December Update 2013

Greetings from lovely North Carolina!  We're pleased to share with you what the Lord has been doing in our lives and ministry.

Family: In November, we baptized Christopher in water.  He had already made a definite commitment to Christ three years ago, and was baptized with the Holy Spirit in January 2012.  Then when we recently spoke to him about being water baptized into Christ, he reaffirmed his desire to do so. Immediately afterward, he was actually able to fully participate in celebrating the Lord's Supper with us.  So that was one of the highlights of the month for us.

We also celebrated Thanksgiving together, and each had so many things to personally thank God for.  It was a very happy time around the table, feasting and giving God glory for all He has done and continues to do in our lives.  We've taken some other photos of the holiday, beside the one shown here, and you can find those at the link below.

In December, the organization that runs the missionary community we live in held a Christmas event.  People came from local churches in the area to experience the event.  The whole property was lit up, and the weather was very warm.  It was around 72 degrees or so, and some people were outdoors wearing short sleeve shirts at the evening event (although the next day the daytime temperature dropped to 46 degrees outside, and the day after that it was down to 35 degrees). Jennifer served food to the hungry visitors, while Faith and Hope were outside in front of the recreation center singing carols to others.  They had picked out some old time, Scriptural carols to sing, and had rehearsed them throughout the week without anyone telling them to do so.  All of this was on their own initiative, and the Lord blessed their efforts. They sang beautifully a Capella, and since it was amplified, others said they could be heard all across the community.  We got at least one cell phone photo of them, which is in the album at the link below.
 
More photos.     

Michael Thomas Sambo

Ministry: In late October, Len was notified by one of our foreign contacts overseas of the supernatural, angelic rescue of a preacher in Africa, about whom he had previously published an article. The brother's name is Michael Thomas Sambo from Nigeria.  Although he was kidnapped, shot numerous times by terrorist assassins, and made to drink poison, he suffered no harm, and survived the ordeal by the mighty power of Jesus' Name. Len has subsequently contacted and spoken with brother Michael, and verified his story, before publishing the testimony of his miraculous escape from the shadow of death.  Len also called pastor Paul Rika in Nigeria, the International Director of Holiness Revival Movement, in order to verify Michael Sambo's character.  Pastor Rika considers Michael his spiritual son in the faith, and was involved in getting help to Michael after he was rescued by angels. His testimony about that involvement is also included in Len's article about Michael's miraculous escape.  He had an edifying phone conversation with Len, so we feel confident to share this true story with you.  Please be sure and read about it in Len's article, Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins

In November, Len also received an email from a gospel preacher in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who apparently discovered our ministry through the our website. He stated:

Mapindu (left, holding the Bible)

"Dear Len and Jennifer, I am greeting you in Jesus' Name. I would like to inform that I am very happy to get your  e-mail address and God bless you.  I am a reverend of 'Church of Faith in Congo' in DR Congo. With war in our country, and displacement of thousands of people in eastern DRC, people here have suffered in refugees camp. But the Word of God says that every circumstance we go through is to glorify the Lord.  Today I would like to inform you that in answer to prayer, peace is taking place and allowing the return of the entire population to their village. The vision of our church  is to preach to people that only God can give peace, and to teach people that when you receive Jesus as your Savor, you get peace in your heart and you forgot all your problems. Please can you pray for us to succeed.  And if possible, can I be connected with your ministry? I thank you for your support in prayers."

In a later email he continued, "We  have returned in our families to our villages after a long period in refugee camps near Goma City. We live around 30 km from Goma City.  For internet I have to go into town. I got  your name from your  website.  Now I have resumed my work in the church in village; We are  preaching and evangelizing the people. The pictures I send you, I'm the left one with Bible in my hand with my pastors and the other picture I was visiting with Christians to help a blind man.  Please pray for this work and peace.  Mapindu J.P."

Would you please lift up brother Mapindu J.P. in your prayers this month, along with Church of Faith in Congo, where he serves?  As he requested, please pray for this work and peace.

A middle-aged neighbor of ours across the street, named Christopher P., came over to our home for a visit recently.  Len had talked with him a few times in the neighborhood during the summer, and shared Jesus with him.  He had told Len that he has been a Christian since he was a little boy, but Len sensed that perhaps he had never become a disciple.  So the Lord led Len to invite him over to our house in December.  While he was visiting, he said that since this summer, he has been drawn to read the Bible consistently, and recently began attending church.  Ever since he met Len this summer, he has been feeling that he should get together with him, but he has run away from it.  And once Len scheduled the first visit with him, the enemy tried to keep him from coming, but he resisted the enemy and came anyway.  Then once he got here, he felt like the Lord really led him to come.

During their visit, Len testified how he had received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and explained these things from Scripture.  Len also testified how he had gotten powerfully delivered from cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol as a new believer over twenty-five years ago.  Christopher indicated he wanted to be set free from cigarettes, and desired the gift of the Holy Spirit.  So as he and Len prayed together later on, he received deliverance from cigarettes, and felt the power of God go through him.  He then received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  He spoke in tongues, felt heat going through his body, and felt even more power.  To God be all the glory!!  Hallelujah.  At the end of the visit, Len told him they could plan to talk next time he comes about becoming a disciple, and how to do that.  Praise God. We also have a burden to reach his unchurched parents, Ron and Brenda, whom he lives with, and his six-year old son, Noah.

