Since 2002, ENLACE USA director, Larry Kasper, has seen God’s dream put into action through local churches in El Salvador. During one of his many visits to El Salvador, Larry got a chance to share a little of his story with us.
Larry grew up in a Christian home and says he was shown what it meant to be a follower of Christ through the example of his father. “My dad was a Christian with very strong values and principles,” said Larry. For much of his life, he strived to be like his father. However, he found out that it was not about the efforts he could make, but about obedience to God in his life. This process encouraged him to serve God as a pastor.
Through many years of pastoring and planting churches, Larry’s passion for missions increased. However, he always wondered if going on a mission trip once every few years could really make a lasting impact on people’s lives. During this time of contemplating missions, Larry was introduced to ENLACE through his son-in-law, Mark Orphan. He was motivated to go to El Salvador and be a witness to the work of the local church and its community. “My appreciation for ENLACE increased much more seeing it first hand,” said Larry.
“What really got my attention was seeing ENLACE as a Christ-centered organization that promotes the church’s sustainability by empowering them to serve their communities with what resources they already have,” said Larry. His search for making an eternal impact through tangible actions found its answer in ENLACE. Larry describes ENLACE as an entity that walks alongside the church and community, helping them identify opportunities that will bring sustainable solutions to poverty. He says,
“The best thing about this process is that it enables churches to demonstrate God’s love in practical and enduring ways.”
Larry has worked for ENLACE for eight years and thinks that the institution has grown tremendously due to the fulfillment of God’s vision for His church and also because of the hard work of pastors and church leaders in El Salvador. Without the hard work and dedication of the local church none of this would be possible.
Everyone who knows Larry describes him as an approachable person, someone who cares about people, who values relationships deeply, loves his family and is fulfilled in serving others. Larry remains faithful to his passionate call for genuine transformation of communities in need.
