Gentry Seventh-day Adventist Church
(Newsletter Feb.. 2006)

  Prison Ministries

  Ministries

 Many of us send Christmas cards to our students. Christmas time is a lonely time for them. Many never hear from home and Christmas increases that longing for family. This year some included in their cards a copy of an article from a V.O.P. paper that Jean Wagar had provided, entitled, "Feeling Like a Failure" It was an encouraging article telling that God does not write us off when we fail, but He encourages us to move forward and He comforts and forgives. Jesus covers us with His righteousness, and God sees us as if we had never sinned. It told that our past doesn't need to dictate our future. We can come to Him just as we are, He meets us a long way off with healing in His wings. He will make us a brand new person. Many wrote to thank us for that article, how it gave them hope and courage to meet each new day.

Nathanael was one that wrote. "Thank you so much for your letter and the encouraging words. Yes, you are right. I have been going through some very difficult times these last eight months. However at the same time, I have been drawn closer to God like never before in my life, in prayer, meditation, fasting and obeying the Word to the best of my ability. As you know I do not smoke, drink coffee, eat swine nor beef and I celebrate the Sabbath of the Lord as the Bible commands us to do.

As you know I have been fighting my case for the past 12 years and yesterday before I received your letter, I got a letter from the U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit denying my appeal, so you know what was going through my mind at that time because this was my last intent to get my case reversed. You showed up right on time with your card and encouraging words which described exactly what I am going through. The denial of my appeal was unappealable so that means that I am to die in this prison. So your letter came right on the money. It encouraged me to keep my eyes on Jesus. As far as my family goes I hear less and less from them. I guess that is God's will for us, and I don't even want to think about it.

I have lost not only my appeal but also my minimum custody and all my good class. I went from S-3 to Line-3 which means I'm in the worst of the prison. Now I spend 22 hours a day in a cell. It may take me two years to gain my minimum custody back. It is a very depressing time for me."

We believe that God guides us in the choice of what we send and what we say to our students. We want to be instruments in His hands to point them to the only true help and answer to their desperate situations. We want them to fully submit their lives to Him.

We told you last month that we have been praying to begin this new year with our finances in a positive balance. We praise and thank God for the answer to this prayer. You have made this possible and our hearts rejoice. We thank you, each one for your faithful support. Now we can go forward touching lives, and bringing Jesus to dwell in these lonely cells. Our finance statement of

December 31, 2005 has a positive balance of $3,359.83