July 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 June we celebrated Charity's twenty-first birthday with cake, gifts, cards, and prayer. You can see photos of it at the link below.

We also celebrated Hope's graduation from High School after she successfully completed twelve years of home school education. We invited some friends to join us for the formal ceremony in our back yard, which included worship, special music by our children who sang a hymn, a message that Len shared from the Word of God, awarding the diploma, and prayer for Hope. Afterward we gave her gifts and cards, then had hors d'oeuvres and fellowship for the rest of the evening. The weather was perfect in answer to prayer and the event was memorable. If you would like to see a video of her receiving her diploma, click here. The video of the special music by our children is at this link.

Hope healed up completely from her wisdom teeth extraction with no complications at all. Praise the Lord.

Faith received a letter in the mail from President Trump responding personally to her letter that she wrote to him regarding her concern that he use his authority to protect unborn babies. He assured her that he is dedicated to protecting their lives. If you would like to see a full copy of the letter, then click here.

Faith, Christopher, and Joseph received the results of the standardized scholastic Iowa tests they took last month. They all did fine by the grace of God. Faith, who just finished tenth grade, scored with grades equivalent to someone in thirteenth grade or higher. She is in the eighty-third percentile nationally. Christopher, who just completed eighth grade, also scored overall equivalent to someone in thirteenth grade or higher. His composite score was in the ninety-ninth percentile, meaning he scored better than ninety-nine percent of all eighth-grade students who took the exam nationally. Praise the Lord.

We're also continuing to pray for our shoulders to be healed. Jennifer has experienced a significant level of healing from the shoulder pain she was having and has regained some range of motion, but still needs the Lord to restore full range of motion. Len is still in pain, as he is only four months or so into this injury, and has quite limited range of motion in the left shoulder.

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.

Collete in Mali

One of our DTS students named Collete in Africa needs our prayers right now, as she is going through a major challenge. She wrote:

"Dear brother Leonard,

I am undergoing a very serious challenge. My late husband left an estate, and for the past ten years we have been in and out of the courts with my step son and the family.  It became worse the last one month, after I had almost reached a conclusion, except [that when I went] to give him his share he again contested [it]. This was really a big blow to me, because I have incurred too much cost and debts and was expecting to resolve them.

Right now I am six months arrears in rent, and the landlord has given me [an eviction] notice.  After the fall [when I broke my leg two years ago], I stopped working. My husband's bank account is also blocked. It is the grace of God that has been carrying me through.

I need time to organise myself.  This situation has really taken me a back.  But I believe that there is nothing that is impossible  for God. I am still hoping for a solution.

It us not easy when you are dealing with non believers, especially Muslims. Their reasoning is far too different from us.  Anyway God is in control.

Be blessed

Sister Collete"

We have been lifting our sister Collete in prayer, and would like to ask you to join us in prayer for her dire need. She asked that we pray the Lord would help her step son to act in love. She was supposed to graduate at the end of May from our DTS, but that has been delayed due to this crisis.

Len received the following email in June from Sam, one of our DTS students in Uganda:

Sam in Uganda

"Powerful. Since I became a student of DTS, my life is changing every time I sit down to read my notes. One amazing thing is the simplicity and the clarity of the Word of God as handled by Len. Scales are falling off my eyes.  I am growing in the knowledge and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Thanks.

Sam"

In July Len received an email from brother Daniel in Nigeria, who wrote:

"I thank God for today's [Sunday] service. It went well and powerful. And I thank God for my life, and I thank God for the love he brought in to my family, and I want this love to reign till Jesus Christ comes. Amen.

In Nigeria many are dying. Fulani are killing people any how they like. Even in my area, Bariga Lagos, the young boys, little boys that join cults kill themselves. But still I work on the road as if nothing is going to happen, and God always protects me.

I thank God for everything He has done."

More DTS Testimonies

Grace in Uganda

Len wrote to brother Grace, one of our students who is a pastor in Uganda, and asked him how his right arm is doing that had been broken in a motorcycle accident. You may recall that when they removed the cast after several weeks, his arm was bent, and he was experiencing pain trying to do the physical therapy he needed to do to restore it. Len received the following reply from him saying:

"Thanks dear brother Len for your prayers! In fact, the Lord has seen me through! The hand has started some functions though some pain.It has straightened and is a process to heal completely. Blessings."

