April 2, 2021
Good Friday Reflections
1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."
Today we give thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for paying the ultimate sacrifice on the cross to take away the sins of the world.
As we move toward Easter Weekend and Resurrection Sunday, I encourage you to reflect on the goodness of God and his never-ending love for us. Rest in knowing He is in control of our lives, and hold on to the hope of Jesus in these uncertain times.
However you choose to celebrate this Easter season, I hope you will join me in lifting up our communities, state, and nation in prayer as we thank God for sending his only Son to live, die, and rise again for us.
Honoring the Life of JoAnne Powell
It is with utter grief and sadness that Camille and I must announce the passing of JoAnne Powell, a beloved member of our team and one of the most treasured pillars of the San Angelo community.
JoAnne served the constituents of the 11th District of Texas for over 35 years in the San Angelo Congressional office. During this time, she solved thousands of cases with federal agencies, and was the eyes and ears of the office—identifying and correcting needs on the ground. Her pride and joy in the office was mentoring hundreds of young men and women, including myself, through the service academy application process and helping dozens receive appointments.
Every day, she made the lives of someone in the Concho Valley a little bit easier—and a lot brighter.
She trained four congressmen over her tenure, which begun with Tom Leoffler and continued on with Lamar Smith, Mike Conaway, and now myself. I have been fortunate to have known her almost my entire life, and it has been a priceless honor to have her mentorship and guidance as I begin my journey in Congress.
Tom Loeffler, Lamar Smith, Mike Conaway, and I co-authored a tribute to JoAnne, which was published in the San Angelo Standard Times on the day of her service this week. You can read it here.
JoAnne was the epitome of service above self—working right up until the very end and even handling casework this week. She genuinely cared for each person she served and showed Christ’s love to everyone. I cannot express how great this loss is to my team and the entire 11th District.
JoAnne was an absolute jewel of the Concho Valley with unmatched compassion, dedication, and love for others. The influence that she and her beloved husband Charlie have had on this community since they first saved Goodfellow Air Force Base from closure in the 1980’s cannot be overstated.
Please keep her daughter Terri, son-in-law Bryan, grandchildren Colin and Caitlin, and all of her family and friends in your prayers during this time.
Thank you for reading. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve you in Congress.
God bless you,
