We are so saddened to hear about the passing of Larry. It has all been so sudden and hard to comprehend.
I’m sure I speak for many in saying that Larry was a spiritual giant — a steady rock of Gibralter — who always had time for people and always made you feel important, strengthened and blessed. I have always looked up to him as a real Christian statesman, one whose life exemplified that of Christ Himself….always giving, always encouraging, yet humble and joyful. We will miss him so much. Nairobi will not be the same without his smiling face.
I’m sure when we all cross over to that side of the shore, Larry will be one of the first there to greet us with his beaming smile and friendly hand shake. Until then, we can remember his life as a true example of one who has “fought the good fight”, and who has lived a life of practical Christian love for others.
Sometimes we grapple for words that appropriately express our feelings when an event of deep emotional impact occurs and I am not sure I can do very well right now.
Larry was one of those people that you meet for the first time and feel that you have known for a long time. His deep love for the Lord and for all those children of creation, who suffer unjustly, is the lasting memory he leaves with me. From the many visits to the CMA office, the many hours on the road together and the day after l left the hospital in Nairobi and planted trees with him in rural Kenya in February 2005, I hold him fondly in my heart.
It was Larry that introduced me to the Prayer of Jabez and the one line of prayer that has been part of my daily prayer life ever since – “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do.”
On behalf of Fraser (Edwards) and me and all those in Water School who love and serve the Lord, we give thanks for Larry and the gifts he has given to us all.
God bless you Debbie and may the memory of this good man give you strength in the coming days and years.
As I sit here trying to drown my pain,
thinking of you, my tears fall down like rain….
I am thinking of all the hugs, laughs and smiles,
I am sad but happy knowing your life was worthwhile…..
I hope I am half the man you were teaching me to be,
Thank you for all the loving memories you have given me….
Always in my heart and forever loved….
Rest in Peace Uncle Larry, Love you
You are already prepared. Just come. Larry’s words will always be imprinted on my mind. We were talking about our church’s involvement with a new church in the rural Kumi district of Uganda in 2009. Twice previously I had traveled outside the U.S., once to Africa. Each time I had a specific task. This time my task would include convincing a team of people to come with me without knowing what we would be doing. Our plans will change. This is Africa, said Larry. Larry may be a mzungu (white person) but to me he was an African. He understood the people, the cultures, the needs, the hearts of the people. But it was not just the hearts of Africans whom Larry understood.
Larry had the uncanny ability to see into people’s hearts, to see beyond problems to possibilities, to see what God could do. Of course, then he left it up to Debbie and others to work out the details. That was Larry.
It took me awhile to understand how Larry operated. Could all of these stories really be true about this relaxed guy in a cowboy hat? They were. They are. I discovered there was and is far more to Larry Kitchel than what one sees.
Larry was God’s servant to those whom others don’t regard as important: children, widows, orphans, the sick, the disabled, those in prison. Whether it was food, shelter, education, medical, water or agricultural needs, Larry saw each as an opportunity to care for people like Jesus cares and then help them care for themselves. Most of all Larry wanted people to come to know Jesus personally, because none of us will live forever.
Each of us has a story about Larry’s humor. In our last two conversations that humor came through, as it always does. January 28 we visited for 15 minutes following his travels to south Sudan. We hadn’t talked for several weeks. I was finally able to catch him at the CMA office. What was the possibility of myself and others coming to help with work in South Sudan? Larry said we would have to fly to the area. I asked if it were possible to drive. Well, if you want to walk 250 miles, you can, Larry replied. There are no roads. Both of us laughed.
The last time I spoke with Larry was Thursday evening before his death last Sunday. We shared a few minutes together, including a time of prayer. He commented on all the pretty ladies waiting on him at the Nairobi Hospital. I teased him that he needed to keep his eyes on Debbie and he assured me he was.
