Only God: A Testimony of God’s Goodness from the Cornfields of Iowa to the Harvest Fields of the World
About The Book
The key is hearing His voice and obeying, even in the midst of difficult situations—like recovering lost passports or the seemingly ridiculous act of sticking a green leaf in your ear.
—Larry and Jean Johnson
Only God is a collection of stories about God’s extraordinary intervention and divine work through the lives of two ordinary people. Larry and Jean grew up in Iowa, married right out of high school, and each pursued their respective “dream” jobs: farming and nursing. When they separately heard “the call” to worldwide missions, they thought it was farfetched—until they couldn’t ignore God’s summons anymore.
For readers who enjoy spectacular God stories with God moments, who want to learn how to hear God’s voice better, and who desire to see Him work in their own lives, this compelling memoir will lead you deeper into the heart of God.
About The Authors
Larry and Jean Johnson
For twenty-five years Larry and Jean Johnson lived in the Midwest. Although Jean worked as a registered nurse and Larry enjoyed farming, they desired to minister to people’s souls. In the early 1990s they answered the call to full-time missionary work founding Will Go Inc., a nonprofit missions organization impacting lives around the globe. They enjoy traveling, trying new cuisines, gardening, Scrabble, and Dr. Pol. The couple have three adult children and three beautiful grandchildren. Learn more at www.larryandjeanjohnson.xyz and at www.willgo.org.
Quotes from... Only God: A Testimony of God’s Goodness from the Cornfields of Iowa to the Harvest Fields of the World
“Farming had been financially tough for many farmers. To help, the US government devised a “Payment in Kind” program. You had to figure your cost and bid a number between 1-22. If you were too high, you would not receive funding. I prayed about what to bid and felt I heard the Lord say, “21.” But I decided to ask my brother-in-law and he said, “Larry, you cannot bid over 11!” Since he had graduated from Iowa State University, I believed he should know. I bid eleven.
When the results of the program were made public, it showed that 21 was the highest number allowed. Had I forgotten that God is smarter than my brother-in-law? That He is always trying to help me? That disobedience cost me over $10,000 dollars. But I was learning to trust His voice and obey.”
“Because of your bleeding, this baby may have numerous birth defects. I recommend you abort as soon as possible,” the doctor said.
This was not the news Heidi and Guo expected to hear. They were devastated and came to us. We listened and empathized as they explained the “tragedy” the doctor had outlined for them, should they have a disabled child.
Quietly, Larry said, “It’s a life.”
Immediately, Guo responded, “Yes! This is our baby, perfect or not. He’s ours!”
“We stood in front of three government officers as they studied our application papers. They asked so many questions! Why did you come to China? What are you doing here? How long will you stay? Their solemn expressions never changed. It seemed they did not like our answers.
Finally, Larry said, “We are Christians, and we came to help.”
“It had been a long road to this day. We had assembled our documents and sent them to the government. However, they sent them back!”
“We should have been confident; had we forgotten that it was God who called us to China and made the needed preparations for this very day? ‘Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’ from Esther 4:14 echoed in our hearts.”
“I could feel His presence. The God who had spoken to me those times when I was in elementary school became real to me. The God who had protected me when my car had crashed helped me realize His powerful, sustaining hand.”
“As I finished the fourth mile around our section of land, I had a vision of a green light, like you see at city intersections. It remained green; in fact, I can still see it today. I felt God’s assurance that marrying Larry was a Go.”