Larry Medford At first glance, you might not believe my husband, Larry, is a born again Child of God. He bears the markings of an outlaw biker, revealing tattoos, long hair; but some times what you see is not necessarily what you get. Larry’s past isn’t pleasant but he draws on it to show others the life changing power of Jesus Christ. He was an outlaw biker, didn’t work much, was married but had women who worked for him in topless bars. He was into drugs, stolen cars, and prostitution. There were times when he didn’t come home for months and I did not know if he was dead or alive. After being arrested, jumping $80,000 bond and moving to Arizona, the FBI finally caught up with Larry in 1989. I was with him when he was arrested and vowed to stay with him during his incarceration. Larry spent 4 ½ years in the Illinois prison system. He studied the Bible while in prison but did not make a commitment to the Lord. When he was released from prison, God provided a great job and things were going good. Larry thought if he didn’t buy any drugs, he would be fine. He was still using alcohol and didn’t turn down the offer of free drugs; but he wasn’t going to buy drugs because that might send him back to prison. During the next few years, we were involved in two serious motorcycle accidents. I remember telling Larry that I thought God was trying to get our attention, but we were too busy to listen. I was raised in a Christian home and knew that we were going down the wrong path. Although I had been saved at the age of 10, I was not living a Christian lifestyle. In 1995, we moved to Hope, AR as the result of a job transfer. I knew that Larry was still drinking and suspected he was using drugs. In July of 1998 I found what I thought was cocaine; it actually was crystal meth. I told God that I couldn’t go through this again, but I loved Larry and didn’t want to give up on him. I asked God to do something and He did! It wasn’t what I had expected and I remembered what my grandmother had always said about being careful what you pray for because you just might get it. Larry lost his job within a few weeks of my prayer. As it turned out, this was what it took for him to seek the Lord with all his heart. It broke my heart when he told me that he thought he had done too many bad things for God to ever want anything to do with him. When we first moved to Arkansas, we met John Ogden who is now chairman of the board of CMA. Larry and John became friends and I felt that John could answer a lot of questions Larry had about Christianity. Larry decided to ride out to Sturgis, SD for Bike Week. John would be there too and they were going to meet and talk. On the way out, the motor in Larry’s bike blew up. I knew this was satan trying to keep Larry from making a commitment to God. Larry called me and I told him to have a motor put in the bike and get to Sturgis. When he returned from that trip, as II Corinthians 5:17 says he was a “new man”. I could tell by his appearance that a change had been made. Larry started searching for a job but God had other plans. He wanted Larry to go back into the prisons and let those behind the walls know that there is hope in Jesus Christ. He tried doing this on a part-time basis and working a secular job. Late in 2002, we felt God telling us that Larry needed to be in the ministry full time. We incorporated Locked Down For The Lord Prison Ministry in December 2002. It was a step of faith, but God has been faithful to provide all of our needs. We have had several confirmations that we are doing what God wants us to do; Bibles delivered to our door step from an unknown source, a vehicle repaired at no cost when the weather got too cold to ride the bike, money coming in to pay bills “just in time” and the list goes on. We are blessed that God has chosen us for this ministry and we are excited about what God has in store for us. If you would like to learn more about our ministry, check our website at www.lockeddown4thelord.com. BACK HOME