May Update 2014

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

Family: We celebrated Christopher's ninth birthday in May.  He had a wonderful birthday with perfect weather, cake, lots of love, as well as some gifts and cards.

In home school, the children finished taking standardized tests, and they all did fine.  They have been enjoying their time playing outdoors in the sun, getting plenty of fresh air.  They've made new friends with an American missionary family based in Chile and another family here from South Africa that has recently moved into this community.  They have been exchanging missionary stories with each other and are getting along very well.

The children have recently added some new pictures to their online art gallery called A Brush with Life, in the following galleries: Jesus, Prayer, and Salvation.  We think you might enjoy taking a look at those.

We had mentioned a couple months ago that Hope had a little lump in her ear lobe, which has been shrinking since then.  It has now flattened and is very tiny, so we thank the Lord that He healed it.  Meanwhile, Christopher got hit in the mouth with a Frisbee several weeks ago, which resulted in a lump inside his lip the size of a large pea that has not gone away and may need to be surgically removed.  We are praying the Lord will heal it. Then on the day before this newsletter was published, Faith was bitten by a tick, which she pulled out of her ankle. This is a cause for concern, since she had a similar situation in Hungary that resulted in long-term symptoms.  We are praying that this bite will not result in Lyme disease or any other adverse symptoms. Please join us in prayer for these concerns.
 
More photos.     

As some of you already know, at the end of July, we must move out of the temporary housing community for missionaries, where we live in North Carolina.  The Lord has opened a door for us to stay for six months at a Guest House owned by King's Park International Church (KPIC), which is about one hour from where we now live.  We have been there to see it and visited the two KPIC sister churches, and while the house would be tight for all seven of us, it seems adequate for the short term. We are praying about that opportunity, and plan to make a decision soon.  Since no other doors have opened elsewhere, we are sensing that this may be where God wants us to stay next.  We would be living next door to a larger Guest House where the African Children's Choir stays whenever they come to the States.  They will be coming, Lord willing, in the fall.  We would appreciate your prayers for the Lord's will to be done regarding where we should go to live temporarily, when we move to from here in less than three months.

Ministry:   As you know, our goal in being back here on furlough is to develop new sponsorship to continue with our mission in Eastern Europe to help complete the Great Commission.  However, we have not had any open doors, which resulted in speaking about our ministry at churches, since we moved to North Carolina last July.  Therefore, we are not any closer to being able to return to the mission field now than we were when we first began our furlough last June.  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.

In mid-May, Len received a very encouraging email from David, one of his Hungarian disciples.  David wrote about some difficult trials he is going through, and the faithfulness of God in the midst of them:

“But in these situations God is very faithful and loving. I started to go ministering to other places through the Eastern European Ministry. I was in Serbia two weeks ago, and will be going on an 8-day journey to Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Koszovo. At Serbia I worshipped God and encouraged two churches. But in that 8 days I will minister with the good news and will also worship.”

David holding Joseph

“Our Father blessed me with three spiritual children. All of them are growing in grace and also in truth. Praise God for them! I teach them and am covering them also. But the LORD is their Father. One of them is not yet baptized, but she will take that step. Praise the LORD!”  We do praise the Lord for what He is doing in David’s life. Let’s pray that the Lord blesses his upcoming, 8-day trip to Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo, and gives him souls for Jesus and much fruit!

You may recall that we had reported in 2013 that the Lord used us to lead a Hungarian medical doctor, named Andrew, to Christ in his home that year on January 4th.  Len had met him at an airport in England, as Andrew was returning home to Hungary from his medical practice there. After Len shared Jesus with him, he had invited us to visit him at his home in Szeged, which we did, and he gave his life to Jesus that day.

Len spoke to him recently on the phone and he claims he is "happy," but he is not walking with the Lord.  He is not practicing his faith, but "floating" as he put it.  Len was able to encourage him to return to the Lord, and live his life for Jesus, praying, reading the Bible, and telling others about the Lord.  He was grateful for the call, thanked Len for the encouragement, and asked if there is anything he can do to help us.  He said he hopes to see us again in Szeged.  Please pray that he will follow through on Len's counsel and return to the Lord.

Kriszti and Gabor

Len recently spoke to, Gábor, one of his disciples.  He is doing well physically and spiritually.  He is still working in the Bavaria region of Germany, learning the language, and visiting his family in Hungary every month for about seven to ten days.  His wife Kriszti has been unable to get used to this during the past year, so he plans to move her and their youngest son, Bendi, to Germany with him this summer, which is great news.  He says they will stay in Germany for a few years, as long as the Lord is willing.  They have also found a sixty-five year old couple, who are friends of Kriszti's parents, who have agreed to house-sit their home in Hungary while they are living in Germany.

The church in Tokol, Hungary that was planted in Gábor's home and then moved to a public building later is growing.  He and his son, David are involved in the prison ministry of the Tokol church.  Their next ministry date to the prison is June 9th.

David is finishing up his one and only semester at the Golgotha Bible School in Vajta, Hungary.  After that he plans to study at the University of Pécs, Hungary to become a teacher of history and physical education.

Gábor and Kriszti's daughter, Anita, is graduating from high school and planning to attend the University of Győr, Hungary, where she has been selected to be on the second string for the Hungarian Women's National Handball Team, which recently won Third Place in the 2012 European championship.  So Gábor is pleased with the progress and plans that both Anita and David are making.

Elizabeth and her mother, Elizabeth

Kriszti has continued visiting Elizabeth, another one of our disciples in Hungary, who gave her life to Christ in December 2012.  You may remember that the Lord began a healing Elizabeth from cancer, and the tumors had shrunk, but that she was still suffering from the disease. According to Gábor, Elizabeth is still doing about the same. We pray that the Lord would complete her healing.

