July 2013 Prayer Letter From Steve & Sherry DeFord

Proverbs 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD; and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

 

Greetings in our precious LORD’s name,

 

June was surely a month of BLESSING. Our children Micah and Joshua flew back to Tennessee to the Bill Rice Ranch to work again this summer. This makes Micah’s third summer and Joshua’s second. Although this summer they are on the operational staff, so they will be gone longer. It is a BLESSING to have them call and give reports of how many young people were saved each week. Keep the boys in your prayers. They return home August 3.

 

Melvin, a man Steve has been having Bible Studies with for over a year, began teaching a Sunday School class. We mention it often, but it is so true-God has BLESSED us with some great men. Melvin has grown tremendously over the last several months. Having more men in places of responsibility is essential for the church to ultimately be self sustaining.

 

It was a BLESSING also to see a good number of father’s out for Fathers’ Day. We missed a few who were our of town, but we were encouraged with a couple guests.

 

Cutter_baby

Little Cutter made his appearance on the 14th making his daddy, Scott, a father again for the seventh time! Cutter and mother, Laurie both did great! Keep this family in your prayers also-Cutter’s next older brother is 13 so mom and dad feel like they are starting all over again, though they couldn’t be more BLESSED.

 

Sunday, June 30 was “Fifth Sunday” when our church is BLESSED to have the youth group take over the Sunday morning services. Our teen girls taught Sunday School classes and our boys lead in prayer, lead singing, and took up the offering. Our youth leader, Cleve, preached the morning service.

 

Steve was back in the pulpit Sunday night. On our way home from church we learned of the 19 firefighters who lost their lives in the Yarnell fire. It wasn’t until the next morning we learned that our pastor friend also with the name Steve De Ford had a son who died in that fire. Our prayers go out to the De Fords in Montana, but even in our grief we are BLESSED to know Dustin is in the presence of God and His holy angels. We will meet again and share all eternity together!

 

For God’s Glory,

 

the Steve De Ford family