April 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.

Family: In April Hope started a new job at the same cafeteria style restaurant that Charity works at. So far she has been adjusting well, learning many new things, as they have been training her on multiple jobs including waitress and line server in the take out area. Praise the Lord for her new job, which is her first one. We're praying she would continue to do well with her training as she comes up the learning curve.

Christopher and Faith are also continuing to do very well playing their instruments in worship and learning many new songs. It's been a real blessing to us. If you would like to see and hear them sing The Proof of Your Love, then click on this link. In this video, Christopher is playing the keyboard while Faith and Joseph sing. But Faith also plays the guitar on other songs, and sometimes they both play their instruments together.

Len has been having symptoms of a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, so we're praying for the Lord to heal that, as well as the continued sciatic pain and eczema that he's been experiencing. We're also continuing to pray for Jennifer's shoulder to be healed. She has not gone to see a doctor for it.

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, and Mali.

Memorial service for William Badugu in India

In March, Len received an email from the son of one of our DTS students in India, Dr. William Badugu, to notify us that he died on March 9th. The photo (left) from his memorial service shows his photo in the bottom center as well as the life-size photo of him on the wall banner. His son wrote:

"Dear Beloved Brother,

My father Dr. Badugu William has expired on this month March 9, 2019. I am his youngest son Badugu Kamal Manohar. I am proud to say 'He is a solider of God,' He had done a very heavy work of God until his death. I had seen very [much] less, but I came to know [of] his work for God [at] his Memorial Service by the pastors [who spoke about him].

He has shown what GOD's love is. (This is not [what I am] saying...it is the testimony given by each and every pastor who has came for [his] Memorial service.)  Now I want you to pray for family consolation.

Thank you."

We were saddened and very surprised to get this news from Brother William's son about his death only ten days prior. Brother William was only sixty-two years old, and had just recently enrolled in our DTS. His first quarter began on March 1. He held a Master of Arts degree, a Masters in Education, and a Doctorate in Theology, and was the President of Care Ministry in India. You may click here to watch a memorial video paying tribute to his life.

When Len spoke with his youngest son Kamal on the phone, he explained that his father William had a chronic kidney condition and had been on dialysis for one year. While doing that, he had been getting very tired, and Kamal had advised him not to travel to other states on ministry, but he wanted to continue to serve the Lord every day as usual. So Kamal agreed to assist him by driving him to these ministry locations, which were sometimes 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away, where he cared for pastors. And that is what Kamal did for quite some time during the past year, driving him wherever he needed to go. In fact there was a big event coming up in Bombay in May.

Dr. William Badugu

However, recently in March he became very weak and stopped eating for a week. He was at home on bed rest and only taking fluids. Kamal thought he should bring him to his older, married brother's home to rest and recover for a while, so he did that. After a couple days staying with Kamal's brother, he started to become more active, because he enjoyed his time with his granddaughter. On the third day there, he collapsed in the bathroom, so they took him to the Emergency Room and found out that he had broken a bone in his hand, plus his pulse was abnormal, and he may have been having strokes.

They moved him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for observation, and Kamal stayed until around 11:00 PM, but he was told he could not stay overnight since it was the ICU. So he told his father he would be going home, but that he would come back in the morning. William wasn't really able to talk, but simply said, "Come in the morning." Then Kamal went home and received a call from the hospital at 5:00 AM to return there immediately, which he did. When he walked into the ICU, they were performing CPR, doing chest compressions, and said they had been trying for about fourteen minutes to resuscitate him, but they were unable to bring him back. It was his time to go and he went to be with the Lord. At his memorial service later, the pastors that he cared for spoke about the wonderful impact that William had made on their lives.

William left behind his wife, two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a loving granddaughter, as well as an older brother with his wife and daughter. They are pictured in the photo above. There is a pastor behind the pulpit with the mic, then William's wife to the left of his picture in front, and to her left is Kamal with the beard and dark shirt. To his left is William's older brother with his wife and daughter. On the other side of the picture is Kamal's older brother with his wife and daughter.

After Len spoke with William's youngest son Kamal on the phone about William's passing, Kamal wrote to Len to thank him: "Thanks for you call and for your condolence...Your call made me very happy and supportive...really I was facing very much disappointment and loneliness [after his death]. I was praying God to hold me in this situation. And please do remember us in your prayers." Let's pray that the Lord would comfort this whole family in their loss.

