Leach Biography Larry Leach, Jr., along with his wife and five children
went to Romania as missionaries in November of 2004. In 2006, by leading of
the Holy Spirit, they moved to Bulgaria where they now minister. Larry
preaches in church meetings, helps with food distribution, helps get the
gospel out by making and handing out the CDs and DVDs (used instead of
tracts to the illiterate), and helps out wherever he can. |
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The Leaches |
Supporting and Mailing Address: |
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Dear Brethren, July 2018
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15
Missionary Ralph Cheatwood, hero of the faith, went on to be with the Lord last month. He was our Field Director and Pastor figure but also like a father to so many of us. Our children even called him Grandad. His presence will be greatly missed but we fully intend to carry on the work he began all those years ago.
Time marches on, and we strive to “Redeem the time”… The churches continue to do well. In Zlatina a lady stopped us outside on the sidewalk to inquire after the church there because she had heard about it from a believer she met while working in Western Europe. What a blessing that the testimony of the church stands strong even as it travels. Our family is doing well. I remain busy tending the flock with Pastor Ismail while Carrie and Cherith stay home on weekdays so Cherith can finish her home school work. Esther is in America for a few more weeks – she had an unexpected opportunity arise to visit a university, work a summer job, and spend a bit of time with some children in foster care. Our older children are doing well also but could always use your prayers.
In my last prayer letter I wrote at length about our vehicle situation. The situation remains unchanged and we continue to pray the Lord keeps this car going while we wait, but some money has come in for a new vehicle. Of our $18,000 goal we now have a little over $4,000.
There are so many financial needs of the ministry but at the moment I feel compelled to highlight this one: Winter Firewood. The mindset here is to always be preparing for winter, and at this time firewood (which is controlled by the government) is more available and 20% cheaper. The closer winter gets, the less available firewood is, and it gets more expensive with each passing month. I would like to see Pastor Ismail and the church in Novi Pazar get firewood yet this month. My family also.
In closing we ask that you pray for the following: 1) The upcoming American camp meeting: the first without Brother Ralph. There are many young people yet unsaved. 2) Our children in America. Guidance. Wisdom. 3) The ministry here. Pastors and families, missionaries, churches, believers. 4) Avren. Work is going on in Avren as we strive to follow Brother Ralph’s vision and carry on what he started.
Thank you all for your faithful prayers and support. Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Brethren, January 2018
Happy New Year! It is our hope and prayer that this letter finds you all well
and warm. Our holidays were a little difficult without the older children home,
but we had a nice, quiet time together and even tried to make new traditions.
The response this winter to Coats for Kids has been overwhelming, and for that
we are thankful. We have been very busy with the distributions, only taking a
forced break when the flu hit our house for a few weeks. Hundreds of coats and
socks (and this year some hats) have been bought, sorted, and distributed. Today
Carrie and I were sitting at the table planning our next step when a request for
coats came in. We felt like we should go get coats for this need right at that
moment in order to be ahead of the ice storm. We hope to keep working until we
have exhausted all suppliers and/or resources.
The churches are doing very well. I love the people, and I'm so glad they love
me too. Yesterday five folks from the church in Mihailovski came to my house to
check on me because they heard I had been very sick. They also brought bags of
fruit. Unfortunately I was not home to visit with them, but it blessed my heart
that they would figure out a way to get out here to my house to see about me.
What a blessing!
Our time in America was bittersweet, but mostly sweet. The Lord did such big
things for our family, and we returned to the field encouraged and helped. While
in America we were able to visit many churches - both supporting churches and
new contacts. The Lord blessed as we presented the work. When asked about our
personal needs, I told of those - each time highlighting the need of the moment
(getting our older children set up, Pastor Ismail, Widow Minka, getting Carrie
some medical help, Coats for Kids, etc.). I felt at peace about the direction of
each and every meeting. However, after returning to the field and finding costs
had risen while I was gone, I find that I ran out of time in America to
highlight every need and our personal monthly support ended up feeling the lack.