God has used Larry to help me to know more of Jesus’ love for me and my need to trust Him today for the work He has already done in my life. The Apostle Paul wrote, You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 God continues to write on my heart through Larry and Debbie Kitchel. He continues to write on your hearts, too. That is why you are here today.
I say Goodbye to a brother in Christ and friend far sooner than I expected, but I know that Larry is even now rejoicing in God’s presence. If you know Jesus, one day you will get to enjoy the place Jesus is preparing for you . . . and you will get to see Larry and hear his jokes again. If you do not know Jesus, don’t leave this place without considering that He paid for your sins on the cross by His death. He offers you the ultimate gift of eternal life. Will you, by faith, confess your sins and receive His forgiveness so you can truly live . . . for Him?
Debbie, we love you and our prayers continue to be with you, your daughters there and family in the U.S. CMA staff, we pray for God’s strength, wisdom and love for you, as well. Let’s not forget God’s promise to every person who trusts and walks with Jesus Christ. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21
Randy Jaspers, Pastor of Temple Baptist Church, Jamestown, North Dakota
Larry and Debbie’s church family in the U.S.
I worked with Larry & Debbie for a short time in Africa. My brother spent a lot more time with them than I did. But I always thought Larry had that Gary Cooper type personality: quiet, soft spoken… Till I got to know him.
I found out he was funny and had great stories and Loved Jesus!
Debbie, Been a long time..
I know Larry is dancing with Jesus and has never been happier.
I will hold you and yours in my thoughts and prayers during this time and I know you will see him again in glory!
Your friend,
Jean Dobbels
I recently sent comments ‘snail-mail’ style so much of what I write here may sound familiar, but how wonderful to share with everyone my memories of my friend and former boss, Larry.
How I wish that I could be with you all in person.
For those of you who don’t know who I am, I used to be the entire PR Department for CMA for a number of years. I believe it was January 1997 when I stepped off the plane in Nairobi, fresh out of college. Larry decided to give this kid a chance to participate in the great things God was doing through CMA. I think he had more faith in me than I did in myself!
My first memory is of Debbie reaching out for my arm through the crowd at the airport and asking if I was Rhonda. She said she thought it HAD to be me since I looked so lost! And I WAS lost! New to missions work, new to Kenya, new to having a writing job. ‘Lost’ was a very good word.
Larry and I had a long talk that next morning after I arrived, and I was overwhelmed with his vision, and comforted by his humor and child-like enjoyment of life. I was concerned that I was not all he wanted for a PR girl, but soon learned that doing my best was all that was required: Love God, love others, and bring Larry homemade cookies! (Which I did!)
When I talk about Larry to others, I tell them that we were terrible to each other in a really great way. Man, could we ever tease each other! I called him Scary Larry and he complained that I was always bellowing at him from my office downstairs. I loved him, and know he loved me.
I am very grateful that we were able to talk on the phone during his last trip to the States. But I do wish I could have seen him in person on earth at least once more. when I left Africa I thought I’d be coming back before too long. But my new husband’s mental illness took over which launched me first into survival mode, followed by a time of healing and recovery.
Though as of yet I’ve not made it back to Africa, CMA and the people I knew and loved through this ministry were never forgotten. You don’t have to look too far in my home here in California to see Africa. And as I get to share my testimony at the recovery ministry where I serve, I speak of my time at CMA as a key part of how God shaped me and grew me.
I write this so that I can somehow join with you all in the sharing of grief and memories. I will miss hearing Larry kid around with me through his e-mails, but I think I will always be able to hear his booming voice as he sang in his office.
My love and prayers are with you all. Many blessings and much love as you grieve the passing of someone we love, and who loved us. May you find comfort in knowing that we can still love Larry in the present tense because he is more alive now than ever before – and we will all gather together again soon for another plate of chocolate-chip cookies. Of that, I am quite certain!
