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
Since 2005, God has been opening new doors of ministry opportunity for Larry and his wife, Jonni, through the distribution of bibles into approximately 80 correctional facilities and jails throughout Florida, as well as Louisiana and Delaware. Larry also works with another ministry, Higher Ground Ministries, to personally bring the word of God each month to several Florida prisons and work camps. To learn more about this ministry, please click on the “Prison Bible Outreach” link.
In addition to helping Larry in their prison ministry, Jonni sings in the Southern Gospel trio, Hope Street. Since 1989 Hope Street has been ministering all over Florida, as well as Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, click on their link: www.hopestreetmusic.com
Ukraine
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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.