September Update - 2020

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.

Denis Lacroix

Family: In August Len's beloved nephew Denis Lacroix passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. He had been our DMI bookkeeper for the past several years, but was more than a bookkeeper, as he did so much more for us. He was Len's best friend and right hand man in this ministry, as well as a constant intercessor for us, and we have truly experienced a great loss with his passing, but he is in glory now.

You can read Denis' testimony that Len posted online in 2012, shortly after Denis returned to the Lord after a couple decades of backsliding from the Lord (see here). Copies of this testimony were handed out at the Memorial Service and they went like hotcakes. You can also watch the touching Memorial Service in New Hampshire (NH), where Len gave a eulogy and others shared their loving memories of Denis as well (see here). One person at that meeting came forward at the end to indicate a decision for Christ. Check your email for a special note from Len about another wonderful outcome, and how you can pray. Denis would be so thrilled at what the Lord is doing through all of this to win souls.

Len spent a week in NH for the activities surrounding the passing of Denis, including collecting documents and electronic files that Denis had kept. He had an opportunity to see many family members that he hadn't seen in seven years since we returned from Hungary. That was the last time he was in NH, so he was thankful to see them again. We also give God the praise for protecting Len from several life-threatening dangers he encountered on the road during his trip.

We now have a great need for a new bookkeeper, and we ask that you please join us in praying the Lord would provide the right person to take over for Denis. This is a critical role that needs to be filled immediately so that we can continue on with our ministry. We have already asked several people and found no one yet who is willing to do it.

As Len was driving up to NH for Denis' Memorial Service, Jennifer was in the hospital getting emergency surgery on her finger, because she had developed an infection in it. That was on August 19th and her finger is still in the process of healing. Please pray that the Lord would heal her finger completely, restore her immune system following a course of very powerful antibiotics, and provide for all the medical expenses that were incurred.

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, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates.

We have had a few new students enroll in the DTS and begin on September 1.

First of all, a new student named Josiah from Nigeria enrolled in our DTS in August. He was raised in a Christian family but could not recall a time when he was born again, so at Len's request Deji helped him to pray and ask Jesus into his heart. He wants to enroll in the DTS to get more dedicated to the things of God and also learn more about God from those who know more. He will also be brother Favour's new LTG partner. We praise God for bringing brother Josiah into the kingdom and into our DTS.

Stephen in Nigeria

Secondly, another new student in Nigeria named Stephen enrolled as well. He gave his life to Christ eleven years ago in 2009. The reason he gave for enrolling was: "I want to know more about God and how to win souls for God, and all I want now is to affect my generation for God."

We are glad to have him enroll in the DTS.

DTS Photo Album.

Uchenna and Henrietta in Nigeria

Thirdly, a couple named Uchenna and Henrietta have resumed their training with us that was suspended in 2018, so they are restarting their first quarter. The Lord has brought them through some very difficult trials that they experienced during the past two years while they were away from us, and we are glad to have them back.

Kevin in Uganda

Fourth, we have another new student named Kevin from Uganda. She was referred to us by Grace, who is a pastor there and third-year DTS student. She enrolled: "To help me in building my faith, to grow strong as I prepare to wait for the coming of Jesus." We are glad as well for bringing her into the DTS. Here is her testimony after two weeks of training:

"I want to thank God. Since I joined [the] DTS, my life is never the same. Reading [the] Bible [and] praying is now my daily activity. And also I have managed to transform the life of some people in my work place. Every evening I sit with my home people and we learn the Word of God together. Thanks...for what you are doing. God bless you."

Please join us in welcoming these students to the DTS, and praying that the Lord will equip them for works of service. We're looking forward to serving all of them over the next three years.

More DTS Testimonies

One of our First Year students in the United Arab Emirates named sister Rudiah received special permission from her employer there to move back to Kenya in September to be with her husband and children. She had been temporarily working abroad in that country. Please pray that the Lord will bring her safely back home to her family on Wednesday 16 September.

One of our DTS students in Uganda, Brother Charles, who is a pastor there, wrote the following praise report of what the Lord is doing through the Life Transformation Groups:

"Good morning Leonard

Am very grateful to God for the things He is doing through you and the Life Transformation Groups (LTG). Recently in one of the groups one members child was not well and as you know it was difficult for the family to take the child for proper medical attention, but as the LTG had gathered for their usual meetings. One member in the community came to the group and was testifying of what God had done in his life. He said he once attended the meeting, was prayed for and God opened a door for a job. He had to travel over the weekend to that place just to thank God and encourage members to continue the habit of meeting together.

He also brought an equivalent of $20 to thank Lord for opening that door for a job. 

The members praised God together with him and as a team they agreed to have the child taken for proper medical check and treated. As we speak now the baby has recovered. The glory goes back to God. Hallelujah!!"

Praise the Lord for that wonderful testimony. Brother Charles confirmed that he is meeting with his LTG partners as instructed, men with men and not more than three people per group. But the local families in his church are using a modified version of the LTG during the lockdown period when there are no church services. He stated:

"We're doing as you instructed us, except in our setting and during this pandemic a family conducts prayers and goes through the 5 [LTG] questions, [they] go through the scriptural reading together, because they're of one family. Occasionally in our African setting, some visitors come, and if the family [is] in that time of prayer, they join together."

We received the following testimony from brother John in Nigeria:

"The testimony I can share this time is that in our LTG group, we are trying by God's possible grace to intensify our prayer life. We want to make prayer part and parcel of our life, We hope in God by His grace to talk to Him for the people through prayer and talk to people for Him through preaching." 

Resources: We would like to remind you that 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 enabling Len to safely travel to NH and share at the Memorial Service, as well as see family.
2. For the improvement Len has been experiencing in his shoulders.
3. For enabling Rudiah to get special permission to travel back home to her family in Kenya.
4. For the new students Stephen, Kevin, Uchenna, and Henrietta.
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's finger.
2. For the Lord to heal Faith and Len from eczema.
3. For the Lord to provide for all the needs of our DTS students in the hardships they're experiencing due to the lockdown, especially those in dire need in Uganda. 
4. For the Lord to assist all our DTS students in any life challenges they may be experiencing.
5. For the Lord to protect sister Rudiah as she returns to Kenya on Wednesday September 16th.
6. For the Lord to provide us with a new Bookkeeper for Doulos Missions International.
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), and help them finish all their course work for the current quarter by the end of this month. 
9. For the Lord to fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
10. For the Lord 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.

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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