I cannot visit new churches in America while working here in Bulgaria, but I
know God answers prayers; so I would like to ask all of our supporters to make
this a matter of prayer for the Leach Family.
In closing, I want to thank all of you for your faithfulness. You have been
faithful to pray and support and give to special needs. We are thankful that God
put us together in His ministry. Praying for you.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Brethren, September 2017
“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Psalm 103:1
This verse has become our personal psalm of praise and instead of a typical update and prayer letter, I would just like to praise the Lord a while for what great things He has done. He is worthy to be praised. He continues to prove Himself faithful and has provided above and beyond all that we hoped or imagined. He has heard our cries and answered our prayers. I better just jump into telling you about all the good things that have taken place during this furlough - take a minute to consider the depth of each one:
Hannah and Joshua are settled in, here in America. Carrie’s health is in hand and she has been given the all clear to return to the field. National Pastor Ismail’s monthly support needs have been met. We all underwent Christian counseling for PTSD and our counselors praise the Lord with us for our quick progress. Carrie is singing again. We’ve had times of rest and relaxation with friends who encouraged us more than words. We got to spend quality time with family, both immediate and extended. A dear family - a missionary to missionaries - let us stay in one of their rental homes in Florida, allowing us to rest. We made many new friends, laughed a lot, and have new supporting churches. I got to preach a lot in English. We got the clothes and shoes we all needed. And, Carrie and I got to go on many dates, including one tubing adventure down a river in Tennessee. A lot has been packed into six months and I bless the Lord.
We plan to fly back to Bulgaria on the 18th of this month and will resume our ministry among the Turkish speaking people there. We ask for your prayers. Pray for our safety and encouragement as we travel and for our grown children who will remain. We will begin fundraising for this year’s Coats for Kids drive this month, so pray about that. And pray for the ministry vehicle fund. This is one need that has not yet been fully met, but we trust God to meet this need. Of the $18,000 we need, we have a little over $1,100. Pray.
A heartfelt thanks to everyone for your faithful prayers and support of our family and the ministries.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Brethren, May 2017
We arrived in America about nine weeks ago and have already traveled over 10,000 miles. Our travels have taken us as far west as Missouri and as far south as Florida, with a trip north to Michigan planned in a couple weeks. We also spent some time in North Carolina as well as Tennessee, where Hannah and Joshua graduated high school.
Our furlough goals were many, some of which were graduation for the kids, getting the kids set up to live in America, raising money to rebuild Widow Minka’s house after the fire, raising a little more monthly support for Pastor Ismail, and raising money for a ministry vehicle. Graduation has already taken place, Hannah has moved and is doing well, and over half of the money needed for Widow Minka has come in. We praise the Lord for faithfully leading us and providing.
We still plan to return to Bulgaria in September, even though so much still needs to be accomplished. We would love to visit all our supporting churches, but some phone numbers have changed and we have lost ability to contact some. If you would like to have us visit and give an update on the work among the Turks in Bulgaria and Romania, my current cell phone number is: 276.469.9294.
Prayer Requests:
1. Naziye, Ismail’s wife has been very sick. They are running tests for suspected cancer and need your prayers.
2. Our children, both grown and still at home.
3. Our personal needs, both medical and financial.
4. The ministry in Bulgaria and Romania - the churches, the outreaches, the missionaries, and the national pastors.
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Brethren, October 2016
Much has happened since my last prayer letter in May. Several camp meetings, baptisms, continued work on the printing house in Avren, and the regular care of the churches have kept us very busy. But, it is all very good and we thank the Lord for it. Though I may complain on occasion out of sheer exhaustion, at the end of the day I’m so thankful I was called to be a missionary.
