KCB Board Member Spotlight: Teri Larsen
Teri is one of our incredible board members who has been with Kingdom Causes Bellflower since the beginning! Learn below about Teri and how she has inspired, connected, and mobilized people towards personal and community transformation!
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What’s your connection to Bellflower?
I was “born and bred” in Bellflower and have lived here almost my entire adult life. Our family business has been active in town for 3 generations, since 1941. I love Bellflower.
How did you first hear about KCB?
Actually, I have been with Kingdom Causes from the very start, but it was an interesting path to get there. After having the great joy of working among the marginalized while doing community development in the squatter areas of Manila, Philippines for a few years, I returned to Bellflower with a much different perspective. The Lord began to show me that some of the same problems from Manila existed right here in my home town. At that time, there were also lots of serious problems in our schools and neighborhoods. So I began to ask the question, “If Bellflower has been in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most churches per capita, why is darkness prevailing?” Then I began to have a burning passion to see God’s people in my community come together to bring Light to the dark places, to make a difference for His Kingdom, but I didn’t know anyone who felt the same way, so I began to pray. For 10 years I prayed that Jesus would enliven and mobilize His Church in our community. At the same time, I shared my passion whenever I could and stayed involved in things that would keep stirring my own heart so I wouldn’t lose the fire the Holy Spirit had given me to see transformation in my city. Finally, one of those simple conversations led to an introduction to a young, fledgling organization. Open Arms Community Development was just starting on a mission to connect believers in our town to make a difference in hard places. I got involved with the organization and later was invited to serve on the board of directors. At one point we were out of money and without a director and we almost closed the organization, but the Lord made it clear He still had plans. It was shortly after that time when we decided as a board to make a fresh start with a new executive director and we became Kingdom Causes Bellflower.
What sparked your interest in joining the KCB board?
I feel so deeply that the Lord wants to make a difference in Bellflower through His people. Serving on the board of directors was a very exciting opportunity to share my passion with people of like mind in a way that could have impact.
What is your favorite part about being on the KCB board?
I love, love, love talking with others who have a similar vision to see the Lord do great things in our community through His people. And I have really enjoyed being involved in His work to mold and direct this organization. He has done some amazing things in our community in the past 20 years, and it is a great privilege to be a small part of it.
What is one positive thing you’ve learned about the community while on the KCB board?
It has been a tremendous joy to work side by side on the board with some of the folks that have themselves been changed through our ministry. This experience has reinforced my belief in “ministry from below” in the work of community development.
What are some ways you enjoy to give back to the community besides being on the KCB board?
As I was getting to know some neighbors in the Eucalyptus area, I realized there was a big need to help kids with their homework. With parents less fluent in English and struggling to just make a living, these kids needed some extra attention and a quiet place to work. I wanted to love these children with God’s love in a tangible way. So beginning with just 2 students, my friend, Betty Sandoval and I started the Eucy Homework Club. Our goal was to make learning fun for these students so we created more of a “club” atmosphere. One student even wrote a theme song for our group. In addition to offering homework help on a weekly basis, we had a great time planning quarterly activities that were not only fun but wonderful learning experiences for the kids. It also gave us an opportunity to get to know and support families. First, we had the annual Valentine’s Dinner where the students spent all day preparing the room, the food, the dessert and then formally serving their parents a delicious meal. Also, we had museum trips, pool parties (where many of them learned to swim) and science projects. Finally, we had the yearly Christmas store with a 2 fold opportunity for the children to bless their parents. First, they earned Bargain Bucks for several weeks by helping out with extra chores around their homes. Second, they used their bucks to buy some nice gifts for mom and dad from the Christmas Store we set up. Here they learned the joy of giving from their own hard earn “money”; they learned to make buying choices and then wrap the gifts themselves. Boy, did we use a LOT of tape on Christmas Store night! Still, it was well worth it because the kids always loved this event as they had a chance to give back to their parents. Watching these students grow has been such a blessing from the Lord in my life over the years. They have been some of my favorite people!
Does a story come to mind when you think about your time spent at KCB?
After several years of having the Homework Club, some of the leaders and moms felt we needed to provide something for the high school kids from the neighborhood. We asked the Lord for direction and Junior Apprentice of Bellflower was born. This was a program designed to teach basic financial literacy and good work ethic as well as provide an opportunity for participants to earn a little cash. One of our projects was to make and sell handmade chocolate truffles for Valentine’s Day. The students were so eager to learn and they worked very hard. I think we produced and packed something like 1,200 pieces of the scrumptious chocolates in a day and a half. People were very supportive and bought our candy just to encourage our group. Nonetheless, once they tried them, we continually got comments saying our truffles were among the best they had ever had. Wow! But the best compliment of all came from the HR Director of Mojave Foods, a business that had been very supportive of our projects. After tasting our delicacies, she asked if we could make another 500 boxes (that’s 2000 truffles) by the end of the week for her to give out to all the employees for Valentine’s Day. I just burst into delightful laughter when the news got to me. Of course, we were not able to fill that order but it gave me sheer joy to share this with our teens. I told them, “It is one thing when you can get a number of people to order a couple boxes of candy each because they support the cause. But when a customer returns and wants to order 500 more boxes, that’s because they LOVE what you have created.” Those kids were beaming with pride in their work… and so was I. God is so good!
What are your hopes for KCB and the community?
I love to dream about what our community could look like if all Christ followers brought their candles outside of the church buildings and into the dark places in our town. I believe that the Lord is calling many to very specific works of rebuilding lives through the power of His Holy Spirit. My hope for Kingdom Causes Bellflower, is that we as an organization, find a way to identify those callings, to bring people of similar calling together and to mobilize them to move forward. My prayer for Bellflower believers is that we learn to listen more clearly to the Holy Spirit and that we take action on what we hear. What an amazing town we would have if we all indeed prayed and worked for God’s Kingdom of peace and wholeness to come to Bellflower. The Lord certainly has started that work among us.