerox machine is in need of a new mother board so I had to compose on one computer, jump-drive it to another computer, print a copy, carry it back over to the Xerox machine and copy 1,500 copies for mailing and distribution. The drum cartridge was past the end of its life and I had failed to order a replacement the last time I changed it out. That is why the copies were so light. It has since been replaced with a new one (as you can easily tell).

I recently re-read last month’s newsletter and found, not one, but two typographical errors. As I am a bit O.C.D. about my newsletter being error-free, I will be extra careful in the future.
 
Many Thanks
 
We are very thankful for the many ways individuals, churches, and businesses help us in caring for and ministering to the homeless and otherwise poor people who come to us for assistance with meals, clothing, and needed household items.
Every week in Livingston, two men, Blair McDonald and Ray Gearing, provide Sunday lunch from a local deli. Our cook and residents greatly enjoy these prepared meals.

The Garrison Heritage Society, of which Pat Graham, a.k.a. “Pat, the Pie Lady” is a member, recently donated eight pans of food (meat, vegetables, and gravy) and two dozen rolls, much to the delight of the residents of our Nacogdoches mission.
Whether you pray, volunteer, donate items, food, or finances, please know that we are grateful and pray for God to bless you many times over for your efforts.
 
And Speaking of Prayer ...
 
At this writing the Nacogdoches mission has had three cases of COVID-19. One is now all clear of infection, one is waiting for test results to come back (he is so very tired of being quarantined in his room), and the third is hospitalized and not doing well. We ask that you help us pray for God’s supernatural protection on our staff and residents at each of our three missions.

At GODTEL, we regularly sanitize our facilities, practice social distancing (as much as we are able), wear masks, and wash hands frequently. We are all responsible to do what we can to prevent the spread of COVID, but we are not to worry and fret. God is in control and we need to trust Him whether we are sick or well. As Job 13:15 says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him,” and Jesus is quoted in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you ... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” So, do what you can, then trust God and be at peace.
 
Just a Reminder
 
Bro. June’s sermons and music are available for viewing on YouTube. His music CDs and helpful Christian literature are also available directly from GODTEL (Contact information is at the bottom of this page). Contact us for assistance.

~Nancy Gentry

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GODTEL Ministries 2020 Statistics
 
Three-County 2020 Totals:

• People housed — 1,243
• Bed/Night’s Lodging — 19,612
• Meals Served — 62,931
• Non-Residents — 8,942
• Professions of Faith — 9

 
(Average cost per person per day — $10.00)
 
Nacogdoches Mission 2020 Totals:

• Mission Residents: 613
• Nights’ Lodging Provided: 9,610
• Meals Served:  31,196
• Christian Help Ctr. Clients: 3,893
• Professions of Faith in Christ: 2

 
Lufkin Mission 2020 Totals:

• Mission Residents: 425
• Nights’ Lodging Provided: 6,151
• Meals Served: 19,681
• Non-resident Clients: 22
• Professions of Faith in Christ: 4

 
Livingston Mission 2020 Totals:

• Mission Residents: 205
• Nights’ Lodging Provided: 3,851
• Meals Served: 12,054
• Christian Help Ctr. Clients: 5,027
• Professions of Faith in Christ: 3