Carrie is much improved since my last letter, though she still has episodes of sickness where she is weak and has to go rest until it passes. Keep praying that she will recover totally. The children have begun the school year and the younger two are doing the A Beka online streaming program, which has been such a help to them and to Carrie. Hannah and Joshua are in their senior year and will be graduating in the spring. Pray for them as they make plans to leave the nest after graduation. Hannah has plans to attend community college while tending to some health concerns. Joshua has learned much working on the various building projects over here and hopes to put this knowledge and experience to use working for a home construction contractor.
Pastor Ismail and his wife Naziye have endured a very rough summer. A few months back she slipped and fell and broke her leg in three places. The doctor put a cast on it and ordered her to rest for fifty days. Ismail had to help her with everything. It took a long time to heal, but, praise the Lord, I saw her walking last week and she seems to be gaining strength every day. This time was trying for them, but the care of the churches was always on their minds and he remained faithful to go. I’m thankful for faithful National Pastors.
The churches are doing well. Attendance was down during the summer because everyone was working every hour they could, knowing winter would soon be upon them and there would be no work. But now that most of the harvest is past, the churches are full once again. Last week eight visitors came to the church in Stoyan Mihailovski. They said their son/brother was sick and needed a surgery and they heard the church was a place they could come and pray. I’m so thankful the communities know where the churches are from the testimonies of the believers of their answered prayers.
Work on our unfinished upstairs has finally begun. Carrie’s health scare and the many needs of the ministry required my attention, so that delayed my plans a while. But it has begun and already we have begun the work to level the old concrete floors, start on the plumbing, remove a load bearing wall, and hire an electrician. Some of the work was under quoted and will be more costly than I thought, but I’m going to keep going until the money runs out and hope and pray it doesn’t run out before we hit the finish line. Keep praying about this. I’m happy to be getting to work on this and happy to get to work on this final project with Joshua before he leaves. These moments are precious.
And don’t forget to pray for this year’s Coats for Kids drive. Thank you all for your faithful prayers!
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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Dear Brethren, May 2016
Since my last prayer letter, there is one very big praise to report: We
were informed by Bulgaria’s Department of Migration that we have
permanent residency, instead of the five year residency visa we thought
we had. The gravity of this is enormous, and though it has been a while
since we found out, we still rejoice.
Because of this news, along with plans of taking a furlough in the
spring of 2017 for Hannah and Joshua to graduate, I felt peace about
this being the time to finish our village house here in Bulgaria. I
planned a nearly three week trip back to America to bring attention to
the various financial needs of the work here among the Turks and to
encourage Jonathan, but primarily to raise the necessary funds to finish
the house.
I took eight planes, was in three countries and five states, and went to
25 church meetings in just a little over two weeks. It was exhausting,
but everywhere I went, everyone was such a blessing. Everyone was so
receptive to the updates from oversees and even after telling so much,
they wanted to hear more. This blesses a missionary’s heart more than I
can express. With the Lord’s help I was able to bring encouragement in
the churches, all while being encouraged myself. And, many, many thanks
to the Lord, I was able to come home with 80% of the money needed to
finish our house here in the village.
While I was in America, Carrie and the kids put the pedal to the metal
and got their home school year done early. They also stacked wood,
cleaned up the yard and gardens, and did a spring cleaning of the house.
Everything was so nice to come home to, but more than the nice yard and
house, I was so happy to be back home with my family.
After a short time of settling in, we were preparing to leave for
English camp meeting in Romania when Carrie fell ill suddenly. After a
trip to the ER to rule out heart attack, she has been in bed for the
better part of a week and a half. The doctor said it was a bad virus,
but we are still unsure of the cause of these episodes. Even though she
is beginning to regain strength, she often has to go rest to calm the
racing and thudding of her heart. We ask that you pray for her very much
as she tries to recover. And pray for our family as we try to finish the
work on our house, even as the summer ministry schedule of special
meetings and baptisms is on the horizon and the work on the printing
house in Avren continues.
Thank you for your faithful prayers!
Because He First Loved Me, Brother Larry Leach, Jr.
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