Larry and Laurel Derstine
Founders/ Supreme Task International, Inc.
Larry and Laurel's unlikely mission story began even before they met. Raised in a Christian home with strong Mennonite roots, Larry found himself in the middle of the Jesus Movement in his early teen years. With hundreds of hippies emerging with life-changing experiences all around him he found himself swept up in the atmosphere of that change. "These guys were radical. They put my church-going ritual to shame with their fire and passion. It made me really examine my Christianity."
Laurel, though raised in a "Christian" home, became an unintended product of a broken home by the age of 4. Along with her two siblings she was blessed to be raised by a very strong industrious mother who taught public school and at the same time got her Masters in Education. One of the most life-changing experiences for Laurel was when her mother, in the midst of the Civil Rights movement, decided to change churches, going from an all white to an all black church. "It was that single event that I believe set me on a course that would eventually take me into full-time missions."
Both Larry and Laurel went on to pursue higher education. Larry entered Manatee Junior College and finished his Bachelor of Music at Oral Roberts University. Laurel earned an Associates degree in Education at Miami Dade Junior College along with certification as a Dental Assistant from a Technical Institute in the Miami area.
Neither Larry nor Laurel started off intending to become Missionaries. Though Larry's first Mission experience came at the early age of 15 with a trip to Haiti he never intended to make it a life-long pursuit. "I always said I will never be a missionary. I've learned since then to never say 'never.'"
Laurel had an unusual experience. Just before meeting Larry she had a dream of a map of India passing over her head and a STRONG sense of urgency to reach that nation.
At a critical time in Larry and Laurel's life they met. Encouraged by numerous "coincidences" and the discovery that the name Larry means "Crowned with Laurel", they married just 8 months later.
Having applied to Bible School, but with no letter of acceptance in hand, they moved from their home in Florida a year after marriage and landed in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They were immediately accepted into Victory Bible Institute and began volunteering in the Missions Department. Soon after graduation Larry was asked to join the Pastoral staff of Victory Christian Center as Assistant Director of Victory Bible Institute, Director of Victory World Missions Training Center and the Director of Missions. Laurel was there to teach and assist but had her hands full with their newest baby daughter Lindsay Anne.
In 1989 after 5-1/2 years of gleaning great ministry experience and receiving from seasoned Missionaries, Larry and Laurel were released and sent out from Victory Christian Center to launch Supreme Task International, Inc.
Somewhere amid Laurel's dream of India to Larry's experience in the poverty-stricken country of Haiti came a deep cry from within them to reach the worlds least reached people. "We wanted to go where no man had gone before (to borrow a phrase from Star Trek)." Our deepest desire was to help people.
Not surprisingly their first mission trip after launching full time was to India. And although they have ministered in more than 30 countries the country that today still has the greatest impact on them is India. They are currently pursuing a systematic multi-level harvest strategy they call the Five Level Harvest Strategy.
When not in India, they base out of Atlanta, Georgia where they spent two years on staff at Victory World Church, Pastored by Dennis and Colleen Rouse. Larry, Laurel, Lindsay and Michaela Joy now make it their church home.
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Two of every three homes in India has no tap water. | |
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