The Leaches Missionaries to the Turks in Bulgaria

Supporting and Mailing Address: Charity Baptist Mission Inc. P.O. Box 692 Bristol, TN 37621-0692 Tel.(423) 878-8231

Dear Brethren,                                                                                                          August 2014

It has been a very strange summer. There has been so much rain that in all the villages I go to, the common complaint is that gardens have been so damaged that there will be very little to preserve for the long winter ahead. Yet, they are thankful because it could have been worse - While we in the villages were complaining of erosion, lost gardens, and collapsing outbuildings, in one area on the outskirts of Varna (a large city about an hour’s drive from our home), lives were lost in a flash flood that destroyed or seriously damaged around two hundred homes and washed away even more cars. One of our national pastors used to live in that area and he has been able to go into this flood stricken area and be a blessing to the people. We are hearing testimonies of people turning to Christ as a result.

This past weekend I was able to take a group of people from the church in Zlatina to an all-night camp meeting in Dabravino. The roads to the river had turned to marsh from the rains, so we drove through the fields. The river was swift, but even so, many were baptized. Entering the baptismal waters is a huge step of faith for these former Muslims and it is such a blessing to see such a wonderful event. Following the baptism, we had a good meeting, full of singing, praying, testifying, and preaching. The believers were refreshed and recharged.

Last month we joined six other missionary families for American camp meeting in Romania. It was to be a ten day meeting and I admit we had our concerns about spending that much time away from our home. But, it was the best camp meeting we have ever had. Two nights, the young people were on the altar, pleading with God. The preaching was some of the best we’ve heard, as was the singing. The fellowship was wonderful and we spent some time resting and relaxing. We appreciate this great time for our family.

The family is doing well. Jonathan is employed in America, though he is hoping for more hours. He has some decisions to make regarding his long-term goals and needs much prayer. Hannah just had a birthday and is 16. It doesn’t seem possible. Last week Joshua turned 15. Next week Esther will be 13. And at the end of the month, Cherith, the baby of the family, will be 10. They’re growing way too fast. Joshua noticed the other day that the sunflower fields were ready to be harvested and he sighed. I asked why he was sad and he said that when the sunflowers are harvested, he knows it’s time for school again. I suppose this can be a bummer for a kid.

Prayer Requests: 1. Jonathan. 2. Carrie’s health. 3. National Pastor Ismael and his wife Naziye. 4. The national Pastors and churches in Bulgaria and Romania. 5. The missionaries. 6. Our personal financial need of $700 for the winterizing maintenance and tires for our vehicle.

Thank you very much for your faithful prayers for our family and for this work.

Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.

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Dear Brethren,                                                                                                                                May 2014

Yesterday I had the honor of being invited to a Turkish feast. It is their custom when God answers an important prayer of theirs, they hold a feast. The lady of the house stood and testified about what God had done for her, we sang hymns, I preached in Bulgarian, and Ismael preached in Turkish. It was a really good day and a very nice feast.

We have many things to thank God for as well and I would like to share just a few of them with you in this letter:

At the end of winter, we had the privilege of being involved in the yearly flour and oil distribution. This distribution helps feed the poor families in the churches and is very needed and very appreciated. Ismael and I oversaw the distribution to over 200 families in the churches we work with.

This spring we were able to attend two camp meetings: One in English and one in Turkish. For the English camp meeting, all the American missionaries in our group get together in Romania for several days and enjoy preaching, singing, testifying, and fellowship in English. This is a time of physical and spiritual refreshing, as well as a time for the kids to get caught up with all their friends. For the Turkish camp meeting, the missionaries in Bulgaria bring several car loads of believers across the border into Romania where the missionaries there, along with many believers from the churches in that area, are waiting. The people find great strength during these meetings and it’s a blessing to all.

Our family has seen some changes—some good and some bittersweet. The first is that after seven years of waiting and working, Carrie and I have a finished room upstairs. Also, a structural issue of great concern to me personally has been repaired. The second is that Jonathan David-Eugene has graduated from high school. The bittersweet part is that he has gone back to America—bitter because he is not living at home with us anymore and sweet because we know this is what is best for him. Though we miss him, we cheer him on. The other kids are all out of school for the summer and excited to fill their days with anything but book learning.

Prayer Requests: 1. Jonathan. 2. Carrie’s health. 3. The churches in Bulgaria and Romania, as well as all the national Pastors and missionaries. There is a great work to be done and we need the prayers of the believers. Thank you all for your fervent prayers on our behalf.

Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.