Hallelujah! We praise God and thank God for every little bit of healing brother Grace has received thus far. We thank Him for 10%, for 15%, for 20% and the Lord will continue to increase until it is 100% healed. He will complete the healing. Amen!

DTS Photo Album.

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

He received the following email from one reader who wrote:

"I've read your article on Andy Stanley and thank you for opening my eyes and taking a stand when we see or hear a false Gospel preached. Apostle Paul said, 'Don't be a peddler of the Gospel.' Church hymns and rock music are not the same, secular music does not glorify God. I will keep you in my prayers and pray all our brothers and sisters in Christ stand firm in the faith and for continued blessings over our nation and government. May God continue His blessings upon you keep up the good work as we remain diligent for the Lord. God bless you all. 3 John 4."

Praise God for that encouraging feedback. The Scripture that sister referenced in her email says, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 Joh 4).

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 David as a Type of Christ, The High Priest as a Type of Christ, Joseph as a Type of Christ, and Manna as a Type of Christ. Len's latest articles are all available at Old News That's Still Fresh -- July 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 enabling Hope to graduate from high school, and for completely healing her from her surgical wounds following the wisdom teeth extraction.
2. For nearly eliminating the pain that Jennifer was experiencing in her right shoulder.
3. For the significant degree of healing from eczema that Len has experienced recently.
4. For the testimonies of what the Lord is doing in the lives of brothers Daniel in Nigeria and Sam in Uganda.
5. For the healing that our brother Grace in Uganda has received thus far in his arm where it was broken.
6. For God's grace that has been carrying sister Collete through her dire straits.
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 to heal Len from the same thing in his left shoulder and arm, as well as the pain he is experiencing from what appears to be a torn rotator cuff.
2. For the Lord to heal Faith and Len from eczema.
3. For the Lord to help Hope get full time hours where she works, now that she has graduated, and help her this summer as she prepares to take the SAT test in the fall.
4. For the Lord to protect brother Daniel from danger in the area where he lives in Nigeria.
5. For the Lord to touch sister Collete's step son and help him to act in love toward her, so that she could resolve the dispute over her late husband's estate and pay off all her debts.
6. For the Lord to complete the healing for brother Grace in Uganda from his remaining pain, and restore full functionality to his hand and arm from where he broke it a few months ago.
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

Donate Online

June 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.

Hope and Faith

Family: In June, Hope had all four of her wisdom teeth removed on the same day without any complications, and had to take a week off from work to recover. She had some swelling, very little pain, and is recovering amazingly well. She will be graduating from High School on the 21st of June, and we are praying for the Lord's presence with us as we celebrate the occasion.

Jennifer is conducting year-end standardized scholastic testing with Faith, Christopher, and Joseph this month, which is currently in progress. The first week is completed and the second week immediately follows the publishing of this newsletter.

Christopher killed a deadly black widow spider in the tall grass along the walkway of our home recently, which had posed a danger to all of us, especially when we put our hands in there to do weeding. He also caught three chipmunks around our home in live traps in May and June. We took them away and dropped them off some distance from our home in wooded areas. On one of those occasions as we were releasing the chipmunks in a wooded area, Christopher was bitten by a wolf spider. We didn't see the spider, but they are very common here, even inside the home, and the bite exactly matches that of this type of spider. While the bite is painful, it does not have a deadly venom. We have praying for him and been using home treatments to care for the bite and make sure it does not get infected.

Charity wrote a new poem about abortion called The Voiceless Innocents, which is posted on Verses to the King with all the other poems that she and our children have written. Just click the link above to check it out.

We're also continuing to pray for our (Len and Jennifer's) shoulders to be healed. Neither of us have seen a doctor for the painful issue.

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.

Shadrach in Nigeria

In May Len received the following email from brother Sharach in Nigeria, who had just completed his first quarter of training in our DTS:

"Good evening, sir. I must say of a truth, God has so richly blessed my life with my first quarter in this mission as a student. Right now I have really been clarified on teachings on subjects like baptism, faith, knowing God, etc. I had a great study time, and my thanks goes first to God and then to this noble mission on her relentless efforts to raise accurate disciples for Jesus. God bless Doulos Training School."

