▪•• • • •• • • • • ••• September 2019 ▪•• • •• • •▪ ▪▪ ▪••• • •▪ ▪
"And they came unto the brook of "Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there."
Numbers 13:23-28
<<Salutation>>
Hi, we have been intentional this month to recognize the many blessings God sends our way. We call it “looking for grapes”, and we are so thankful for His goodness to us. As a matter of fact, you are one of those “grapes” in our life. So, you are “fruity” in a good sense. 😊
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Wow!! September has flown by for us! This month has been a month of eagerly waiting to hear from Israel Immigration. As of September 4th, we have been in the Immigration Volunteer Visa application line, and it is now a waiting game. We are told it could take up to seven weeks to hear back from the immigration people. While we have finally completed all the necessary forms, it will be nice to get an answer and have a definite future direction. We are content to trust and wait in Him, knowing He has us in the palm of his hands and everything in control. We are very grateful for so many of you who have shared your excitement and interest in our future opportunity. We’ll continue to keep you posted as any new developments occur. In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers!! Thanks soooo much!
A Final Family Drop-In
We are on the road again for one final time to squeeze in a visit to our children and grandchildren that aren't close by, and Catherine's parents. Of course, we have Zachery and Olivia close by and get to see them and their three boys often. We are so thankful to have that opportunity. This last visit means traveling to see Jonathan in Michigan, Josiah in Pennsylvania, Rachelle in Kentucky, and their perspective families, and Dad & Mom Kennedy in Missouri on a ten-day trip before we hear from Israel's immigration. Once that happens, we hope to be experiencing travel of a different nature.
Down Memory's Lane
Laborers With Christ's (LWC) communication efforts are growing again. It is so important for us to keep you, our prayer and/or financial supporters, informed with a variety of visual inputs.
 In the beginning, July 4, 1986, Laborers With Christ sent out hand-written  letters from India to each supporter and then a quarterly newsletter by mail.
It all started in the tiny village of Marangiyur, India, where we began writing these letters by hand. Our postal carrier road a bike  to our village almost every day to deliver any mail we would receive, and pick up our out-going letters. It would usually take two-three weeks for our mail to reach the U.S. The Postal carrier's presence was possible because of a government-funded school located in our tiny village. To communicate any other way, we needed to travel to a larger city that was one hour away to make a $10 phone call  for three minutes 03:00.
 It became necessary to communicate on a more regular basis, so in March 2006, you could have began to hear from us by email through the DeRoos Drumbeat at faagric@yahoo.com.
 On March 25, 2016, we started a ministry blog called Laborers With Christ News.
 On May 1, 2018, we uploaded our first LWC Missionary Moments YouTube video where you can watch our missionary labor in action and see how we enjoy our time when we are on furlough.
 NOW, we hope to be capturing and sharing LWC moments on a more instant status. You will find us, Les & Catherine DeRoos, on Instagram.
We now send out over 800 emails each month to those who are interested, and we feel so privileged to have such a large following! . We plan to continue sharing Laborers With Christ ministry opportunities in as many of these ways as possible. Well, we have had fun reminiscing. Would you walk down memory's lane with us and share with us a favorite story that pops up in your memory that you heard through LWC? Please let us know what kind of things you wish to hear about, and we will do our best to inform you of those things.
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The Terrible TTT's
 Haiti has "the terrible TTT’s". No Traveling Advisory (Gas Shortages Paralyze Haiti), No Teams traveling to Haiti, No end of Turmoil in site!
In the picture to the left," A masked protester wields a machete during a protest in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Sept. 27, 2019. Thousands of protesters attacked businesses and government buildings across Haiti Friday, creating chaos on the streets after a weeks-long shutdown of vital services that has damaged the country’s ailing economy and shaken the already tenuous position of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Edris Fortune AP" (See the article at Miami Herald)
"Haiti relies heavily on oil imported from Venezuela. Throughout September, an acute fuel shortage has triggered street protests in the capital of Port-au-Prince, forcing schools and shops to close. And, the Dominican Republic just closed its border with Haiti, so food that once came from there is in short supply." (See National Interest)
We are hearing first-hand that many schools are being adversely impacted, and food prices have almost quadrupled. In our experience over the last eight years, this is by far the worst we have seen, and it didn't sound like the situation will improve in the near future. Please pray for the safety of the Haitian people and the missionaries that remain in the country.