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Dear Brethren,                                                                                                                      February 2014

A lot has happened since our last prayer letter. I will try to sum up:

Hannah’s foot, then bearing a pinhole where a terrible wound used to be, is now healed completely. Just a few days before our flight to Bulgaria, we saw the Orthopedic Surgeon one last time and when she looked at the foot, she said to Hannah, “Go! Walk!” We put her special shoes on her and she walked better than she ever has. Carrie and I cried as much that day as the first day she walked when she was two. The Lord has certainly taken care of her and we remain grateful.


Our trip back to Bulgaria was our best one yet. We took one more plane than we usually do, but that allowed us to fly into Varna, which is only an hour from our house. None of our baggage was lost.

We jumped right into home repairs and within our first two weeks, had the subfloor and flooring installed in the family room. Unfortunately we had to replace the stove and water heater but the good news is, we were able to purchase some furniture that has made the family more comfortable. We are still in the middle of home repairs and hope to see this through to completion. We were able to buy a truck load of building supplies and have them delivered to the house. The work on the upstairs has begun. It is our hope and prayer that as we try to finish the house completely, the funds will be there for each need.

We also jumped right in to Coats for Kids. The weather was unseasonably warm through the holidays, allowing us to get quite a bit done. And, praise the Lord, we were able to get to many villages before the bad weather hit in January. Thank you to all who helped, either financially, physically, or through prayer.

I have been back to my regular meetings since November and it has been good to be with the church folks again. Pastor Ismael was able to get some medical care while we were in America, and, though he is still not in the best of health, is still able to stand and preach with authority. He and his wife, Naziye, could use your daily prayers. It has also been good to get back to the morning prayer meeting in our village. Pastor Alish and his wife, Safet, testify that they receive strength from this meeting day after day. It is an encouragement to me to see the believers standing strong in the faith.

Thank you all for your faithfulness to support and pray for our family. You are a blessing to us.

Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.

Dear Brethren,                                                                                                                                Fall 2013

Almost immediately after writing our summer prayer letter, our plans and focus changed unexpectedly - we took Hannah to the pediatric ER at a local hospital because the wound on her foot had taken a turn for the worse and required immediate attention.  After numerous tests, she was admitted to the Children’s Hospital to await surgery to debride the wound.  She came through surgery fine and after having a PICC line inserted in her right arm, was released for in-home care.  Carrie and I had to learn how to administer her antibiotic infusions four times each day, in addition to oral antibiotics.  This was to take care of the infection that had tunneled in to the bones of the foot.  Nurses came for a while to tend the wound vacuum attached to her foot.  Her doctors put her on a “no weight-bearing” order, which meant she was confined to a wheelchair, chair, or bed.  It was a trying and exhausting time for all of us.  But, Praise the Lord, Hannah is doing great now.  The wound that was once an ulcer that would not heal, is now a pin hole.  The infections that affected the bones of the foot are gone.  Special shoes have been ordered and when they arrive, we are to see the Orthopedic Surgeon again and get Hannah up on her feet.  It has been ten weeks since she has walked and even though we have been able to do some physical therapy at home, walking may be quite a challenge for her at first.  We ask for your prayers as she continues to heal, as well as strength for the challenges ahead.  Getting help for Hannah has made our trip to America worth it all.  But, because of everything Hannah needed at the time, such as doctors’ appointments, wound care, etc. we needed to stay close to home and couldn’t travel to many places we intended to visit.  We apologize to those we were unable to see during our furlough.

We have some good news to share - very good news - a good portion of money has come in for the finishing of the house in Bulgaria.  Already we have sent some over to complete the insulating of the lower half of the outside of the house.  This will make for a much more comfortable winter.  But, as prices usually do, we have been informed that the cost of building supplies has again risen.  This causes us some concern that the original figure we were praying about won’t be quite enough.  But, God knows.  He has been faithful to provide and we know He will continue to take care of us.

We have four weeks until we return to Bulgaria and they promise to be busy ones.  We are trying to get to a few more churches, as well as have camp meeting here in Bristol at the end of this month.  In the next few weeks we will take care of final medical/dental/optical appointments, ship over a few of our belongings (as well as some donated socks and shoes for the kids overseas), pack up, and say our goodbyes.  It’s bittersweet.  We will miss our friends and loved ones here, but our hearts are still in Bulgaria.  Please remember us in your prayers. 

Because He First Loved Me,  Brother Larry Leach, Jr.

P.S.  We still plan on doing the Coats for Kids distribution this winter.  If you would like to help with this project, there is still time.  Please send donations designated “Coats for Kids” to the support address above.

