Thank You from the Chris and Julie Ford Family

On January 16, our family lost everything in a house fire, but, with the grace of God, we escaped with the most important things - our lives and the lives of our children. We want to thank the many people who have helped us since then. Our friends and family in the OCS system have donated clothes, money, toys, food, and prayerful comfort to us and helped us to stand on our feet.

We are overwhelmed by the generosity of all of you, and we want you to know that you are in our prayers. We continue to believe that our children are receiving the best possible education in our OCS schools, and this ordeal has just reaffirmed that the faculty and staff, students, and parents are committed to service and to demonstrating God's love.

You all have also helped us teach our kids the value of faith and the grace that comes from giving and receiving. We have truly seen Christ and have felt the hand of God through each of you. We offer this prayer for each of you today.

Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us.

(From the American Catholic prayers site)

Chris, Julie, Allie, Elizabeth, Johnathan, Olivia, and Elijah Ford