June 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.

Len and Jennifer

Family: In May and June the children continued with homeschool studies despite the fact that public schools are all closed for the rest of the year due to the lockdown. As you know from our previous newsletters, they have done quite well in school as evidenced by their standardized tests at the end of each year. In fact, although the state here has waived the requirement for schools to administer such tests due to covid, we are going to be doing them anyway.

Meanwhile, a liberal conference called Homeschooling Summit: Problems, Politics, and Prospects for Reform that was scheduled to take place at Harvard University from June 18-19, 2020 has been postponed due to covid. We have read an article by the conference organizer, and it is obvious that she knows very little about homeschooling, yet she is spreading misinformation and disinformation about it with the apparent aim of discrediting it and banning it. In fact, the description of the conference on their website deceptively states that they will convene so-called experts on homeschool, such as attorneys and professors at this private, invitation-only event, for the purpose of "child advocacy." They state: "The focus will be on problems of educational deprivation and child maltreatment that too often occur under the guise of homeschooling, in a legal environment of minimal or no oversight."

As we said, their ultimate goal is to ban homeschooling, taking away our legal rights to do so in this country, or at least to make the government requirements such that it will be impossible to conduct such a program in good conscience, so we ask you to join us in praying that they will not achieve their goal, and that they will be thrown into confusion, since their intentions are not actually in the best interests of children. This is a work of the enemy. Pray that their deception will be exposed, that they will not accomplish their goals, that their efforts would be derailed, and that it will be obvious to everyone that they are not proclaiming the truth about homeschooling.

Last but not least, Charity recorded a video of her testimony about a dream she had of the rapture eight years ago almost to the day. The very brief video (less than 2 minutes long) has received over a thousand views already in just a short time. We hope you will take a moment to view it, and we think you'll be encouraged if you do. Here is the video for your encouragement, which was actually a confirmation of a rapture dream Len had on the same exact day in 2012. You can read about Len's dream here.

She also replied on Twitter to a comment about modesty made by a born again sister in Christ named Ashley, who was delivered from New Age religion. Ashley's comment that she retweeted accurately stated: "Many women long so much for a man's love and attention, so they dress immodestly by showing off more of their body—but they don't realize that the attention they get is the wrong kind and has nothing to do with love...Which is what they truly want." And Charity had replied, "So true! Dressing immodestly is also not loving your neighbor." Charity's simple reply received a great deal of attention most of which was negative, including people attacking her verbally for it. The harsh criticism against her for making that comment goes to show that the devil hates modesty and anyone openly supporting it is dangerous to him. As sister Ashley had also correctly stated: "Men should be able to have a safe place at church, but many women dress immodestly at church. The safe place of God's house has now become an arena of temptation." For more on this, please see Len's article from eight years ago called Garments of Godliness.

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, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates.

Christine in Uganda

In May another student from Uganda enrolled in the DTS. Her name is Christine and she has been saved for thirty years now and has received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Here is the reason she gave for enrolling:

"I want to enroll for a DTS so that I can get to know God more, walk with Him always and learn how to make Him known to other people effectively." Please join us in praying that the Lord will accomplish her goal through our training.

Len received an email from brother David in Nigeria, a former DTS student. Although he suspended his training with us about two years ago at the end of his second year of DTS, he has continued to meet in a Life Transformation Group (LTG) with the same two brothers he has met with for a few years now. He shared the following testimony about how he and the members of his LTG had agreed together to read through the Bible in one year, and they not only accomplished their goal, but went beyond that and again read six books of the New Testament. Here is his testimony:

"Good evening Bro Len,

How are you doing and your family?

David in Nigeria

I like to share with you testimony of what the Lord has been doing in our LIFE TRANSFORMATION GROUP (LTG).

The Lord helped us to be able to read the Entire Bible (From Genesis to Revelation). Plus [afterward we again read] the Four gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke, John), Acts and Jude in our LIFE TRANSFORMATION GROUP (LTG).

We started the Bible plan last year June with the Vision of Reading through the Bible. God gave us the grace to do that, and even included [reading a second time through] 6 books of the New testament as listed above. We finished it on Thursday, 21st May 2020. Our appreciation goes to God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope. We thank God also for using your Life to bless us.

Thank you Bro Len,

In Him,
David."

Praise the Lord for helping David and his LTG partners to read through the whole Bible and continue with their LTG during their medical school training. Please pray for the Lord to help brother David to complete his second year of DTS and resume his training with us very soon.

Collete in Kenya

Len received the following email from sister Collete in Kenya, who is a recent graduate of our DTS:

"Dear brother Leonard,

Sorry for my long silence. Many things have passed so fast.

I hope the family and you are in good health. As soon as I came from the village after dropping my mum I had another fall on my back in the bathroom. Glory to God I was not fractured this time only I had terrible pain. I went to the hospital and was to return a week after for check up.

Unfortunately the appointment was cancelled because of covid 19. God is gracious though, [and I'm] walking with the crutches. I am getting better.