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 Looking past the Grapes
The story in the Old Testament of the group of men who were sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan, and their response, is the source of this month’s Nudging. The response of 10 of the 12 men forever altered the destination of thousands of people. 40 years were spent wandering in the wilderness due to the hard-heartedness and fear of the 10 men who questioned “taking” the promised land. An entire generation was allowed to wander in the desert due to not trusting that God could give them the land. There were plenty of positive benefits in the land according to Numbers 13:23, including a report of one cluster of grapes so big it was hung on a staff and was carried by two people. Ultimately, the fear of the giants in the land and the work to take the land was too much of an obstacle to overcome the good they witnessed. In other words, they looked past the grapes and saw the giants.
So, how is this applied to our modern-day situation? Each day in our spiritual journey we have a choice. Do we allow the giants in our life to cause us to look past the grapes in our lives? Or in more direct terms, do we allow the problems, cares, and concerns, in our personal lives to cause us to look past the blessings God is putting in our path. This is a really important question. Because every day God is placing clusters of grapes in your life…some big, some small, some obvious, others not so obvious, but they are there!! Just like the men who spied out the promised land and refused to “take” it, are you failing to “take” your promise land? Have the fears and concerns of the giants removed your ability to recognize God’s goodness and faithfulness? Do you find yourself looking past the grapes and concentrating on the giants? Have the cares and concerns piled up to the point that you struggle to “take” the promised land in your life? May we suggest a simple exercise for you to practice at the start of each day. Identify one of those grapes (blessings) in your life and give God thanks for that cluster of grapes. Each day be looking for the blessings from God. Finally, allow this scripture reference to reassure you of God’s heart towards you, Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
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Nutritional Nuggets ~ Natures Pharmacy
ABC's of Vitamins and Minerals
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SPICE UP YOUR LIFE
(click above title to read more)
 This is a double-duty herb. It has been in use for thousands of years. Even though it is a “trendy” herb, it can be traced as far back as 5,000 B.C.
Read more about it here learn why early physicians, including Hippocrates, used it for its medicinal properties, including as an aromatic stimulant.
- helps prevent cardiovascular damage
- improves sleep quality
- flushes heavy metals
- wound healing
- bone development
- calms the nerves
- fights off infections
- improves cholesterol levels
- eye disorders
- decrease migraine frequency
- AND more…
ALSO, find three (3) yummy recipes and let me know which one you tried and how you liked it.
Herbs and Spices have added delicious and healthy potential to our lives in many ways.
Add Herbs and Spices to your food and get a nutritional boost!
Grow your own Herbs and Spices and get a free nutritional boost!
Make positive changes in your lifestyle by visiting my Genesis Health blog:
Color Me Beautiful series shares about the natural chemistry of the colors in food, you will understand the connection of why the natural colors in foods are important and how they can offer our bodies health and how they can bring vitality into our lives.
Color Food Beautifully This series covers the FDA's approved artificial food colors (AFC's), what problems they cause.
> Find methods and ways to create your own colorings with natural foods.
> Don't want to go through the work of making your own. Find links to natural food colorings you can purchase. (I do not benefit from
the sales of any of the linked items.)
Revisit past Nutrition Nuggets about Natures Pharmacy regarding the benefits of individual fruits and vegetables.
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates
Promoting a lifestyle of preventative care!
WELLNESS PRINCIPAL: Health comes from within. You cannot buy it in a bottle.
Please visit Catherine’s Pinterest boards by clicking this link: Catherine's Place. You will find a variety of healthy sources, natural solutions, recipes, God's Creation, and SO MUCH MORE. Grab yourself a healthy snack, make yourself comfortable, and take time to browse the wealth of information and be not only inspired but uplifted.
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Thank you for keeping our future in your prayers!
Identifying the grapes,
Les & Catherine
Ministry (U.S.) Les & Catherine DeRoos
Laborers With Christ 210 Johnson Street
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Laborers With Christ On-Line Donations
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Just click on this link: Love gift to Laborers With Christ You can also visit us at laborerswithchrist.org and go to our Financial Support page. Thank you so much for your willingness to partner with us in ministry.
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