In June Len receive the following email from Deji in Nigeria, who graduated from our DTS in March. He stated:

"Dear Brother Len,

Calvary greetings to you sir. Trust you and your family are doing well sir.

Deji and Hannah in Nigeria

I want to give you an update on the Liberia trip sir.

We've met with the Leaders and elders of the ministry. Seeing that we are expecting a child, the leadership of the ministry postponed the mission trip till late next year, when Hannah would have been delivered of our baby.

Please we need your prayers that whatever the Lord's will is, we will know it and do it.

The Lord bless you sir.

Yours in the Lord,

Deji"

More DTS Testimonies

In June, Len received an email from Charles, the pastor of Champions Miracle Ministries in Lira, Uganda, who is one of our DTS students. Brother Charles wrote:

Charles in Ulganda

"Praise the Lord bro Leonard Lacroix thank you for the great work of ministry. I appreciate your time and effort in impacting leaders in our generation.

I have a praise report of what the Lord has done in our ministry...Last month we had a service, and during the prayer and healing session a young lady came to me, because she was believing God for the healing of her grand mother, who was bed ridden because of cancer. I instructed her to buy a handkerchief, and we prayed believing God that when it touches her body, she would receive the healing. To the glory of God the grand mother's health improved tremendously, they went for review on Thursday and there is no trace of cancer in her body. She is perfectly healed to the Glory of God. Hallelujah. Thank you that through this program I have learnt that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. Glory!!!!!

I also want to affirm that we started and LGT group and it's glorious. Thank you, bro Leonard.

My regards to the family and ministry partners."

Praise the Lord for what He has done in and through brother Charles' life and ministry.

DTS Photo Album.

In June, Len received the following email from one of our students named Grace, who is a pastor in Uganda:

Grace Okurut in Uganda

"Praise the Lord Jesus Christ! To every one who reads this, I want to say with DTS my life is dramatically changed. It has helped me to be steady, sure of my salvation and hopefully waiting for the Lord's Day. The teachings have helped me greatly in putting my life right with God. Glory be to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Grace Okurut."

Praise the Lord! We give all the glory to God for what He has done in Grace's life. Please pray the Lord would heal his right arm that is still healing from being broken in a motorcycle accident a couple months ago and is now bent.

Len sent out his monthly edition of Old News That's Still Fresh in June 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 Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work, The Passover Lamb as a Type of Christ, The Typology of the Tabernacle, Isaac as a Type of Christ, and Partaking of the Divine Nature -- Part II. Len's latest articles are all available at Old News That's Still Fresh -- June 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 helping Hope to get her four wisdom teeth extracted successfully with no complications.
2. For the testimonies of what the Lord is doing in the lives of brothers Shadrach in Nigeria, as well as Charles and Grace in Uganda through the DTS.
3. For giving wisdom and guidance to Deji and Hannah concerning the mission to Liberia.
4. For the opportunity to assist each of our students in becoming disciples of Christ and fulfilling their callings. 
5. For the Lord's leading, guidance, and help administering the Doulos Training School (DTS), and for the progress the students are making.
6. 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, and for the Lord to heal Len of the same thing in his left shoulder and arm.
2. For the Lord to heal Faith and Len from eczema.
3. For the Lord to heal Hope from the swelling in her mouth where the wisdom teeth were extracted and prevent any infection or dry sockets.
4. For the Lord to help Faith, Christopher, and Joseph with their standardized Iowa exams.
5. For the Lord to heal brother Grace in Uganda from a broken and bent arm.
6. 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. 
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 fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
9. 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

Donate Online

May 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 May we celebrated Christopher's fourteenth birthday with cake, cards, gifts, and prayer. Hope has been doing very well in her new job by the grace of God, getting lots of compliments from her employer and the customers she serves. She gives all the glory to God and knows it is all because of Him.

We're also continuing to pray for our shoulders to be healed. Neither of us have seen a doctor for the painful issue.

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.

In April Len received the following comment from James (pictured left), one of our DTS students who is a pastor in Uganda: "This school is one of the best. I love it. Your teachings are helping me and our church leaders know more in the Bible. Thank you very, very much."

