February Update 2019

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

Len and Jennifer, 22nd wedding anniversary

Family: In February we celebrated our twenty-second wedding anniversary. Hope took over the kitchen responsibilities for Jennifer that afternoon, and we went out for dinner together at a small Greek restaurant, where we enjoyed an evening together.

We also celebrated Joseph's tenth birthday in February (pictured below) with gifts, cards, prayer, and a special, homemade cake, made just as he requested. On that same day we celebrated Len's thirty-third spiritual birthday since he was born again in 1986. If you've never read the story of how he came to Christ, you can do so by seeing his article called The Truth Set Me Free.

We have all been doing fine since we last wrote, although we have continued to battle a stomach virus intermittently that causes stomach ache and nausea. We have prayed and believe the Lord will completely heal us.

Up until recently, Charity has been cutting Len's hair each month, and Len has been cutting Jennifer's and the children's hair. But since Charity has begun working more hours at her new job, Faith has taken over for her on Len's hair. She had been shadowing Charity when she was cutting, and Len when he cut the boys' hair, and now she is doing Len's all by herself. She's a multi-talented young lady doing a great job. Praise the Lord that we are able to do this, because it saves us a lot of money on haircuts. We estimate that just on Len's and the boys' haircuts alone, over the past three years, we have saved over $1,500.

Charity has been doing well with learning her new job at the cafeteria restaurant. She received a compliment from her boss on her progress, and others have complimented her on her smile, so praise the Lord for that. One thing that has changed since before she was hired is that they went from playing mellow instrumental music over the restaurant's sound system to more pop music from a local station. One of the reasons she felt comfortable applying for work there was that the music was mellow, but this change has occurred since she began working there, and we are praying that management will revert back to what they were playing before.

Jennifer still has not gotten a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon, regarding possibly a surgical procedure to address the problem with her right shoulder being painfully stiff and immobile. We applied for financial aid with the healthcare provider and have not yet received a response.

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. By the grace of God, we currently have disciples in five nations including Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, India, and Mali.

David in Nigeria

Len received a very encouraging email from brother David in Nigeria, who is in medical school and at the same time training in our DTS. He is currently trying to finish his second year of DTS coursework by the end of February. He wrote:

"Dear Bro Len,

I really want to appreciate God for what He has been doing in my life. Though I have not been consistent with the DTS reading but there have been a great change in my relationship with God. I see the Lord helping me daily.

I have been able to use this strike period to read my Bible from Genesis to Revelations(reading through the Bible for the first time in my life), I have also been using this strike to fast everyday and praying at least 2:30 hours daily now. The Lord has been helping me to Focus wholly on Him.

I want to let you know that I have began the DTS reading also. Hope to finish it soon except for the fire books. I hope to also start the fire books soon.

The strike by the lecturers is still on. The government has been unable to meet their demands. I returned to school two weeks back and am currently in the hostel. I came back to school primarily to devote myself to fasting, prayer and study God's word. I am also reading other Christian books that speak to my heart.

In Him,
David"

Praise the Lord for the marvelous work He is doing in brother David's life. Let's pray he is able to finish all his coursework for the second year by the end of February.

More DTS Testimonies

Grace in Uganda

Len received the following email from Grace, who is one of our DTS students that pastors a church in Uganda. Len had asked him if there was any news on his need for a home of his own and transportation. He stated:

"Thanks dear brother for standing with me in prayer! I am sure before this year ends the Lord will have provided one of these or both. Also pray with me as I plan this year to acquire a public address system, and rent a hall in town for fellowship. By this we intend to reach out to many and also it will be a major launch of our ministry. Dear brother Len, the Lord is at work and several brethren have come with testimonies of how the Lord wants our ministry here to operate; the Holy Spirit 's leading is necessary.

We love you,
Grace."

DTS Photo Album.

Deji in Nigeria

As we mentioned recently, Deji is scheduled at the end of this month (February 2019) to finish the final quarter of his three-years of DTS training with us, which is only two weeks away from the date this newsletter was published. Please pray with us that he would manage to do so, and that he and his lovely wife Hannah would hear clearly from the Lord, so that they may know the Lord's will for their lives and do it.

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

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.

Resources:  This month we would like to suggest some articles Len has recently written called Only What's Done for Christ Will Last, The Mysteries of the Faith, and What Do You Mean By "Luck"? Len's latest articles are all available at Old News That's Still Fresh -- February 2019. 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 blessing us with twenty-two years of marriage together and enabling us to celebrate our anniversary.
2. For blessing Joseph with ten years of life and allowing us to celebrate his birthday together.
3. For helping Charity with her new job at the restaurant.
4. For David's testimony about the great change in his relationship with the Lord, and how the Lord is helping him daily to focus on Him.
5. For the opportunity to assist each of our students in becoming disciples of Christ and fulfilling their callings. 
6. For the Lord's leading, guidance, and help administering the Doulos Training School (DTS), and for the progress the students are making.
7. 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 Jennifer from chronic pain and limited range of motion in her right arm.
2. For the Lord to heal Faith and Len from eczema.
3. For the Lord to help brother Deji finish his DTS training with us by February 28th, and to lead him concerning the next step for his life.
4. For the Lord to help brother David and all our students finish their DTS coursework by the end of this month.
5. For the Lord to provide a meeting hall and public address system for brother Grace.
6. For the Lord to bring the strike of the Nigerian university lecturers to an end, so our DTS students can return to their secular university studies.
7. 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. 
8. 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). 
9. For the Lord to fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
10. For the Lord to move mountains to raise up new faith partners, 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

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

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