People of TeenPact: Mr. Larry

P E O P L E   O F   T E E N P A C T

(I didn't get a picture of this gentleman, but we talked for several hours, so this picture of our view will have to do. I've also changed his name for privacy reasons)

This is Mr. Larry. Larry is a farm business consultant. He flies across the country most weeks of the year, helping farmers understand business practices. He started at the company at a desk job, but convinced his boss to let him fly and meet farmers, face to face. Their business has rapidly expanded since then. His real passion is working and connecting farmers across the US and Canada. We had a great time discussing the value of peer to peer discussions and mentorship.

"It's incredible what a corn farmer in Nebraska can learn from a cranberry farmer from another state....They don't even know what they're missing."

His business model is to get different types of farmers in peer groups together to share experiences and advice.

Larry has a fascinating story. He was born into a troubled family with a father who was rarely around. At a young age, he got involved in drugs and became a high level dealer. His mother prayed for him every day, and those prayers had an effect. In his mid 20's he had a child, and decided to try and get out of drugs. He went to TeenChallenge where his life changed. A gentleman there handed him a Bible and told him to read it cover to cover and come to his own conclusions; not to read it through other's perspectives, but rather to see what his thoughts were. He spent two years doing just that and cleaning up his life. He began teaching pastors and has trained numerous pastors all across the nation. He's now happily married with a child, and works both as a pastor trainer and consultant. He had some incredible thoughts on basic theology, most of which are too complicated to write here. We talked about the times he met John MacArthur and John Piper, and what they had both taught him.

"I was at...a conference where John Piper was preaching. I happened to sit in the row behind him, and noticed how incredibly nervous he was to go preach. I asked him why...he said he didn't want to preach something that wasn't correct or would hurt Christ's message. I've never seen someone with so much reverence for preaching."

He also had incredible stories about the people the consulting people had brought him into contact with. The love of Jesus clearly shone through everything he did, and it reminded me of all the ways Jesus can use broken people like us. 

Until next time,

Justin