Dear Brethren,                                                                                                                                    Summer 2013

Our time in America has been busy and blessed. In April we were able to spend time in Michigan with family, friends, our Home church, and supporting churches. It was so good to see everyone again. We also took the kids to see our old stomping grounds—the house I grew up in, the park where I played baseball for several years, the camp where Carrie and I met, the church we were in youth group together, places we went during our courtship, the church where we married, where each of them were born, etc. The kids weren’t too excited about it, but we surely enjoyed the drive down memory lane. We looked back over our life and remembered things God had done for us and it was a blessing.

We just finished two weeks of meetings, first in Milan, TN at a missions conference and then here in Bristol, TN for camp meeting. The church in Milan had sent over a couple hundred coats a couple years back for the Coats for Kids drive. It was a blessing to us to be able to thank them in person, on behalf of the people they helped clothe. The Pastor and church family there were gracious hosts and we appreciate our time there. When we returned to Bristol, camp meeting began. We were again able to tell about the work overseas, particularly about the coats and socks the Lord lets us give out each year. The preaching and singing was very good and we were encouraged by it.

Even though it seems as if we’ve only just arrived in America, we’re already beginning to shift our focus to what we need to do to make sure we have what we need to return to Bulgaria in three months. We’re believing God to take care of the balance on our plane tickets, as well as the needed funds to finish our house in Bulgaria. It’s a large amount of $20,000, but we’ve seen God work before and we feel certain He can and will do it again. Nothing is too big for our God.

Please remember us in your prayers. We have some traveling we have yet to do, as well as some personal goals to accomplish. Remember also the work in Bulgaria and Romania. They are in camp meeting and baptism season and the work is great—pray for strength for the missionaries and encouragement for the churches. Pastor Ismael’s health is still poor; keep praying for him. And finally, keep Hannah’s foot wound in your prayers. It is the best we’ve seen it yet, but we’d like to see it heal completely before we return to Bulgaria. Thank you all for your faithful prayers!

Because He First Loved Me,   Brother Larry Leach, Jr.

Dear Brethren,                                                                                                                   Spring 2013

 God is doing big things and I wish there was more room on the page so I could share them all with you.  I will do my best to briefly share a few: About three weeks ago we hurried to distribute the yearly flour and oil to the two hundred and four families in the nine churches Pastor Ismael and I care for.  It was timely because the needs are many.  Immediately afterward, our family went to Romania for English camp meeting.  It was a Thursday evening and we were about to finish with the congregational singing when Brother Dave Turner requested we sing one more song.  While we sang, the Lord moved in our midst and three were saved: Dave and Dara’s oldest boy, Grayson, and two children from the Children’s Home, Niki and Sheker.  Praise the Lord!

 When we returned home from camp meeting (with only two days to spare before heading to the airport), our neighbor told us that a strong wind storm blew roof tiles off our house while we were away.  We needed to hurry to fix them, but the weather was bad.  Carrie and I drove to the home of a friend in our village, who does that kind of work.  When we got there, his wife was weeping.  She pulled us inside the house and told about their grandbaby who was in the hospital with unexplainable fainting spells.  She told us that before we came, she had told her husband she needed the believers around her, praying.  But it was late and they didn’t want to bother anyone.  And yet, God sent us to their home.  We all fell to our knees and prayed for the baby.  God sent a wind storm so we could be with them in their hour of need.  Praise the Lord!

 On March 20^th, we were able to return to the United States to begin our nine-month furlough.  The trip took well over 30 hours from start to finish, but went well (we are thankful for the help we received in the purchasing of plane tickets.  $4,100 came in from supporters, with a balance of $4,750 still needed).  We arrived at our mission in Bristol, TN, exhausted, but thankful.  Especially because we didn’t have to travel by hot air balloon, as one believer in Bulgaria supposed.  Shortly after our arrival we attended a camp meeting here in Bristol and were encouraged by the singing, preaching, and fellowship.  During one sermon, this particular verse touched our hearts and will be our theme for the coat and sock ministry—I Samuel 2:19 “Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.”  Now we are preparing to hit the road and head to Michigan for the month of April.

Our furlough plans are three fold: First, to rest.  This is our first full furlough since arriving on the field nearly nine years ago, and may be the last one we share as a family before the children start leaving home.  Secondly, to raise the remaining funds to finish our home in Bulgaria.  Having a comfortable home where we can rest after a day of working in the field is very important.  Much of the house is finished, but Carrie and I have been sleeping on the couch in the living room for the past five or so years and now that the children’s rooms and much of the downstairs is finished and comfortable, I would like to finish an area for us.  And thirdly, to raise support levels, both personally and for the ministry.  Please pray with us about these three. 

 If your church would like to have us visit, our U.S. phone number is 423-534-6541.  We look forward to hearing from you. 

                                                                                                             Because He First Loved Me,   Brother Larry Leach, Jr.