July Update 2012

Greetings from Hungary!  It’s time again for an update from us on what’s been happening here.  

Family: We are all grateful to be doing well here right now.  Charity's orthodontist gave her the good news that her braces will be removed in August! In place of them she will receive a permanently bonded retainer on the inner surface of her front teeth.  She will also receive a nighttime retainer that she'll need to wear for a year.  We had a real case of sticker shock when we heard what his fee will be to do all this, since we thought the worst was past.  But even so, we're all looking forward to the big day when the braces will come off.

Charity celebrates her 14th birthday

This news came to Charity the day before her fourteenth birthday, so it was a great birthday gift as well.  She had great weather and we held a little party to celebrate her day.  We had gotten her a used mountain bike back in May, so she and Len went for a ride around the village together.  The children all went out to our back yard and blew bubbles together as well.  And she received a phone call from her grandparents with happy wishes, and a gift they had sent in the mail.

The children and we are all looking forward with great anticipation and joy to Jennifer's parents coming to visit them in September for five days.  It has been four years since we have seen them, and our son, Joseph has never met them!  There have been several other times since we've been here that we hoped they could come, but it has never worked out.  Please pray that this time nothing will prevent it.

Daddy-daughter meal at a kosher restaurant

During the week of Charity's birthday, Len took her for a Hungarian Jewish Heritage Grand Tour in Budapest.  We visited three synagogues, including the second largest one in the world, as well as the Jewish Museum and holocaust memorial.  They capped off the tour with a father-daughter meal at a kosher restaurant (pictured left) in the Orthodox neighborhood.

The holocaust of the 1940's devastated the European Jewish population. By 1945, two out of every three European Jews had been killed.  Hungary had 445,000 Jews in 1933 and 190,000 in 1950. Now there are only 55,000 to 100,000, most of whom live in Budapest. We've posted a few photos of this special tour in our "More photos" section below.

If you'd like, you can also read more about this in Len's new Yeshua Messiah blog, designed with the beloved Jewish people in mind.  This blog has already received nearly a thousand views from nine countries, including Israel, as well as Hungary.  To our amazement and delight, a Hungarian website called Jewish has begun to carry our new Yeshua Messiah blog! If you go to the Jewish website (see here), you will find our blog listed under "Freshest Articles" in the lower right hand sidebar.  You will also find our Yeshua Messiahe blog listed under their "partners" button on the top right menu bar!

We know some precious, Jewish people back in America, and are praying for divine appointments with more Jewish people here in Hungary.  Please pray the Lord would bring about such connections for us here.

Ministry:  We've continued conducting evangelism, and prayerfully planning future ministry activity.  Sometimes when we minister on the streets we are persecuted, and what a privilege it is to be counted worthy of that.  But usually we are treated respectfully.

One highlight this month was a day we set aside to show the love of Jesus to the poor and homeless in downtown Budapest.  Please pray that the lives of all those whom we touched would be saved and set free.

We plan to meet with pastors, elders, and disciples here in Hungary this summer.  Recently we met with Dora, the daughter of pastor Sandor in Erd, whom Len helped last year.  We spent some time in fellowship and prayer together and the Lord ministered to her through the power of His Holy Spirit in a wonderful way.  She announced that she is engaged to be married to a godly man who is in youth ministry at a local church.  We enjoyed meeting him in January, when he came to Faith's baptismal service at our home.  So Dora has invited us to her wedding in September, which we're all looking forward to.

Len has also already met with Sanyi (pronounced SHAN-yee), our friend from the Baptist church, who is a leader of leaders here in this nation.  He is a very humble servant of the Lord, and Len had an excellent time discussing with him.  Sanyi seeks counsel from Len on matters that he is unsure how to handle.  And Len seeks to answer with the wisdom the Lord has given.  Please pray for Sanyi, as he is very open to receiving from the Holy Spirit through His vessel.

Another area for prayer is an open door for Len to travel to Romania at the end of the summer.  He has received an invitation to come and minister to the churches there in the region north of Bucharest.  Please pray that the Lord will prepare hearts there to experience revival and receive a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit and fire, and that the Lord will prepare Len for this ministry opportunity.

Greg during discipleship meeting with Len

Len has also continued to meet with and disciple Gábor and Greg (pictured left). The Lord uses Greg to exhort people through his uplifting testimonies of what the Lord has done in his life.  He's a real encourager and counselor to many, and is loved by those who know him.  He is currently in transition between jobs.  He was laid off in the spring when they closed down Saab in Hungary, where he was the controller and accounting pricing specialist. Since then he has been working as an auditor, which has pushed him to extreme busyness.  Now he is taking a summer holiday, beginning with a summer worship camp (which he is attending at the time this newsletter is published), followed by a trip to the US, and then start a new job in the fall.  He is putting together a worship band right now.  Please pray that now while his time is freed up that he will come to visit with us and receive times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord.

David has also been very busy with final exams, but we hope to have him for a visit, as well.  Would you please pray that the Lord would enable him to visit us soon and receive all the blessings the Lord has for him?

Administrative Needs: In the fall, our immigration visas are due to expire, and we must renew them.  In order to do so, we need a Hungarian church to sponsor us.  The church that sponsored us the last time has lost its status as a church due to a new, draconian law passed on January 1.  This law redefines who can qualify legally as a church.  A church must have either been in existence in Hungary for at least a hundred years, or it must have at least 60,000 members within Hungary.  The Hungarian Free Christian Church has been around for decades and has churches all over Hungary, but it doesn't meet these criteria.  Prior to this law, there were 340 churches in Hungary, and now there are just a few.

So we are at the Jordan, needing to cross over to the other side, and we need the Lord to part the river.  Please pray that He will provide a way where there is no way.

Resources:  We would also like to direct your attention to "Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies" (see here) and the "Holy Fire Baptism" (see here). As always, Len's entire collection of most popular blogs are at "Writing for the Master" (see here).

In closing, we have much to praise God for, and many opportunities for you to join us in prayer.

Praise the Lord with us for the many answers to prayer:

1. For the wonderful birthday celebrations with Charity, including the Jewish heritage tour.
2. For the opportunities to evangelize the lost here.
3. For the news that Charity's braces will be removed soon.
4. For the upcoming visit from Jennifer's parents.
5. For the invitation Len has received to minister to the churches in Romania.

Next steps and prayer needs:

1. For the Lord to reveal Himself to all the poor and homeless people in Budapest whom we touched.
2. For the Lord to use all of us in our personal evangelism work, including the children.
3. For the Lord to continue using Len's disciples David, Greg and Gábor to reach the lost with the gospel, as well as make disciples.  And for the Lord to enable us to spend some extended time in fellowship and prayer with them this summer.
4. For the Lord to give us divine connections with His previous, Jewish people here in Hungary.
5. For the outpouring of His Holy Spirit here in Diosd to ripple all across Hungary and Eastern Europe.
6. For the Lord to prepare hearts there to experience revival and receive a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit and fire.
7. For the Lord to powerfully anoint and help Len as he meets with pastors, elders, and disciples here in Hungary and Romania this summer.
8. For the Lord to send forth laborers to the Hungarian Roma (gypsies), as the Lord is laying a burden on our hearts for them.
9. For our financial blessing.  
10. For the Lord to provide a sponsor and help us renew our visas in the fall.

Thank you so much for your partnership in this ministry.

Love from all of us,

The Lacroixs

There are two ways to donate to Doulos Missions International. You may either send a check or money order by mail to:
Doulos Missions International
PO Box 5526
Manchester, NH 03108-5526

Donate Online