James, who is currently on a trip to Kenya, also referred a new student to us in April named Jimmy Felex (pictured below), who is a thirty-two year old man from Lira, Uganda. He said the reason he enrolled is to know more about Christ and the true gospel, as well as for the purpose of getting the academic certificate. He gave the following testimony of how he got saved at age sixteen:

"In 2003, I was in [my] senior [year]. It was when my mother had passed on, and there was no one to support me educationally. I tried [asking] all my relatives to support me, but no one could help me. I heard a voice in my dream one day when I was sleeping, which said, "No one can help you...only Me..." So I went to where my mother [had been] working [before she died] thinking I was going to get help. I met a co-worker of hers there, and she told [me], "There is only one way you can get help, and this is only through salvation. From that day, I got born again and [give] thanks [to] God for it all."

Praise the Lord! That's a wonderful testimony.

Jimmy (L) and Tom (R) in Uganda

Another student in Uganda referred by brother James also enrolled. He is a thirty-eight year old man named Tom (pictured left), who is enrolling in order to grow in the knowledge Christ and also to receive proper accreditation for any ministries ahead of him. Here is his salvation testimony of how he was saved at age eight:

"It was 1989 that I met a group of evangelists moving [from] door to door. They preached to me and my father, and instantly my Dad accepted and I followed him. We accepted salvation out of our free will, [as] nobody forced us to get saved."

Hallelujah! We are thankful for these new students, who will begin their training on June 1, as we begin a new quarter, and we look forward to serving them over the next three years.

Grace in Uganda

In April Len received the following email from one of our students in Uganda who is a pastor named Grace:

"Praise the Lord, brother Len. I am so blessed to be part of what God is doing through DTS!!!! I am sorry, could not send my testimony, because of the pain I have. So [I am]struggling to make it all with the course. All I know is this [training] has totally changed my life. Each day I live draws me closer to the Lord and ready to be at home with Him any time to come. It is not about our titles and accomplishments, but a personal relationship with the Lord. I have gone through these [courses] and the Lord continues to teach me through DTS the things I had not known before! Let every child and minister of God be not contented with what he or she knows or has, but just humble ourselves and be ready to learn. Just enjoying Poetry I and Biblical Typology I. My life is NEVER the same a gain!

Bless you my brother!

Grace Okurut"

Our sister Collete in Mali is due to graduate at the end of May. She has been very diligent with her training over the past three years, and has faced many challenges, including a broken leg. Please pray for her that she and all of our students will finish all of their training on time.

More DTS Testimonies

In May, Len received an email from Kamal in India, the son of our former student William Badugu, who passed on into glory in March. Brother Kamal wrote:

"I have one vision to publish a Christian magazine, so i was designing it. And I want to ask you [to] excuse [me], because I had taken one of your [article] that is [called] "Who is God?" and searched through the links from your mail. I'm translating [your article] into Telugu.  So with your permission I will print it as one of the topics in the magazine."

Praise the Lord that Kamal has been led to translate Len's article into Telugu and publish it in his magazine, so that more people can read it, especially those who really need it in India.

DTS Photo Album.

In May, Len received the following email from a sister in the Midwest United States, who was unknown to us:

"Hi Brother Len,

I was doing some research on the fruit of the Spirit and found your website. Wow! What a gold mine.

I wanted to know if I could have permission to copy the comparison chart of: the gifts of the Spirit vs. the fruit of the Spirit for our Wednesday evening Bible Class.

It would be handed out free of charge to about 30-35 people. Also, could we read your daughter's poem Fruit in Every Season?

Above all  things, we want to be honorable and get your permission before using any of your  material. We would include links on the handout to your web page. Thanks for all you do to encourage the body of Christ

Blessings,
Wanda"

Praise the Lord! Len had written that article in 2011, and had just recently added that side by side comparison chart a few days before sister Wanda wrote that email.