Part of what I do now is write weekly encouragement ‘blurbs’ to the 200 or so hurting folks who come to the recovery group at my church. A couple of weeks ago I wrote to them a tribute about Larry, and will close my thoughts here with that.
“Not easy, but possible…”
Somebody important to me was recently diagnosed with cancer.
When I received word from his wife about his condition, she passed along to me his love and told me he wanted me to know that he is at peace with whatever God intended to do.
I wasn’t surprised to hear this. Not because he’s a ‘super-Christian’ or prone to denial, but because I know him and his love for Jesus. I’ve seen him live out his love for Christ through the way he loves others and boldly followed God’s direction – all the way to Africa where he founded an aid and relief agency.
Love and confident trust in his God shaped most of his life. It bubbled out of him. Confident trust – even though he spent years in an orphanage and had every reason to be skeptical about this idea of a Heavenly Father who loved and wanted him.
This friend of mine, Larry, died a couple of days ago – surrounded by friends and family who sang hymns around his bedside as he began the next phase of his life.
His life inspired me, and the way he had peace through serious, sudden illness challenges me to remember that no circumstance is stronger than God’s power to bring calmness to any storm.
I know peace and trust come slowly to those of us who have been deeply wounded. But it does come, if you let God give it to you.
Debbie
Very saddened to hear of our uncles passing. John 15: 11-12 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.”. Throughout all of the family adversity and conflict in every conversation Larry was living proof of this verse. This is how i remember larry and he will be missed.
your nephew
Dan hanson
Dear Debbie and friends,
My son and I had the unexpected opportunity to meet Larry and Debby on a camping trip in the Abederes just after last Christmas. My son told me he never met anyone like Larry –so genuine, likeable, soft spoken but clearly having seen much and been a part of many very important things — to help people. We were greatly saddened to learn of Larry’s passing. Certainly this man has a place in God’s house.
Sincerely,
Bob and Fanuel McCarthy
I had the pleasure of knowing Larry over a period of about 20 years, and worked closely with him for over 5 years at CMA. He was my boss, mentor, colleague, friend, and also my Christian Brother. Although I’ve already used the word brother, I also see him as a father figure. So to me, and to so many others, Larry was indeed many things, all at once. He could even be like a bear; he’d sometimes crush me when giving a hug, such was his enthusiasm and passion. At other times he’d rush into my office with a new idea, and I would have to drop what I was doing, listen, take a few notes, and later on, take off in a new direction, on a new path that Larry had seen, prayed about, and thought we should explore. That was often how new projects or new activities got started at CMA.
If he felt I was on the wrong path, or if something I was saying or doing was bad for me, for CMA, or just plain bad, he’d come in, close the door, sit down, and gently begin his approach to the subject, deliver firm and excellent guidance, followed by a few words of encouragement. He never failed to set me straight, and he had to do that more than once. Each time, even if I didn’t always agree, or even if I felt I was right, I appreciated and loved his way of correcting, guiding, and counselling (and he was almost always right).
Larry was a great man of ideas, inspiration, faith, prayer, and vision. He didn’t worry about thinking too small or too big, he prayed a lot and loved the Bible, so he took his inspiration from the good book, which gave him revelation, enlightenment, and purpose. It also gave him great joy and comfort. He was driven by what he saw in the Bible. I believe that is how God wants us to be. When we love the Bible as Larry did, God’s happy with that.
At other times we would talk about knives, axes, sticks, poles, staffs, tents, boats, fishing, hats, food, rocks, trees, tyres, flashlights, wild animals, pets, clouds, birds, rain, the sea, and every good thing under the sun. Larry loved life, loved nature, the outdoors, and he sparked enthusiasm and excitement in others. I only went camping with Larry and Debbie once, but now I wish I had suggested more trips into the wilderness.
Larry’s conversations roamed widely, over the earth, touching on his life experiences, his world-wide travels, and even beyond. He spoke about his spiritual life, his struggles and God’s victories. He spoke for hours about the Bible and its wondrous inspirational teachings. His life and his faith made him creative and original, unique and passionate.
