Larry

This is a picture of our brother Larry, his wife Margaret Ann and our goober daughter.

I would love to tell you how God brought these guys into our lives but it would be too long of a story and this story will be long enough. Maybe we'll share that story another day.

We first me Larry in January of 2008. He came here to a missionary conference that was held close to our city. He came just to be available to be used by God. How many people do you know would go to another country to just be available to be used by God? Right off the bat I liked this guy.

He lived in the same city as my girlfriends parents so every time we visited the states we got to spend time with him. On our first visit back to the states after his visit here we got to meet his wife, Margaret Ann. We immediately fell in love with her as well.

In the fall of 2010 my girlfriend took Bronwyn to college. While she was in Alabama she had the opportunity to be ministered to by Larry and Margaret Ann. They have a spiritual liberation ministry. It changed my girlfriends life.  She came home to Brasil and all she talked about was this ministry and how God had used this couple to release some demonic strongholds in her life. In 25 years of marriage I've never seen my girlfriend so excited about something that God had done in her life.

We invited Larry and Margaret Ann to come to Brasil to minister to our family here. They said they would pray and ask the Spirit to tell them if and when to come. I liked that response.

They came here in September 2011. God used this amazing couple to open our eyes to the spiritual world in a way that had never been done before. Ever. I remember before we moved to Brasil a man we love dearly told us that we would see things in the spiritual world in Brasil that we could not come back to the states and share because people couldn't handle it. I can honestly say we never saw those things until God sent Larry and Margaret Ann here and used them to open our eyes to a spiritual/demonic world that is real, so real. And yet it wasn't frightening at all because these guys dealt with the demonic and confidently dealt with things in Jesus' name. God showed His power through this couple.

We did 22 ministry sessions in 14 days. We were all worn out. I remember walking home from one with my girlfriend one night and we were just in awe at the things God was allowing us to see in the spiritual realm through our ministry time with Larry and Margaret Ann. We talked about the people we've known for 5-10 years who were being ministered to and the spiritual things we were seeing and the conversations we were having and God was just blowing us away. God used this couple to open our eyes. 

I remember being in awe at both of them in how they did this ministry. With humility and purpose. No screaming. No shouting. No dancing and throwing themselves on the ground. Just quietly going to war for the Lord and allowing His power to release and set free. I remember sitting with Larry in a session with a friend of mine and just being in awe at what was happening. I had never seen anything like it. Spiritual was becoming physical before my very eyes. I was freaking out a bit. I looked over at Larry and he was calmly looking intently at my friend and releasing God's power into his life. I loved that. Quiet warriors for the Lord. 

Over the last couple of years no one has called us, outside of parents, more than Larry. He would call and talk for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, one hour, whatever. He called to share dreams he had. He called to ask how we were. He called to share a word the Lord had given him about our family and this ministry. 

A few months ago he called to tell us he had been diagnosed with a form of leukemia. He said it was a form that was treatable with medicine. They tried the medicine but it never seemed to fully do what they thought it would do. A little over a month ago he had to be admitted to the hospital. His daughter had been sending updates on facebook. 

We had been praying for a miracle healing. We really felt like God wasn't done using this man on here on earth. He had such an important ministry. I can't stress how important their ministry is. 

Yesterday their daughter Allison posted something. They asked for a quick cure or for God to take him quickly. We stopped in our house and prayed for a quick cure. 

Today God gave the response. Here is what Allison posted just a while ago: "Dearest friends. This morning just before 8 with my sister, my dad's sweetheart, his first nurse, his dr, and myself with him- he went home to be with Jesus. As much as we are grieving and don't understand we know he is rejoicing and pain free. And for that we are thankful."

Our earthly selves feel sad with this news. We will miss our close friend, and 3rd granddad to our kids, but we are so happy to know that he is with God now. And we are so grateful for the time God blessed us with being with Larry. He taught us so much about the kingdom in the short time we had with him and we thank God for that. 

I'm reminded of a note that he left for me when he left Brasil in 2011. He prophesied over each one of our kids. God has already used those words in amazing ways and we had the chance to share that with Larry. His footprints are all over our house. That note will stay in my Bible until I breathe my last breath. 

Join us in praying for his wife and two daughters. We love this family and can't wait to be with them soon. I especially can't wait to see Larry again in heaven. Until then, we will continue sharing what he shared with us and grow the kingdom of God.