Alex Paul
Betty LaFond believes in the power of prayer.
It is that belief that gets her through each day as she asks her Lord to keep watch over her four grandsons, all serving America’s war against terrorism.
The Elm street resident has put her prayers to paper and then to cloth, stitching a flag that bears the photos of her grandsons and a prayers of safe keeping.
“It’s been scary,” Mrs. LaFond admits. “I call the 700 Club or TBN and ask for prayer for the boys. I go up and down but I know you have to keep praying.”
LaFond’s grandsons include Spc. Donald Wilms of Desert Hot Springs, Calif.; Spc. Joshua Sprecher and Sgt. John Sprecher of Henderson, Nev. and MP Jacob Helms of Dushesne, Utah.
Despite her worries, Mrs. LaFond says her grandsons exude confidence about why they are fighting for freedom and the ability to do their jobs.
“It’s shocking to my children and myself but the boys are extremely confident,” Mrs. LaFond said. “All that is on their mind is their mission.”
Mrs. LaFond said serving in the military will serve her grandsons well throughout their lives.
“They learn how to take up for themselves and move forward,” she said.
Mrs. LaFond’s family lived in Portland until eight years ago. Her husband Kenneth grew up in Lebanon.
When war was first declared, Mrs. LaFond said she watched the TV news day and night.
“I was constantly praying that God would take care of the boys,” she said. “It got me down for a couple weeks but then I learned to trust. The kids were trained, very well trained to do their jobs.”
Mrs. LaFond, like many other Americans, would like for the war to end quickly but she said the public must realize it will probably be a long-term battle.
“We live in a society where everything is fast food oriented,” Mrs. LaFond said. “But, that’s just now how things of this nature are done.”
Mrs. LaFond said she recently sent her grandson John a prayer cloth and asked him to sew it inside his vest for safe keeping.
“John’s not real religious but he call and said he had already sewn it in,” Mrs. LaFond said.
LaFond’s grandsons have each had experiences they will remember for decades.
Jacob Helms, an MP, has been to Baghdad and escorted VIPs such as Arnold Schwarzenegger into the city.
Joshua Sprecher works with rocket launchers on tanks and John Sprecher was in the lead tank unit Bravo Company that took Baghdad. He is currently at Fort Riley, Kan. but could return to the fighting at any time.
Donnie Wilms also works with tanks and is in Iraq.
“My religious faith is the only thing that has helped me through all of this,” Mrs. LaFond said. “The kids tell us to just keep praying for them.”
The following prayer is attached to a flag stitched by Mrs. LaFond:
Father God
We thank you for your gift of our sons Donnie, Jacob, John and Joshua. We love them very much and now they are in a very dangerous place in the world–Iraq and Kuwait–where you have heard the cries of the Iraqi people and have chosen to use our sons and daughters to come to the aid of the Iraqi peoples and set them free. America has willingly offered up our young people to set others free. We humbly now ask according to your word in Psalms 34:7 that the Angels of the Lord Encamps around those who fear Him and He delivers them. We fear you in a respectful way Lord.
So Heavenly Father, hear our prayer and send your angels to encamp around our sons and give them total protection from your enemy as they serve their country and bring them home without harm in any way. We humbly ask this in your son’s name–Jesus.
Psalms 34:7
The angel of the Lord encamps around those (Donnie, Jacob, John, Joshua) who fear him and He delivers them.
Psalms 91:9
If you make the most high your dwelling–even the Lord then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent for He will command His angels concerning you–Donnie, Jacob, John, Joshua–to guard you in all your ways.”
God will keep you safe.