It was indeed a great pleasure to have known and spent time with him; the world has lost a great man, but oh what fun there must be in Heaven when Larry’s around; I hope they have enough ice cream up there for him.
Thank you Lord for a man such as Larry, thank you Lord, he was a blessing, and a joy to know. Amen.
Larry and Debbie Kitchel,
I met the hero(Larry),who went to be with the lord and the heroine (Debbie) as i facilitated in the CMA seminars.Larry was an outstanding man of God and an Apostle to be emulated by all.
Debbie is a great servant of God and i promise my continual support and prayers for Debbie and CMA.
Am forever grateful to have come to know and be involved with CMA.What a priviledge! What great Honor to serve God together!I remain a great friend of CMA.
Lord Jesus,bless Debbie and CMA
AMEN
Benson Nzioka
facilitator,Nairobi
Thanks Rev. Nzioka for your kind words. We appreciate the work you do for CMA too. Remember Larry joking at you while in his hospital bed, “Who’s that dark guy seated at the corner?” Oh, we do miss him a lot.
I met Larry during a first Aid training in 2010 at CMA in Nairobi and what i remember was the hospitality i received from the whole CMA family led by Sir Larry.At the end of the training i learnt a lot but what i remember is Sir Larry encouraging me not to stop doing good in my life because that’s the best you can offer to The world.I thank God for him,his Wife and the whole CMA lovely people.Thank you
Dear Debbie,
It is nearly one year. If we are sad, you must be so much moreso. What a hole he left on this planet, but what a joy he must be in the throne room. We all look forward to getting together up there again.
Love, Rose & John Jenks
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13 Comments
Dear Friends of the Kitchels:
We are so saddened to hear about the passing of Larry. It has all been so sudden and hard to comprehend.
I’m sure I speak for many in saying that Larry was a spiritual giant — a steady rock of Gibralter — who always had time for people and always made you feel important, strengthened and blessed. I have always looked up to him as a real Christian statesman, one whose life exemplified that of Christ Himself….always giving, always encouraging, yet humble and joyful. We will miss him so much. Nairobi will not be the same without his smiling face.
I’m sure when we all cross over to that side of the shore, Larry will be one of the first there to greet us with his beaming smile and friendly hand shake. Until then, we can remember his life as a true example of one who has “fought the good fight”, and who has lived a life of practical Christian love for others.
May our God comfort and strengthen all,
Mel Middleton
Williams Lake, BC, Canada
Dear Debbie,
Sometimes we grapple for words that appropriately express our feelings when an event of deep emotional impact occurs and I am not sure I can do very well right now.
Larry was one of those people that you meet for the first time and feel that you have known for a long time. His deep love for the Lord and for all those children of creation, who suffer unjustly, is the lasting memory he leaves with me. From the many visits to the CMA office, the many hours on the road together and the day after l left the hospital in Nairobi and planted trees with him in rural Kenya in February 2005, I hold him fondly in my heart.
It was Larry that introduced me to the Prayer of Jabez and the one line of prayer that has been part of my daily prayer life ever since – “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do.”
On behalf of Fraser (Edwards) and me and all those in Water School who love and serve the Lord, we give thanks for Larry and the gifts he has given to us all.
God bless you Debbie and may the memory of this good man give you strength in the coming days and years.
Until we meet him again,
Your friend
Bob Dell
The Water School
As I sit here trying to drown my pain,
thinking of you, my tears fall down like rain….
I am thinking of all the hugs, laughs and smiles,
I am sad but happy knowing your life was worthwhile…..
I hope I am half the man you were teaching me to be,
Thank you for all the loving memories you have given me….
Always in my heart and forever loved….
