Tuesday, August 15, 2017

August 2017 Update

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!  We're pleased to share with you what the Lord has been doing in our lives and ministry.

Family: In August we celebrated Faith's birthday as she turned fifteen years old. Meanwhile, Christopher has been taking keyboard lessons and now can play thirteen worship songs while singing them. He is doing very well with that. Praise the Lord!

More photos.    

Ministry:  As we continue to administer our discipleship training school (DTS), we'd like to update you on the good things that God is doing with it. Currently we have nine students in six nations including Nigeria, Kenya, United Kingdom, Mali, Liberia, and Germany.

Although Dr. Theophilus Ayodelle had intended to resume his DTS training in July, he notified us in August that he had been unable to do so, since his military unit had been sent for training in rural areas, and his laptop was ruined by leaking water. He now plans to resume his DTS training in September upon returning from the field. Let's pray that the Lord will bless him with another laptop, so that he can do so.

He is not the only one facing challenges in his discipleship training with us. Deji in Nigeria said that once again his mobile phone has broken down, and he is unable to use it to carry out his training. He asked for prayer that the Lord would provide another mobile phone, so that he may resume his studies.

We also continue to get positive feedback from those who are reading Len's articles, as well as people reaching out to us for help in the form of prayer and counseling. Last month we mentioned a woman named Delvar from Zimbabwe who lives in South Africa. She sent us some dreams her nine year old daughter has been having about the Lord's return, as well as a vision that she herself had. We'd like to encourage you to read about the dreams and vision in Len's article, God Gives Little Girl Revelation of Christ's Return.

One of our DTS students wrote to Len, "Dear brother Leonard, Thank you for your updates of Old News that is still Fresh. I am always lifted by the articles. May the Almighty strengthen you to continue with his work. Stay blessed, Sister Collete." Praise the Lord for this feedback from sister Collete.

We mentioned last month that we received a contact from a fifteen year-old girl in South Africa named Thelma, who is demon possessed and lives in an area that she claims is dominated by satanism. It seems to be a spiritual wasteland. The church she once attended is gone and her former pastor is no where to be found. Since the last newsletter, she wrote to us saying:

"Hi, Mr Len. It's Thelma. I thought I should let you know about whats been happening to me.

The little fastings that I have been doing [are doing] more than I thought they would. You know, when I first sent you the messages, I was all down and didn't know what to do. Well, I must say that I have been better.

I have not in a long time felt joy and peace, but these days there is this peace and joy in my heart. And it keeps me from worrying about some things, though the worrying is still intense, but I can't say l'm like before.

I remember one time. It's like the Holy Spirit was on me. I was listening to gospel music and my desire to worship Him increased...Praise Jesus who is the Only One who can put a true smile on my face.

Thank you, too, Mr Len."

Glory to God for what He has done in sister Thelma's life. Thank you for joining us in praying for her.

Then a nineteen-year old woman named "M." in the Republic of Moldova wrote to us in July, because she thought she had committed the unpardonable sin, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. She said that it was so devastating to her that it was adversely affecting her marriage and even employment. After corresponding via email, giving her godly counsel, and sending some of Len's articles to read, as well as praying for her, she wrote back to say: "I spoke to my Christian friend (also a wife) and she helped me and encouraged to stay strong. I pray. Thank you a lot for your prayers and answers. I believe we will have sunny days in the near future. If you can, please continue to pray for us. Not everything has yet been solved, but I believe God will help us." She wrote a little later in another email, "We prayed today against witchcraft because the things that happened did not seem to be that simple. Thanks a lot for your support dear brother and sister in Christ. God bless you and to God be the glory!" Praise the Lord. Please lift this woman up in prayer for the Lord to resolve all remaining areas that are still affected, especially to give her victory over self-blaming thoughts.

We mentioned in our June newsletter that one of our board members named Gino went on another missions trip to Romania. He returned with a good report about what the Lord did there. He was grateful for those who prayed, saying, "I thank you for your prayers, because in spite of this opposition to the Gospel in the village, I had so many God-appointed opportunities there to talk to people about the Gospel with hearts that were prepared to hear it." Please take a moment to read his concise testimony of the trip, which I have posted online called Testimonies from Hunedoara.

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Ps 115:1)

Resources:  This month we would like to suggest some articles Len has recently written called God Gives Little Girl Revelations of Christ's Return, A Biblical View of the Poor, and Was Jesus Seeker Friendly?.  Len's latest articles are all available at Old News That's Still Fresh - August 2017. His 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 enabling Gino to go to Romania and evangelize to many people there.
  2. For the opportunity to assist each of our students in becoming disciples of Christ and fulfilling their callings. 
  3. For enabling Christopher our son to learn to play songs of worship on the keyboard.
  4. For allowing us to celebrate Faith's fifteenth birthday.
  5. For the Lord's leading, guidance, and help administering the Doulos Training School (DTS), and for the progress the students are making.
  6. For the wonderful answer to prayer for the sister in Moldova.
  7. For the good report we received from sister Thelma in South Africa.
  8. For the lives being touched for Christ around the world through our writing ministry.
  9. For the words of encouragement we have received from the people being touched. 
Next steps and prayer needs:
  1. For the Lord to grant brother Denis our bookkeeper a miraculous healing in his kidney.
  2. For the Lord to deliver sister Thelma in South Africa from evil.
  3. For the Lord to provide brother Deji in Nigeria with another cell phone to continue his training.
  4. For the Lord to provide brother Theophilus in Nigeria with another laptop in order to resume his training in September.
  5. For the Lord to assist us with the administration of the Doulos Training School (DTS), as well as develop through it many disciples who multiply disciples. 
  6. For the Lord to help all of our DTS students to find LTG partners (another Christian to meet with weekly for discipleship in a Life Transformation Group).
  7. For the Lord to fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
  8. For the Lord to send His angels with Len’s written messages to those who need them, and for an open heaven over them when they receive his messages. 
  9. For the Lord to move mountains to raise up new faith partners, including those who would sponsor our students, and for Him to provide for all our needs -- not only ours personally, but also those of the ministry -- as He releases a financial miracle.
Thank you so much for your partnership in this ministry.

with love from all of us,

The Lacroixs

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Doulos Missions International
PO Box 5526
Manchester, NH 03108-5526


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