David and Len (file photo)

In December, Len also got an email from David, one of his disciples in Hungary.  He stated:  "A girl I once met in church gave her life to Jesus through me yesterday. To God be the glory! She asked how and when I accepted Jesus as my Savior. And I sent her my blog, Just Me and Daddy.  I wrote down the process how I finally gave my whole heart to Jesus.  I also mentioned you and wrote about Life Transformation Groups (LTG). And through it I explained the statuses I got from the Lord: chosen, disciple, and son. Then I asked at the end of it, if you want to know Him, repent and ask Jesus with these words... to come in your life, etc. And she repented and told me that this would never have happened to her if I hadn't shown her this blog. Praise God!!! And I will help her in the beginning of her walk with Jesus, but I just introduced her to a sister in Christ who could be a perfect mentor to her."

I asked him to tell me more about the girl who got saved, and he replied, "This new sister is young, 15 years old. Her name is Brigitta F.  She came to our church with her friend, who is a sister of my brother in Christ. She too got saved two weeks ago. So I met them three weeks ago." Please join us in praising the Lord for our new sister Brigitta, another soul saved from the fires of hell, another reborn child of God, and more good fruit coming from David's life. 

In December, Len published an article about the testimony of Zipora Bitrus, in which supernatural activity of what appears to be angels was actually recorded on video. We believe this is an important message from the Lord marked by signs and wonders.  You can see some of these images in the article, Zipora Bitrus Testimony of Heaven and Hell. But the best way to observe them is while they are moving in the video itself.  The activity increases tremendously in the second half of the video.

Now and then, Len also receives messages from people in various places who read his blogs.  He read one recently from a lady named Sarah B.  After she had read Len's blog called Rapture Dream State of Watch 2013, she wrote: "This is amazing!!!! When I was reading...your testimony...The Holy Spirit fell on me so heavy I thought the Lord had walked in the room!!!! I stopped reading and praised Jesus and said, ‘Lord are you here?’  I am not exaggerating!!”  Praise the Lord!  To God be the glory!

Len is still meeting with pastor Roger here locally, and helping him through training, as we prayerfully seek to find more open doors to serve. Regarding other Opportunities to Serve the Body of Christ, our desire would be to come to your church or Bible Study group to preach and minister to you, while we are in the States.  If you would like us to do so, we can also make a presentation of our work in Eastern Europe.  Please pray about this.  It's a chance for us to encourage people to greater evangelism and commitment to completing the Great Commission globally, and we would be honored to come speak.  So give us a call if you would like us to come to speak to your group. And please consider posting a link to our Opportunities to Serve the Body of Christ invitation on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media accounts that you may have, as a way of helping us let more people know about this ministry.

Please join us in praying for the Lord to open doors of opportunity for us, that we would be fruitful for Christ, and that the Lord would raise up additional partners.  

Resources:  This month we would also like to suggest Len's blogs called, Zipora Bitrus Testimony of Heaven and Hell and Rapture Dream: State of Watch - December 2013.  Len has posted several other new articles at Old News That's Still Fresh - December 2013, which we hope you don't miss! That includes the testimony of Michael Sambo's miraculous escape from assassination, and some prophetic end-time warnings, as well as Charity's new poem, The Midnight Hour.  Also check out David's testimony at My Life Was Built on the Wrong Foundation. Len's entire collection of his most popular blogs are at Writing for the Master.

We mentioned previously that we were interviewed on a Christian radio program in September. If you have not yet heard it, and would like to listen to the interview via podcast, it is available online by clicking this link.  We welcome your comments regarding this newsletter, so feel free to leave those below.

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 using brother David V. to lead Brigitta F. to the Lord Jesus Christ, and for her salvation.
2. For our son Christopher's water baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. For the way the Lord miraculously rescued brother Michael Sambo from terrorist assassins.
4. For the way the Lord touched and blessed Christopher P., delivering him from bondage to cigarettes, baptizing him with the Holy Spirit and fire.
5. For restoring peace in the DR Congo and allowing the return of the entire population to their village.
6. For confirming the amazing testimony of Zipora Bitrus with signs and wonders.
7. For the testimony of Sarah B. and how the Holy Spirit fell so heavily on her, as she was reading.

Next steps and prayer needs:

1. For our ministry to Roger C. and the church he pastors, that the Lord would pour out His Spirit and revive them..
2. For pastor Mapindu J.P. and the Church of Faith in Congo to successfully fulfill their vision to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of their nation.  And pray for continued peace there.
3. For Brigitta F. to get baptized in the Holy Spirit, and become a disciple who multiplies more disciples.
4. For Christopher P. to maintain his deliverance from cigarettes and become a disciple.
5. For the Lord to bring salvation to Christopher P.'s unchurched parents, Ron and Brenda, and his six-year old son, Noah.
6. For the Lord to continue to move powerfully in those to whom we minister.
7. For the Lord to provide all that we need to make our Stateside furlough possible.
8. For the Lord to open doors of opportunity for ministry.
9. For the Lord to further expand the awareness of this ministry throughout the US, and raise up many new partners, who will sponsor us.
10. For our financial blessing. 

Thank you so much for your partnership in this ministry.

with love from all of us,

The Lacroixs

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