Len sent out his monthly edition of Old News That's Still Fresh in May 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 Adam as a Type of Christ, Hagar and Sarah as Types, The Temple as a Type of Christ, and If My People Who Are Called by My Name. Len's latest articles are all available at Old News That's Still Fresh -- May 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 the progress Hope is making with her new job.
2. For the testimonies of what the Lord is doing in the lives of brothers James and Grace in Uganda through the DTS.
3. For our new students from Uganda, Jimmy and Tom.
4. For Kamal's plans to translate one of Len's articles into Telugu and publish it in his new magazine.
5. For enabling us to make a contribution to a sister's Bible study group in Illinois.
6. For the opportunity to assist each of our students in becoming disciples of Christ and fulfilling their callings. 
7. For the Lord's leading, guidance, and help administering the Doulos Training School (DTS), and for the progress the students are making.
8. 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, and for the Lord to heal Len of the same thing in his left shoulder and arm.
2. For the Lord to heal Faith and Len from eczema.
3. For the Lord to help Hope continue to do well with her training as she comes up the learning curve.
4. For the Lord to help Dr. William Badugu's son Kamal in India to translate Len's article for publication in his magazine.
5. For the Lord to heal brother Grace in Uganda from a broken arm and other injuries.
6. 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. 
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 fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
9. 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

Donate Online

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

Donate Online

March 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 March, we celebrated Len's fifty-third birthday with gifts, cards, prayer, and a special, homemade cake. Hope has been applying for jobs, but hasn't yet found one. She is looking for something part time, very close to where we live, so that she can work a few days a week until she graduates from high school in June. Please pray the Lord would provide just the right job for her in His will.

Jennifer never did receive 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 nobody ever contacted her about that to let us know if we were approved to receive assistance, despite the fact that she has followed up numerous times with them to find out the status of our application.

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.

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.

Brother Deji and sister Hannah in Nigeria

In March, brother Deji graduated from our DTS after completing his entire three years of training in our challenging program. That was truly a major accomplishment. The Lord graciously provided for a special presentation of his official Certificate of Completion and transcript by one of our board members, Brother Olugbenga Oladejo (pictured below), a pastor from the UK who just happened to be on a short-term trip to Nigeria at the time. Brother Olugbenga had not intentionally planned to be there for brother Deji's graduation, but the Lord orchestrated it that way. Brother Olugbenga conducted a service where numerous people were present, including brother Deji's father. We were also able to participate by phone in that special occasion to worship together and pray for Deji. Moreover, brother Dave Wenrich, the President of Doulos Missions International and pastor of Boston Harbor Community Church, was also able to join us on the call and pray for brother Deji. We are grateful that he could do so, since we had not given him any advance notice.

What a blessing it was to see the Lord bring forth the first fruits of our DTS! Deji was our first student to enroll in 2015 and is the first one to graduate. It's amazing to think that it all began when Len was on his knees in his prayer closet in 2015 and heard "Doulos University." That was how the Lord initially led him to establish the DTS.

Here is brother Deji's amazing testimony of how he and brother Gbenga connected on his graduation day for the ceremony in which he was awarded his certificate of completion:

"We were suppose to meet at the airport at a particular time. I was on field working with my father on a construction site outside Lagos State. I was thinking of the stress of having to find my way to the airport, the stress on my wife who had challenges with her health that day, and how to go to the bank in order to have cash for our transport fare. My father and I left the construction site and decided to go the the office of the man who was going to construct the aluminum window for the project he was supervising. On getting to the man's office, my father went in to negotiate with the man and I was in the car parked outside wishing that he finishes with the man on time so that I can make the airport in time. I was in this state of mind in the car when I saw a vehicle approaching. It eventually turned out to be Brother Gbenga's vehicle and I had to wave it down. We both did not think, in our widest imagination that we could find each other in that place. He had come to inspect his own construction site in that area before he leaves for the UK, and God just connected us right there in Shimawa. This divine connection eased his journey back to the airport, saved me a lot of stress and money, and gave us an opportunity to have my father's presence in the ceremony, sir. It pleased Pastor Gbenga so well because, trying to get the time and space to do the ceremony in the airport could be a challenge and the Lord took away these challenges. Glory to God."

Brother Olugbenga "Gbenga" Oladejo

Praise the Lord! What an amazing testimony of the way the Lord did the impossible and brought these two brothers together in a most unusual, supernatural way! Since brother Gbenga has returned to the UK he has been sick with fever, so we are praying for his healing.

