In The Beginning
India ~ Nigeria ~ Haiti
Looking out the window, we were viewing the great expanse of the Sahara Desert of North Africa. Shortly, we would feel its sauna-like atmosphere hit our faces as we exited the 747.
That was March of 2003. My wife and I had accepted an invitation to encourage pastors, seminary students, and local churches in Isuochi, Nigeria West Africa. Previously, in January of 2002, I had an opportunity to go to India to help dedicate an orphanage for girls that our church was instrumental in building.
Both of these trips helped confirm the unique calling on our lives. It is a long-term, full-time vision placed on our hearts to "Go..." and further God's kingdom to under-developed countries, some of which have never heard the Gospel. Our approach will be to train nationals in self-sustaining agriculture that will help them physically, and at the same time, reach out to their spiritual needs. Often in the Bible, we can see this example of Jesus. Not only did He minister to the spiritual side of man, but He also reached out to physical needs as well. Discipling and training leaders to further propagate the gospel is our goal, allowing us to move on to the next needy area.
"To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven...
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up
that which is planted..."
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
Many of you know that for years now we have been "planted." Off and on during these years, we have knocked on doors, and yet the Lord seemed to be saying, "Wait." During this time of waiting, the Lord blessed me with a wonderful job at the local cooperative and an opportunity to work with farmers as an Agronomy Manager. This agricultural experience is something I believe the Lord has used as a wonderful preparation for the mission field. At the same time, Catherine has been home educating our four children, which will remain a high priority on the mission field. In spite of this difficult time of waiting, our eyes have never lost sight of the vision given us by the Lord.
The trip to Nigeria has opened up some doors for our return in August of this year with our four children who will help in the ministry. We believe that our family has been through a unique training by the Lord to equip us for an exciting family ministry.
In Nigeria, we plan to return to Faith Bible College & Seminary to teach and train the students in self-sustaining agriculture, and help with some administrative work. This trip will also include research in a climate conducive to many un-reached areas. It is our hope that this research will be helpful in giving us a hands-on understanding to implement a practical and useful benefit for the people.
We are very excited about the opportunity that the Lord has given us. We are still in the early stages of planning, and it is our desire for the Lord to use us as He so desires.
We believe the timing is now for us to be "plucked up." The need is great and the laborers are few. As we seek the Lord and prepare for this step in faith, we know how important it is to bathe this opportunity in prayer. We greatly desire your prayer support as we walk out in obedience to Him and His will.
In His Service,
Les DeRoos, Jr.
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India
LWC began in its journey in 1986 with two couples who eagerly desired to reach the world for Christ. Both Les and Catherine DeRoos and Bill and Celia Jewell traveled to India on July 4, 1986, and lived in low caste village called Maringiyur, Tamil Nadu, India.
Both Les and Bill, single at the time, had been there the summer of 1984 and came back with a desire to go live in that village. Two years later practically newelyweds, took their wives to this small Hindu village to share the gospel message. They lived in a small cow dung, thatched roof hut that had been built for them.
Finding no interpreter who desired to go to this remote village, the four set out to live in this small village. They were given a piece of land to have a small cow dung, thatched roof hut built for them to call home. There was no running water, no electricity, and no toilet. We paid a young boy with food to help carry water from the river every morning. It took several trips to fill the outdoor concrete basin with water for the day that would be used to wash our clothes, dishes, and bathe.
We were able to hold silent Bible studies and sang songs. These Bible studies were possible because the numerical system was the same in their Tamil Bibles. So we gave a scripture, anticipated questions, and answered the question by pointing to another Bible verse. At times we were very discouraged and wondered if we were making any difference. On occasion the Lord would speak to a pastor in another town and told them to come to our village. One day the chief of the village came and explained that he had been watching us. He shared that when we first came our Jesus was like taking that first biting into a sugar cane. It was sweet, but it gets sweeter as you eat. As we stayed and continued on living, our lives showed the example of Christ and each day Jesus became sweeter and sweeter, just like eating sugarcane.
The Lord used this time to teach us that our actions speak louder than words.
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Nigeria
LWC with its two handed gospel approach began its first FAAGRIC program in Nigeria, West Africa.
In Nigeria, over and over we have heard from many within Nigeria of the farming industry that is dying due to the amount of labor with small returns. Many youth are disillusioned at the amount of work their parents invested into the farm and have made a conscientious decision to find something better where in a country the unemployment exceeds over 50%. This has led to many people forsaking agriculture and ending up unemployed without food.
In four short years, the Lord has grown FAAGRIC to six locations in the village of Isuochi. Over a span of 4 years, we have graduated over 150 participants in our FAAGRIC program. We have a dedicated staff of four, two trained lecturers, and many who have personally benefited in health and seen an increase in entrepreneurial ventures.
The years 2010-2011 have turned out record numbers of people interested in the FAAGRIC program, so much so that there aren’t enough teachers to take care of the number of locations requesting our presence.
We praise God for the way He has used LWC to reach the poor and needy, hungry and destitute in a way that will benefit them both physically and spiritually. May our Lord God be glorified!
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Haiti
LWC has now expanded into Haiti and will be providing a similar program. We will be working closely with the Consolation Center which is a girl’s orphanage in Les Cayes, and expand out from there to the community.