Rest in Peace Uncle Larry, Love you
Larry’s nephew Zachary Feist – via Facebook
Shared at Larry’s Memorial Service:
You are already prepared. Just come. Larry’s words will always be imprinted on my mind. We were talking about our church’s involvement with a new church in the rural Kumi district of Uganda in 2009. Twice previously I had traveled outside the U.S., once to Africa. Each time I had a specific task. This time my task would include convincing a team of people to come with me without knowing what we would be doing. Our plans will change. This is Africa, said Larry. Larry may be a mzungu (white person) but to me he was an African. He understood the people, the cultures, the needs, the hearts of the people. But it was not just the hearts of Africans whom Larry understood.
Larry had the uncanny ability to see into people’s hearts, to see beyond problems to possibilities, to see what God could do. Of course, then he left it up to Debbie and others to work out the details. That was Larry.
It took me awhile to understand how Larry operated. Could all of these stories really be true about this relaxed guy in a cowboy hat? They were. They are. I discovered there was and is far more to Larry Kitchel than what one sees.
Larry was God’s servant to those whom others don’t regard as important: children, widows, orphans, the sick, the disabled, those in prison. Whether it was food, shelter, education, medical, water or agricultural needs, Larry saw each as an opportunity to care for people like Jesus cares and then help them care for themselves. Most of all Larry wanted people to come to know Jesus personally, because none of us will live forever.
Each of us has a story about Larry’s humor. In our last two conversations that humor came through, as it always does. January 28 we visited for 15 minutes following his travels to south Sudan. We hadn’t talked for several weeks. I was finally able to catch him at the CMA office. What was the possibility of myself and others coming to help with work in South Sudan? Larry said we would have to fly to the area. I asked if it were possible to drive. Well, if you want to walk 250 miles, you can, Larry replied. There are no roads. Both of us laughed.
The last time I spoke with Larry was Thursday evening before his death last Sunday. We shared a few minutes together, including a time of prayer. He commented on all the pretty ladies waiting on him at the Nairobi Hospital. I teased him that he needed to keep his eyes on Debbie and he assured me he was.
God has used Larry to help me to know more of Jesus’ love for me and my need to trust Him today for the work He has already done in my life. The Apostle Paul wrote, You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 God continues to write on my heart through Larry and Debbie Kitchel. He continues to write on your hearts, too. That is why you are here today.
I say Goodbye to a brother in Christ and friend far sooner than I expected, but I know that Larry is even now rejoicing in God’s presence. If you know Jesus, one day you will get to enjoy the place Jesus is preparing for you . . . and you will get to see Larry and hear his jokes again. If you do not know Jesus, don’t leave this place without considering that He paid for your sins on the cross by His death. He offers you the ultimate gift of eternal life. Will you, by faith, confess your sins and receive His forgiveness so you can truly live . . . for Him?
Debbie, we love you and our prayers continue to be with you, your daughters there and family in the U.S. CMA staff, we pray for God’s strength, wisdom and love for you, as well. Let’s not forget God’s promise to every person who trusts and walks with Jesus Christ. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20-21
Randy Jaspers, Pastor of Temple Baptist Church, Jamestown, North Dakota
Larry and Debbie’s church family in the U.S.
I worked with Larry & Debbie for a short time in Africa. My brother spent a lot more time with them than I did. But I always thought Larry had that Gary Cooper type personality: quiet, soft spoken… Till I got to know him.
I found out he was funny and had great stories and Loved Jesus!
Debbie, Been a long time..
I know Larry is dancing with Jesus and has never been happier.
I will hold you and yours in my thoughts and prayers during this time and I know you will see him again in glory!
Your friend,
Jean Dobbels
Dear Debbie and the Staff of CMA,
I recently sent comments ‘snail-mail’ style so much of what I write here may sound familiar, but how wonderful to share with everyone my memories of my friend and former boss, Larry.
How I wish that I could be with you all in person.
