January 2018 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 December Jennifer gave the children a week off from home school, including New Years Day. Meanwhile Faith continues to practice on her new guitar. After seeing a dermatologist and using topical medication, she is also experiencing a measure of relief from eczema that has bothered her for a number of years, especially on her ankle. But she would like to receive a complete healing from the Lord from this condition without the need to constantly apply medications. Please join us in prayer for that.

Charity was awarded a certificate of achievement as one of the top ten employees at Chick-fil-A who exemplified the kind of person they want to have on their team. The award was given to team members who exhibited certain outstanding qualities that her leaders look for in their team. They chose her as one of those who has demonstrated the most professional and personal development. All the glory goes to God for the award. Meanwhile she is not really getting enough hours there unfortunately, so she picked up a second part-time job at a nearby pizza parlor, where she now works in addition to her job at Chick-fil-A. It would be ideal for her to have one full-time job, which would be the ultimate goal, but for now at least she is getting experience with these her first two jobs, so we are thankful.

She also continues with her driver's ed lessons out on the road with Jennifer, usually driving herself back and forth to work. She hopes to have her driver's license by March, so we are praying she will accomplish that goal.

She also wrote a couple of poems recently. The first one called My Grace Was There, is about the help that God gives to those who find themselves in life's "slough of despond" that John Bunyan wrote about in his classic allegory Pilgrim's Progress. The "slough of despond" is a swamp that Bunyan's main character Christian falls into, which symbolizes a state of hopeless depression that many Christians encounter during their pilgrimage. The second poem she wrote called A Thousand Little Gifts is about contentment. We hope you enjoy them both!

Hope was notified last fall that she won First Place in a national contest hosted by a ministry called King's Blooming Rose, known simply as KBR. The contest from April to June was to see who could memorize the most Christian hymns in their entirety. Hope really put a lot of effort into it and memorized sixty one hymns! Praise the Lord. She received a twenty-five dollar gift certificate to KBR as her prize.

On another note, after six weeks of physical therapy, Len is still experiencing pain in his left knee, so we continue to trust the Lord for a total healing for him. Meanwhile he has purchased some equipment that will enable him to exercise it further at home until the Lord releases the complete healing.

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 disciples in four nations including Nigeria, Kenya, Mali, and Rwanda.

One of our students Collete in Mali, wrote to Len in January with the following praise report:

"Dear brother Leonard, The new year started well, I hope yours too.

I just want thank God for the year 2017. He was my strength all throughout. At 62 years old I feel like 20 years younger. I was able to finish my course work on time despite some few challenges. All glory be to his name.

Secondly I want to thank Him for what he did to my three daughters. Zenabou and Aisha are twins. Zena got a permanent status in the UN just after six months as a temporary worker. It has never been heard of before. This was the hand of the Lord.

Aisha her twin who is in Canada applied for a special master's program in the University of York in Toronto. 300 students applied from all over Canada. She was among 30 selected with an offer of full government scholarship.  Only the hand of God could do this.

Mariam my last born resigned from her job last January. Mariam is an interior architect. She started her own company. Initially things seemed not to be doing well, but by June 2017 God opened the windows of heaven for her that by October one client contacted her and she was surprised how the person got her contact. The answer "I checked on google for interior architects in Mali and your name came up." God made her shine above others after only 6 months of operation. Mariam is my LTG partner.

All the above are the doings of the Lord and they are marvellous in our eyes. Thank you, Jesus, for all.

Thank you once more, brother Leonard, for the support and encouragement.

Remain blessed. Sister Collete"

Two other prospective students have expressed a desire to enroll in our DTS for the next quarter beginning on March 1st. Their names are John in Nigeria and Grace, a pastor in Uganda. They are both trusting the Lord for a needed laptop, so they can conduct their studies with us. Please pray they will each receive a laptop and be able to enroll in our DTS by March.

Len sent out his monthly edition of Old News That's Still Fresh in January to pastors, elders, and laborers in the harvest in the US, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

We mentioned last month a sister in distress named Leanne in England, who contacted us for help in December. She sent us a praise report in December after we corresponded with her and put her in touch with brother Olugbenga Oladejo. She stated: "Dear Len,...We have been feeling much more positive after both your emails and Pastor Gbenga’s phone call. God bless you." Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray that the Lord would deliver her from evil.

A wonderful door of opportunity has opened for Len to serve short-term overseas, which we believe is from the Lord. We are praying for the financial provision for it and the Lord's timing, as well as the Lord's message when he goes there, and the demonstration of the Spirit's power. We would so appreciate it if you would join us in prayer for this matter.

Although we are not based overseas any more, we are still missionaries and still need your financial and prayer support of our ministry. Please pray and ask the Father if He would have you give.

"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Cor 3:5-6).

Resources:  This month we would like to suggest some articles Len has recently written called The Past Defeat and Present Threat of AI, The Practice of Abiding, and Spiritual Do-It-Yourself. Len's latest articles are all available at Old News That's Still Fresh -- January 2018. 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 the recognition that Charity received from her employer, for helping her get a second job, and for the two poems He helped her write.
2. For helping Faith continue to learn to play her guitar.
3. For the progress with Len's knee.
4. For enabling Hope to memorize all those sacred hymns.
5. For the wonderful testimony of our sister Collete in Mali for helping her to complete her coursework last quarter despite some challenges, and for the marvelous things the Lord has done for her daughters Zenabou, Aisha, and Miriam.
6. For the two prospective students who have expressed a desire to enroll in our DTS.
7. For the opportunity to assist each of our students in becoming disciples of Christ and fulfilling their callings. 
8. For the Lord's leading, guidance, and help administering the Doulos Training School (DTS), and for the progress the students are making.
9. For the lives being touched for Christ around the world through our writing ministry.

Next steps and prayer needs:

1. For the Lord to heal Len's knee and sciatic pain.
2. For the Lord to heal Faith from eczema on her ankle and neck.
3. For the Lord to supernaturally anoint Faith to play the guitar skillfully in worship.
4. 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. 
5. For the Lord to increase the enrollment in our DTS according to His will.
6. For the Lord to help John in Nigeria and Grace in Uganda to each receive a laptop, and enroll in our DTS for the coming quarter in March.
7. 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). 
8. For the Lord to deliver Leanne in England from evil.
9. For the Lord to fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
10. 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. 
11. 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.
12. For the Lord to guide and provide for Len to walk through the open door for ministry overseas.

Thank you so much for your partnership in this ministry.

with love from all of us,

The Lacroixs

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