July Newsletter - Nacogdoches and Livingston

If you think Danny Powell was smiling when this photo was taken, you should see him now. He left his body behind on June 6th and entered the joy and rest God has promised to His own.

We met Danny and his sweet wife, Carolyn, back around 1973 at Fredonia Hill Baptist Church in Nacogdoches. One day at church three years later, Danny walked up to Bro. June and asked him what God was doing in his life. That began a conversation that ended with Danny offering to co-sign a note at a bank to enable us to begin the purchase of GODTEL’s first building. Being a practical businessman, Danny added, “If you miss a payment, the building is mine.” June took him seriously at the time, but later came to believe he had been joking. We have laughed much about this since that time. We have also been very thankful that we never missed a payment! God has been faithful to supply our needs since the beginning.

Before GODTEL, June had worked for Danny at  the construction company Danny owned. Later, Danny hired our oldest son, Michael, to do yard work at his home.

When we got ready to build a new building for the Lufkin mission, Danny was our building contractor. Over 30 years later he even came out of retirement to do the general contracting of our wonderful new facilities in Nacogdoches.

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Danny loved Jesus and  sought ways to serve Him and bring others to Him. After making mission trips to Brazil and Mexico with the church, he became burdened to minister to the Hispanic population in Nacogdoches. He learned to speak Spanish and for years taught a Sunday School class at a local Hispanic church.

Since his funeral we have heard testimonies of personal encounters Danny had with people. One man he witnessed to became a Christian only a few weeks before he was killed as he worked on a highway crew as a flagman. How thankful his wife was to know she would see him again when her time came to die — or when Jesus comes again.

Danny was a gentle, loving, hard-working, God-fearing man and his presence on earth will be sorely missed.

​As more and more of our Christian friends are taking leave of the shell which houses their soul and spirit and entering the forever home Jesus has prepared for them, we felt the need to make our final arrangements—just in case we die before Jesus returns. Our grave sites are secured, our funerals paid for, and our grave marker approved. In fact, the photo below is the layout they sent for our approval.

​We were able to keep the costs way down by foregoing embalming, formal funeral and/or graveside services, and no casket (we will be buried in a shroud or just wrapped in a sheet). We actually had a lot of fun making these arrangements knowing that it would not matter to us because we won’t be there. We will already be in Heaven! Jesus made that final arrangement for us!

Las Tres Cruces #4
 
Jose Ponce, Jr., the pastor of the church in Mexico that we gave the chairs to back in February of this year, returned to Nacogdoches for a visit and brought more gifts of appreciation. Below is a photo of the congregation sitting in the chairs.

On a recent Sunday they baptized six people who were then presented with new Bibles and certificates. Please join us in praying for this congregation.

Boat & Trailer for Sale
 
The Celebrity boat and trailer pictured below are parked at the Nacogdoches location. The boat is 17'6" long. It is a 1984 model with fiberglass hull and has an inboard/outdrive gasoline engine. The engine needs a water pump.
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We have not set a firm price on the boat and trailer and will consider any reasonable offer. Proceeds from the sale will be used to house and feed the poor and homeless individuals we minister to here at GODTEL. Call or email for more information. Make an offer.

Until next month.

​~Nancy Gentry