For those of you who don’t know who I am, I used to be the entire PR Department for CMA for a number of years. I believe it was January 1997 when I stepped off the plane in Nairobi, fresh out of college. Larry decided to give this kid a chance to participate in the great things God was doing through CMA. I think he had more faith in me than I did in myself!
My first memory is of Debbie reaching out for my arm through the crowd at the airport and asking if I was Rhonda. She said she thought it HAD to be me since I looked so lost! And I WAS lost! New to missions work, new to Kenya, new to having a writing job. ‘Lost’ was a very good word.
Larry and I had a long talk that next morning after I arrived, and I was overwhelmed with his vision, and comforted by his humor and child-like enjoyment of life. I was concerned that I was not all he wanted for a PR girl, but soon learned that doing my best was all that was required: Love God, love others, and bring Larry homemade cookies! (Which I did!)
When I talk about Larry to others, I tell them that we were terrible to each other in a really great way. Man, could we ever tease each other! I called him Scary Larry and he complained that I was always bellowing at him from my office downstairs. I loved him, and know he loved me.
I am very grateful that we were able to talk on the phone during his last trip to the States. But I do wish I could have seen him in person on earth at least once more. when I left Africa I thought I’d be coming back before too long. But my new husband’s mental illness took over which launched me first into survival mode, followed by a time of healing and recovery.
Though as of yet I’ve not made it back to Africa, CMA and the people I knew and loved through this ministry were never forgotten. You don’t have to look too far in my home here in California to see Africa. And as I get to share my testimony at the recovery ministry where I serve, I speak of my time at CMA as a key part of how God shaped me and grew me.
I write this so that I can somehow join with you all in the sharing of grief and memories. I will miss hearing Larry kid around with me through his e-mails, but I think I will always be able to hear his booming voice as he sang in his office.
My love and prayers are with you all. Many blessings and much love as you grieve the passing of someone we love, and who loved us. May you find comfort in knowing that we can still love Larry in the present tense because he is more alive now than ever before – and we will all gather together again soon for another plate of chocolate-chip cookies. Of that, I am quite certain!
Part of what I do now is write weekly encouragement ‘blurbs’ to the 200 or so hurting folks who come to the recovery group at my church. A couple of weeks ago I wrote to them a tribute about Larry, and will close my thoughts here with that.
“Not easy, but possible…”
Somebody important to me was recently diagnosed with cancer.
When I received word from his wife about his condition, she passed along to me his love and told me he wanted me to know that he is at peace with whatever God intended to do.
I wasn’t surprised to hear this. Not because he’s a ‘super-Christian’ or prone to denial, but because I know him and his love for Jesus. I’ve seen him live out his love for Christ through the way he loves others and boldly followed God’s direction – all the way to Africa where he founded an aid and relief agency.
Love and confident trust in his God shaped most of his life. It bubbled out of him. Confident trust – even though he spent years in an orphanage and had every reason to be skeptical about this idea of a Heavenly Father who loved and wanted him.
This friend of mine, Larry, died a couple of days ago – surrounded by friends and family who sang hymns around his bedside as he began the next phase of his life.
His life inspired me, and the way he had peace through serious, sudden illness challenges me to remember that no circumstance is stronger than God’s power to bring calmness to any storm.
I know peace and trust come slowly to those of us who have been deeply wounded. But it does come, if you let God give it to you.
Rhonda – former CMA PR girl
Debbie
Very saddened to hear of our uncles passing. John 15: 11-12 “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.”. Throughout all of the family adversity and conflict in every conversation Larry was living proof of this verse. This is how i remember larry and he will be missed.
your nephew
Dan hanson
Dear Debbie and friends,
My son and I had the unexpected opportunity to meet Larry and Debby on a camping trip in the Abederes just after last Christmas. My son told me he never met anyone like Larry –so genuine, likeable, soft spoken but clearly having seen much and been a part of many very important things — to help people. We were greatly saddened to learn of Larry’s passing. Certainly this man has a place in God’s house.