Thank you you for sending my certificate. I also thank God for this lockdown it has help have quality time with Him and also evangelise through the social network.

I am grateful for the months newsletter and thank God for preserving the jobs of [your] girls at the time when many have lost their jobs all over the world.

The problem is more profound in Africa with shortages of basics like food and no salary. I saw in the [May] newsletter my brothers from Uganda remarking their concerns. We can only pray and leave all in the mighty hand of our Creator. He promised never to abandon us or leave us.

My plan to move to the village and team up with my brother for souls to Christ. I am just waiting for some financial resources. I believe it shall come to pass at the right time.

Stay blessed

Sister Collete"

More DTS Testimonies

Charles in Uganda

In June, Len received the following encouraging email from brother Charles, one of our DTS students who is a pastor in Uganda. He stated in part:

"The Church here in Uganda is experiencing a total lockdown. Am very grateful, brother Leonard, for introducing us to the LTG. If it were not for the LTG system of learning, the church would be scattered. Thank you so so much for the LTG. Am more than grateful to God I met you.

The only challenge here is that life has become very difficult financially, the family is big. [There is a] demand from Church members for food items, but the churches are still closed. Continue praying with us that God brings us strong. God bless you."

We are certainly grateful that the Life Transformation Groups required by the DTS are serving such an important role in keeping the church there from being scattered, and we praise God for that. However, according to what we have learned from brother Charles and other DTS students in Uganda, it has become clear that the adverse effects of the lockdown in their country are so terrible that it has become a real humanitarian crisis. There are only 694 reported cases of covid in their entire country (only 15 people per million) and absolutely no deaths due to it, yet they have been on government-mandated lockdown for months, unable to work (except for essential services), provide for their families, or meet for worship. Of course, the pastors in our DTS like Charles depend on support from their churches and that has been disrupted due to the lockdown and related unemployment of the people in their congregation. As he stated, they have large families. For example one of our students has seven children. Charles mentioned that he visited one brother there who had gone without any food for three days, who was sitting in his home sipping a cup of tea.

Len wrote to their President about this matter, but to no avail. As many doctors here in the US have decried, this is the first time in history that we have quarantined all the well people. Normally it is only the sick who are quarantined. This lockdown has absolutely no medical basis, and it is doing far more harm than the problem it is supposedly trying to solve. Please pray that the lockdown in Uganda will end and that the Lord will provide for all those suffering hunger and deprivation because of it, especially the Christians, who are being spiritually deprived of public worship and fellowship.

DTS Photo Album.

We have created a new volunteer role of DTS National Facilitator to assist us in the administration of our school internationally, as well as to facilitate the DTS students in each of the several countries with their training. Due to the difference in time zones, the cost of long distance international calls, and the technical barriers with international mobile phone text messaging, it is necessary to have a National Facilitator within each country to maintain contact with the students. The volunteer position will be fulfilled by DTS graduates of ours whom we appoint, who wish to serve in this way.

Each National Facilitator is responsible under our direction to maintain regular periodic contact with all students within their country, in order to check up on their progress and hold them accountable. The Facilitators determine if the student has any questions about the coursework and escalate those to us as needed. They also encourage our DTS students and either assist in removing any obstacles to progress if possible, or bring those to our attention. They will also provide Len with weekly updates on the students in their country. Sister Sherry in the United Arab Emirates has already accepted the role of DTS Middle East Regional Facilitator. Brother Deji has accepted the role of DTS National Facilitator for Nigeria.

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 the freedom we still have to homeschool our children and the progress they are making in their studies.
2. For the postponement of the anti-homeschool conference at Harvard.
3. For helping David and his LTG partners to read through the whole Bible and continue with their LTG during their medical school training.
4. For the praise report from brother Charles about how the Lord is using the LTGs to sustain the church in Uganda and keep it from being scattered.
5. For bringing sister Christine in Uganda into our DTS.
6. For the wisdom to create the new role of DTS National Facilitator and for sister Sherry's willingness to serve the Lord in that way in the Middle East.
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 Jennifer from limited range of motion in her right arm, and for the Lord to heal Len of the same thing in his left shoulder, as well as from the pain.
2. For the Lord to heal Faith and Len from eczema.
3. For the Lord to expose the deception of the anti-homeschool conference organizers and speakers, that they will not accomplish their goals, that their malevolent efforts would be derailed, and that it will be obvious to everyone that they are not proclaiming the truth about homeschooling.
4. For the Lord to fulfill His purposes in equipping sister Christine for His service, through her DTS training.
5. For the Lord to heal sister Collete in Kenya from the painful injury she sustained when she fell.
6. 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. 
7. For the Lord to assist all our DTS students in any life challenges they may be experiencing.
8. For the Lord to help brother David in Nigeria to complete his second year of DTS and resume his training with us very soon
9. 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. 
10. 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. 
11. For the Lord to fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
12. 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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