Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. II Corinthians 9:15
Dear Praying friends,
Thank you for your faithfulness in remembering this ministry and us in your prayers the last couple of months! God, as always, has shown Himself merciful and gracious to us all along the way.
Our youth leader, Brother Cleve, took nine of our teens and one guest to the West Coast Baptist Youth Conference in early April. This was the first significant trip in our new church van! Everything ran well, and for the first time, everyone was able to travel together. Several of our young people made good decisions while there, and Brother Cleve continues to sense God using him to a greater degree in His service. We praise the LORD for his work in both our teens lives and the life of our teen leader!
Resurrection Sunday was unusually low in attendance. This has always been one of our highest attended service so we were a surprised by the turn out. Our teens had hung door hangers informing and inviting the community to attend. We did have a few visitors. And the services were a blessing beginning with a Sonrise service.
Another highlight of the month was the wedding of one of our deacons to our church treasurer! Melvin and Myndee are a sweet Christian couple. Both have grown tremendously over the past few years. They began courting recently, and it didn’t take them long to realize they were God’s will for each other! Steve was blessed to councel them and perform the ceremony. In addition to serving as deacon, Melvin also teaches our primary Sunday School class, and is enrolled in the institute class Steve teaches on Monday nights.
May began with a home school co-op field trip to the Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium west of Phoenix. Moms and dads of all our families but one were able to get the day off to attend along with us. Again, God gave safety to everyone traveling. While visiting the Zoo, one our moms got word that her brother had died in a traffic accident. It was a blessing over the next few days to see God’s grace again at work in this family’s life. The deceased was saved, and the funeral was a great testimony to the LORD! The family that had not been able to go to the zoo was occupied with another funeral. Again, the deceased was a child of God and the family is comforted in knowing he is in heaven.
We celebrated Mother’s Day with 19 mothers in the morning service! Each received a gift from the church and were honored as our special guests.
After Mother’s Day our attention turned to graduation. The last day of co-op was Thursday the 22nd. Two of our children finished their home-schooling. Molly will be assisting Sherry next school year with the young children. Micah graduated and will be among the first class of the Bill Rice Ranch Institute in Murfreesboro, TN this fall. Our graduation speaker was Pastor Stephen De Ford from Ekalaka, MT. Pastor De Ford’s son Dustin was one of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives a year ago in the Yarnell fire outside Prescott, AZ. The DeFords are distant relatives of ours and have been friends for several years. Everyone was moved by the testimony of this young man, and our home schoolers were encouraged to live their lives for the LORD.
Our son, Manny, began traveling in his college ensemble. He is really enjoying this summer ministry and has been able to meet up with some family members in the mid-west at the same time. We miss him, but we rejoice that he is doing what he loves and serving the LORD through singing.
God has been good to us in times of rejoicing and in times of grief, but He has been especially good in allowing us to see two new souls saved as a result of Sherry and Laurie’s (one of our church members) outreach into the local jail. Three have now been saved since they began this ministry a few months ago.
Thank you again, for your prayers for us and the ministry among the native American Indians here in Arizona. Thank you also for your continued, faithful support. We are fully aware of the essential part you have in seeing this ministry continue to go forward for our God!
For God’s Glory,
The Steve De Ford family
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Steve De Ford
Director Independent Baptist Indian Mission
3880 Stockton Hill Rd. #103-438
Kingman, AZ 86409
928-200-2392
Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things He hath done for you. I Samuel 12:24
ibimi.com