Jan:Feb 2022
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Dear friends and family, Jan/Feb 2022 We are confident that our Lord will not only perform His good work in you all and us personally, but also
as it pertains to His church! This year has certainly gotten off to a great start for us at the Hualapai Baptist Church. In recent days, COVID restrictions have been lifted and we are back to “code green!” The human loss and toll on everyone has been enormous. We remain grateful to God Who sustains and strengthens us through every challenge.
As a result of lifted restrictions, HBC’s jail and juvenile home ministries have resumed. Brother Raynard has met with the male inmates on a few occasions already, while Sherry and Laurie have been in to see the ladies once so far. During that visit last week, only one young lady came out to hear the Bible study Laurie had prepared. However, that inmate did accept Christ as her Saviour! The ladies are looking forward to their next visit tomorrow night. Brother Scott will have his second service at the juvenile home tomorrow, too!
Sherry is just about to finish up a second round of “Women of the Word” studies. She along with four other women meet on Monday nights to learn how to effectively study the Bible. This marks the second time Sherry has gone through this particular study. All the ladies that have participated gain valuable tools and skills to help them rightly divide the Word of God.
Steve and Brother Melvin have been asked to minister during several funerals the last couple months. Steve has preached two services sharing the gospel each time. Melvin has been asked to preach two different services also presenting the gospel while encouraging the family members. It has been rewarding to see God open up doors for Brother Melvin who has been serving as a deacon for a number of years now. He has also taken on the teaching responsibilities of the teen Sunday school class since we were able to resume Sunday school last year.
One of the advisory board members of the Independent Baptist Indian Mission, Evangelist Glen Jaspers, was with us for a full day of services on January 30. Brother Jaspers and his wife, Mary, have been dear friends for many years. We were encouraged and strengthened by their ministry among us. They have been wintering here in Arizona the last couple years increasing their involvement among our IBIMI missionaries. We are blessed to have them regularly available to assist in the various ministries around the state.
Another highlight was the opportunity to assist the West Branch of the Bill Rice Ranch. Last year we helped hang much of the drywall for the new Rasmussen Crossing. In February we returned to finish the taping and mudding. The building is well on the way to receiving the permits needed for summer camp.
We have seen a return to our pre-COVID numbers the last couple weeks. The larger crowds (around 70) have lifted our spirits! The singing is more robust, and the testimonies have been an encouragement to everyone. Over the last three Sunday mornings, we have seen three significant decisions: February 13 a young lady accepted Christ, February 20 a young mother gained assurance of salvation, and just yesterday a young man accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour!
Other good news, we resumed our monthly Super Sunday Schedule. During the entire COVID outbreak I think we had only had two Super Sundays, while the one scheduled for January did have to be canceled due to another spike in cases resulting in a code red-the most severe. By February we had dropped to code green- completely open-Praise the LORD! Again, the spirits were high as we met for an early 8:00 AM service, shared breakfast at 9:00, met for Sunday school at 10:00 followed by the worship service at 11:00.
Thank you to those who have contributed to our vehicle fund. So far $13,022.25 has come in for this need. We hope to raise $40,000 in order to purchase a small RV and towable vehicle to facilitate a furlough this fall. Also, if you are a supporting church in the midwest or east and have not heard from me yet to schedule a meeting for this fall, please reach out to me. I may not have your current contact information. My number is (928) 200-2392.
For God’s Glory,
the Steve De Ford family