Richard in Uganda

In April we received the following testimony from our newest student named Richard, who is a pastor in Uganda:

"I praise Christ Jesus for the wonderful connection to DTS. I am very rich now in the knowledge of the Word. I am confident in teaching the Word, as a disciple of the Costly Grace. It's so good that I joined this college.

My time is not wasted any more, but spent in reading and research. I have developed a life based on the content of the Bible Scriptures, the best interpretation, and the best devotional and prayer moments. So exciting is the life I lead now.

I am glad my mentor has encouraged me by asking many questions, which now I answer by wisdom and accurate interpretation of Scripture. Surely it's life transforming. I encourage others to apply. For no one can drop out. That's my opinion.

Greetings to all my colleagues in this Easter season.

Thank you Len."

More DTS Testimonies

Grace in Uganda

Len received an email in March from the daughter of Grace, who is one of our DTS students that pastors a church in Uganda. She informed Len that brother Grace had suffered a broken arm and other injuries from a motorcycle accident he had.

Let's remember brother Grace in prayer for healing from the broken arm and other injuries he sustained in the accident.

DTS Photo Album.

Last month we reported on the DTS graduation of brother Deji, which was a major milestone, since it was our first graduation of our first student. We have since received photos of the graduation, which you can find at this link, showing brother Gbenga, brother Deji, and his father at the ceremony.

Len also created a new blog called Biblical Typology, in which he seeks to fully unfold those rich truths buried like treasures in the Hebrew Scriptures, specifically the ones where we find types of Christ. The goal of all this is to grow in our love and knowledge of Jesus Christ and help others do so, too.  Some of the types covered already include Adam, Noah's ark, the temple, the tabernacle and its furnishings, the cornerstone, the rock from which the water sprang, Isaac, Hagar and Sarah. Others that will be covered, Lord willing, include the high priest, King David, Moses, manna, animal sacrifices, the blood of the lamb, the scapegoat, Israel, Joseph, Joshua, Boaz, Saul (son of Kish), the Israelites, kings and priests, and the tree of life.

John in Nigeria

Len received the following testimony from one of our students in Nigeria named John. He wrote:

"I have learnt so many things in this series. In fact, I have more insight into the following: 1) Pneumatology, which is the theology of the Holy Spirit. I learnt more about Him (Holy Spirit) and His ministry. 2) Eschatology: Through this teaching, I am very much aware that we are the last generation, and the world has no numberless days. I am enlightened more about this our present dispensation and the end time. 3) Biblical Typology: I used to think about Old Testament events with reflection to Christ, and now I know that God works in mysterious ways. The course has exposed me to God's design [and] plan of our salvation. I now fully understand that the Old Testament was a reflection and the Shadow of the real. Glory be to God for His mercies is from age to age."

Praise the Lord for this testimony from brother John and the new insights he is getting from the Lord as he studies with us, as well as the testimony given by brother Richard in Uganda. A brief quote from nineteenth century Mary Jones of Wales seems appropriate here: "If there is even a little truth in what [these students] kindly say, I thank God that in His great mercy and love He suffers me, poor and weak and simple as I am, to show forth in my small way His glory, and the truth of His blessed Word."

Len sent out his monthly edition of Old News That's Still Fresh in April 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 Praying Heart-Prayers, Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night, Trembling at His Word, What Shall We Say To These Things?, and Share Jesus Without Fear. Len's latest articles are all available at Old News That's Still Fresh -- April 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 providing Hope with a new job.
2. For Christopher and Faith's continued progress on their worship instruments.
3. For the new insights our DTS student John is getting from the Lord as he studies with us.
4. For the testimony of what the Lord is doing in brother Richard's life in Uganda through the DTS.
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 Len's lower back and sciatic pain.
3. For the Lord to heal Faith and Len from eczema.
4. For the Lord to help Hope continue to do well with her training as she comes up the learning curve.
5. For the Lord to comfort the family of Dr. William Badugu in India in their loss.
6. For the Lord to heal brother Grace in Uganda from a broken arm and other injuries.
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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