Larry & Jonni Hepler

 

In 1992 God placed a call on Larry Hepler's life to reach out to the lost through church planting, leadership training, Bible teaching, and distribution of bibles and Christian literature. He has seen his call being fulfilled and lives being touched in the U.S., Belarus, Hong Kong, Colombia, Ghana, Guatemala, Peru, Russia, and the Ukraine.

Read Larry's personal testimony
In recent years, Larry, and his wife, Jonni, have been ministering to jail and prison inmates in Florida institutions and beyond. Some changes have recently taken place in this ministry, to learn more click on the "Prison Ministry" link above.
 
Larry's wife Jonni is one third of the Southern Gospel trio Hope Street. Since 1989 Hope Street has been ministering all over Florida, as well as Georgia and North and South Carolina. For more information, click on their link: www.hopestreetmusic.com
  
     
   
I was born in Florida, USA and grew up near the beach. The beach was where I enjoyed spending my time swimming and bicycling because my family life was not the best. My dad never seemed very interested in me as a person, but he did buy me my first surfboard when I was twelve years old. Surfing consumed my whole life.

As the years went by, alcohol and drugs were added to try to fill the void of not feeling accepted. I grew up with Christian grandparents who always told me about the love that Jesus had for me; how He died for me so that I could have eternal life with Him. I thought they were crazy! I thought I was enjoying life to the fullest, and Christians were just dull people. My alcohol and drug abuse escalated to a level that almost took my life. I even told God that if He would get me through the times that I almost overdosed, I would turn my life over to Him.

God was patient with me. There came a time when my girlfriend decided to leave me just when I was about to ask her to marry me. This put me into a tail spin that was amplified by the alcohol and drug use. I thought that I had no reason for living. Death was the only way out.

But God had other plans. The Bible says that Jesus came to earth, died, and rose again that we can have life and life more abundantly. My supervisor came to the job the next morning and I explained to him my situation. He told me Jesus was the answer. I knew in my heart he was right, because of the words my grandparents had always spoken to me. That day I received Jesus Christ as my personal savior, sitting in a pick up truck at a restaurant parking lot.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that, “if any man (woman) is in Christ Jesus, old things pass away, behold, all things become new.” Jesus gave me a peace in my heart and I left the alcohol and drugs behind. He has given me a purpose for living, to tell others of His love and how He can change a life of despair into one of hope. What will you do with Jesus? He is knocking at the door of your heart. Receive Him as your Lord and Savior and you will never be the same.

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