We are hearing some very troublesome reports from our friends in Hungary about the political situation there.  We are hearing about major corruption at the top of the government, and how things are headed in a very bad direction.  We have been told that the recent elections were not free and open, and that the government is moving toward fascism, which would be terrible.  Let's pray that the Lord's kingdom comes to Hungary and that His will be done during these perilous times.

We mentioned last month the Russian military movements in Ukraine, and we have gotten reports from people in Ukraine and Poland about this, which are very disconcerting. Without going into great detail, things are very unstable there right now.

One Hungarian missionary couple in the western part of Ukraine near the border of Hungary wrote:

Jozsef (left) with another Hungarian brother, UK Oct 2012

"Dear Len, thank you for being interested in what is happening here. Jozsi is not using the freemail too much and not long ago he was at leprosy mission in Eastern Ukraine. The situation as we see it here is similar to the situation of Czechoslovakia before the Second World War. When Hitler took first Austria (as now Putin Crimea) and after that he asked the parts of Czechoslovakia, where German-speaking people lived, (as now Putin makes troubles in the Eastern Ukrainian). And as our partners France and Great Britain gave us to Hitler, did not do anything against it, even though we had treaty and coalition with them, betrayed us, now it looks the same, that the countries that made promises to Ukraine, because of the nuclear weapons etc. that they will [protect] their borders. Now, it does not look too much, that anybody wants to help."

"The second problem is that just the government and president changed, but in other high places are the same people, loyal to Janukovich. The troubles are being awakened by Russians and the people are then quite easy to manipulate. Eastern Ukraine does not watch Ukrainian TV, they all watch Russian TV and have information like: the government now is like Hitler, they are against Russian speaking people and persecute them and Putin is like the savior for the Russians. But nobody was persecuting Russians, nor other nationality now, there is no problem like that here."

"There is already war in the Eastern part, but many soldiers are on [the] Russian's [side], they just give the tanks and everything to them. It is crazy.  People especially in the Eastern parts of Ukraine are very poor, the inflation is huge and they are not able to pay for the gasoline to be able to rise crop. There is very little in the shops, in Doneck people prepare for war, salt and safety matches are sold out. People are afraid and do not know what to wait from the future."

"One of possibilities is, that the Eastern Ukraine will join Russia and the West part European Union. Pray for this country, there is election in May, so people will not get their pensions and children allowances. Only in June, but there is also question, whether the Ukraine Hryvnia [currency] will be able to stay or will collapse."

"The part where we live [in] Transcarpathia is peaceful and the situation is not so bad as many work outside of Ukraine, Hungarians got Hungarian passports and can travel and work out. That is why the situation is not so bad here. But [deeper] inside in Ukraine, it is very difficult to get visa and to be able to get out of the country and it is very hard to find work. It is hopeless for many, so they just drink."

"Pray for the election, and for Putin's and the others' repentance. That the Lord would stop that crazy man. God bless you, with love, Daniela and Jozsef."

On another front, Len continues to stay in touch by email and blogs with pastors, elders, and laborers in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia.  We give God the glory for the following feedback we recently received on Len's latest blogs from Mapindu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, whom we have mentioned previously:

Mapindu on far left with Bible in hand

"Dear Len, We are very happy and very interested. It is useful and wonderful because we are sharing with others. You are helping more. May God bless you. Mapindu."

Len has also been in touch by phone with a pastor in Krakow, Poland, whom he first spoke to while we were still in Hungary a little over a year ago.  He will be coming to the US in September, and they discussed the possibility of meeting together in New York at that time. Please pray that they will be able to do so, if it is the Lord's will.

Resources:  This month we would also like to suggest Len's blog called, Accurately Handling the Word of Truth.  Len has also posted some other new articles at Old News That's Still Fresh - May 2014.  Len's entire collection of his most popular blogs are at Writing for the Master.

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 missions trip to Serbia that David recently made, and his three spiritual children.
2. For the faithfulness of God in the midst of David’s trials.
3. For the prison ministry of Gabor and his son David, and the fact that he will be moving his family to Germany soon.
4. That Gabor and Kriszti have found an older couple to house-sit their home in Hungary while they are living in Germany.
5. For helping the children with their home school studies and standardized tests.
6. For the healing of the lump in Hope’s ear lobe.  
7. For the feedback we recently received on Len’s latest blogs from Mapindu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Next steps and prayer needs:

1. For the Lord to bless David’s upcoming, 8-day trip to Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Koszovo, and gives him souls for Jesus and much fruit!
2. For David’s spiritual children to grow in their love and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
3. For the Lord to open new doors of opportunity for ministry for us, and that we would be fruitful.
4. For the Lord to further expand the awareness of this ministry throughout the US, and raise up many new faith partners, who will sponsor us.
5. For our financial blessing. 
6. For the Lord to heal Christopher from the lump inside his lip without the need for surgery. 
7. For the tick bite on Faith’s ankle not to result in Lyme disease or any other adverse symptoms.
8. For the Lord’s will to be done regarding where should go to live temporarily, when we move from here in less than three months.
9. For Andrew to follow through on Len’s counsel and return to the Lord. 
10. For the Lord’s Kingdom to come to Hungary and for His will to be done during these perilous times. 
11. For the Lord to help Gabor and David as they go into the prison on June 9th. 
12. For Len and the pastor from Krakow, Poland to be able to meet together in New York in September, if it is the Lord’s will.
     

Thank you so much for your partnership in this ministry.

with love from all of us,

The Lacroixs

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