Sincerely,
Bob and Fanuel McCarthy
Remembering Larry: October 26th,2011
I had the pleasure of knowing Larry over a period of about 20 years, and worked closely with him for over 5 years at CMA. He was my boss, mentor, colleague, friend, and also my Christian Brother. Although I’ve already used the word brother, I also see him as a father figure. So to me, and to so many others, Larry was indeed many things, all at once. He could even be like a bear; he’d sometimes crush me when giving a hug, such was his enthusiasm and passion. At other times he’d rush into my office with a new idea, and I would have to drop what I was doing, listen, take a few notes, and later on, take off in a new direction, on a new path that Larry had seen, prayed about, and thought we should explore. That was often how new projects or new activities got started at CMA.
If he felt I was on the wrong path, or if something I was saying or doing was bad for me, for CMA, or just plain bad, he’d come in, close the door, sit down, and gently begin his approach to the subject, deliver firm and excellent guidance, followed by a few words of encouragement. He never failed to set me straight, and he had to do that more than once. Each time, even if I didn’t always agree, or even if I felt I was right, I appreciated and loved his way of correcting, guiding, and counselling (and he was almost always right).
Larry was a great man of ideas, inspiration, faith, prayer, and vision. He didn’t worry about thinking too small or too big, he prayed a lot and loved the Bible, so he took his inspiration from the good book, which gave him revelation, enlightenment, and purpose. It also gave him great joy and comfort. He was driven by what he saw in the Bible. I believe that is how God wants us to be. When we love the Bible as Larry did, God’s happy with that.
At other times we would talk about knives, axes, sticks, poles, staffs, tents, boats, fishing, hats, food, rocks, trees, tyres, flashlights, wild animals, pets, clouds, birds, rain, the sea, and every good thing under the sun. Larry loved life, loved nature, the outdoors, and he sparked enthusiasm and excitement in others. I only went camping with Larry and Debbie once, but now I wish I had suggested more trips into the wilderness.
Larry’s conversations roamed widely, over the earth, touching on his life experiences, his world-wide travels, and even beyond. He spoke about his spiritual life, his struggles and God’s victories. He spoke for hours about the Bible and its wondrous inspirational teachings. His life and his faith made him creative and original, unique and passionate.
It was indeed a great pleasure to have known and spent time with him; the world has lost a great man, but oh what fun there must be in Heaven when Larry’s around; I hope they have enough ice cream up there for him.
Thank you Lord for a man such as Larry, thank you Lord, he was a blessing, and a joy to know. Amen.
Hedd Thomas
Former CMA Sudan Director
Larry and Debbie Kitchel,
I met the hero(Larry),who went to be with the lord and the heroine (Debbie) as i facilitated in the CMA seminars.Larry was an outstanding man of God and an Apostle to be emulated by all.
Debbie is a great servant of God and i promise my continual support and prayers for Debbie and CMA.
Am forever grateful to have come to know and be involved with CMA.What a priviledge! What great Honor to serve God together!I remain a great friend of CMA.
Lord Jesus,bless Debbie and CMA
AMEN
Benson Nzioka
facilitator,Nairobi
Thanks Rev. Nzioka for your kind words. We appreciate the work you do for CMA too. Remember Larry joking at you while in his hospital bed, “Who’s that dark guy seated at the corner?” Oh, we do miss him a lot.
I met Larry during a first Aid training in 2010 at CMA in Nairobi and what i remember was the hospitality i received from the whole CMA family led by Sir Larry.At the end of the training i learnt a lot but what i remember is Sir Larry encouraging me not to stop doing good in my life because that’s the best you can offer to The world.I thank God for him,his Wife and the whole CMA lovely people.Thank you
Dear Debbie,
It is nearly one year. If we are sad, you must be so much moreso. What a hole he left on this planet, but what a joy he must be in the throne room. We all look forward to getting together up there again.
Love, Rose & John Jenks