Len spoke with brother Deji in February and learned how the Lord has been giving clear direction to him and his wife Hannah in answer to our prayers and yours. He said that he had spoken to his mentor in Nigeria, who is an evangelist, who has traveled to Liberia on ministry trips, preaching the gospel. As a result, there is a congregation in Liberia that needs a pastor. The evangelist and his team have been praying for the Lord to provide a couple, whom they could send to Liberia to pastor this flock. Deji's immediate response was to ask, "Why can't I go?"

So he began praying about this and asked sister Hannah to pray about it, too. She was not really interested or enthusiastic about moving out of the country, but she prayed about it. Then one day they decided to fast and pray together for the Lord's direction. While they were praying, they felt led to the book of 1 Samuel 3:21, which says the Lord "revealed himself to Samuel through his Word." They interpreted this verse of Scripture to mean that the Lord would speak to them through His Word. Hannah felt in her heart while they were discussing this to go and read about Abraham, although she didn't tell Deji, and then she decided to start from Genesis 12:1.

They went into the church auditorium to pray, where he found a spot at the back and she went to the front; and there they sought the Lord for direction individually. The Lord initially led him to read Genesis 17 and then eventually Genesis 12 about the call of Abraham. When he read the words, "Go from your country," it seemed to jump out at him, because he had never realized the Lord told Abraham to leave his country. He always thought the Lord said something like, "Leave your land." He felt the Lord was speaking to him about leaving his country as a missionary, but during his quiet time he did not tell his wife about this experience or what he felt the Lord was saying through it.

While he was spending time with the Lord in prayer and the Word, he heard Hannah let out some kind of shout at one point. Later he asked her about her experience and what the Lord spoke to her. She said the Lord led her to read Genesis 12 about the call of Abraham, and when she read the words, "Go from your country," it seemed to jump out at her. She felt that through this the Lord was speaking to her to leave her country in His service. They felt this was a wonderful confirmation that it was the Lord's will for them to go through this open door of ministry opportunity in Liberia.

After Deji's call with Len, he emailed him to say, "I already spoke with the Evangelist, and he said that the church will [officially] invite us after the [government] election period currently ongoing in Nigeria. We will be presented to the church elders and the final decision will be made then. According to him, after the church approval, then we can start preparation for the trip, which will be scheduled for the month of July."

Len was able to connect Deji with some contacts he knows in Liberia, including a missionary from Sierre Leone, who is the West Africa Director for Every Home for Christ, who is based in Ghana but also works in Liberia. This brother used to live in Liberia and has helped many other Nigerian missionaries who have gone to Liberia. So he said he would be glad to help brother Deji and sister Hannah in any way he can.

Presently they are not completely certain it is His will for them to go to Liberia, and they have received counsel from others in Nigeria who care about them that they should ask the Lord to confirm it to them. Len recommended they take a short term reconnaissance trip together to Liberia to spy out the land and watch for the Lord to confirm His will or redirect them someplace else.

We would also like to include here brother Deji's testimony upon completion of the DTS:

"I want to thank the Lord for seeing me through the DTS. The Lord has definitely equipped me with sound doctrine through the DTS. This helped in ministering to others around me and in the church. All the coursework had relevance to our everyday life. I also thank the Lord that through the Discipleship of Brother Len and Sister Jennifer in DTS, the Lord has answered a lot of questions and guided me in the way to go in my walk with him. DTS for me is much more than just the reading of those scriptures and the coursework, it's a life; learning to follow the Master. DTS gave me an opportunity to really experience and have an understanding of what true fellowship is. At a time during my second year, I thought of dropping out of DTS but the Lord gave me grace to continue until the end. I have been enlightened, edified and equipped through DTS and many suppressed truths of the Lord's ways have been revealed to me through the coursework. All glory to God for the great things he has done in my life.

One important thing that I learnt in DTS that I will take everywhere that the Lord takes me is Life Transformation Groups (LTG). I wish that we could reduce the number of services we have in churches today and replace some of these services with LTGs. I've identified it as a good method of multiplying disciples, and by the grace of God, I plan to utilise it wherever I find myself.

The Lord bless you sir,

Deji"

Praise the Lord for the marvelous work He is doing in brother Deji's life and for helping him complete all of his DTS training with us. Please pray with us 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.

More DTS Testimonies

Joseph in Nigeria (L) and Richard in Uganda (R)

In March, we had four new students enroll in our DTS, two of whom we have already mentioned to you in our January update. The third person is Joseph, a thirty-three year old brother from Lagos, Nigeria. He testified how he came to the Lord in 2003 at age seventeen: "I gave my life to Christ in my early days in high school. Then we do have school fellowship named FCS (Fellowship of the Christian Students). Then I joined the brethren to attend the FCS camping [event]. It was really a blessed period for me." He said he is enrolling in the DTS "To know more about Christ, His kingdom and what it takes to be His disciple."

The fourth new student is a 45-year old pastor in Uganda named Richard, who was referred to us by another one of our students there named James. He shared with us the following testimony of how he came to Christ in 1989: "I got saved in the late 1989. My life had much challenge with demonic torment, and it’s only church that gave me relief and total deliverance in Christ. I am baptized, am married with three good daughters all grown up. I studied [in a] secular [school] and [was] later called into ministry in 1997. Since then I [have] served in Pastoral ministry in [the] Evangelical Healing Centre Ministry with much desire of raising and sending workers who are fully equipped; so I love training to acquire relevant knowledge for the work of the Lord."

He has enrolled in the DTS in order "To be able to understand well the Word of God and teach it to leaders and raise many in this generation." He says, "I desire a ministry of the learned while teaching the Word of God, so I want to be a student of the Bible."

Let's pray the Lord will really bless Richard, along with all of our students as they seek to know Christ more and become His disciples.

Grace in Uganda

Len received the following email from Grace, who is one of our DTS students that pastors a church in Uganda. He stated:

"Praise the Lord, my brother. My life continues to be changed through this course. This First Year Fourth Quarter has been a blessing in such a way that I am able to know the top ten topics Jesus taught. At least now I am blessed and careful with the topics I teach as the Bible says teachers will be judged with greater strictness. I now teach the Word with confidence; glory be to Him!

Thanks,

Brother Grace Okurut"

Praise the Lord for the growth our brother is experiencing in his life and ministry. We give all the glory to God.

DTS Photo Album.

In March, Len received an email from brother Charles in Uganda that said:

Brother Charles, pastor in Uganda

"Praise the Lord, bro Leonard,

Thank you for the great work your are doing in empowering leaders. Am sorry I was quite busy in the mission field and I was not able to send this mail. I had actually not yet finished the last two course units by the 27th, but I made sure that I finished [by the 28th, in order] to start on time with the rest of the team. I am grateful to the Lord for giving me the grace this far. Am also glad to let you know that I have started an LTG group.

Thank you for your efforts. My regards to the family, ministry support team, our sponsors and well wishers. Looking forward another great time in the presence of God."

Praise the Lord for the progress that brother Charles is making with his DTS training, while simultaneously carrying out his ministry there in Uganda.

Brother David in Nigeria advised Len in March that the university lecturers' strike has been suspended, so classes have been resumed. He and our other DTS students at the University of Jos were finally able to take their exams in March. We are thankful to God for answering our prayers for the strike to end.

Len sent out his monthly edition of Old News That's Still Fresh in March 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 The Flesh vs the Spirit, 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 -- March 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 Len with fifty-three years of life and allowing us to celebrate his birthday together.
2. For helping Brother Deji complete his three years of DTS training with us and for providing for Brother Olugbenga to be present there in person to present him with his Certificate of Completion. For enabling brother Dave Wenrich to join us for that momentous occasion.
3. For the testimony of brother Charles that the Lord has given him the grace thus far in his DTS training, and that he has now started an LTG (a weekly meeting with another brother for discipleship called a Life Transformation Group). 
4. For helping brother Grace in Uganda to preach the Word with boldness and confidence.
5. For the testimonies of brother Joseph in Nigeria and Richard in Uganda, and that the Lord has brought them into our school.
6. For ending the lecturers' strike and allowing the students to take their long-awaited final exams.
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 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 lead Brother Deji concerning the next step for his life and enable him and his wife Hannah to hear clearly from the Lord about that.
5. For the Lord to provide a part time job for Hope close by our home.
6. 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. 
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 fulfill His purposes for us and our ministry.
9. 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

Donate Online