A Man Who Made A Dent
by Michael Bagby
There are few people who leave a dent on their world. One who did was Keith Larkin, who passed on last week to the rewards of eternal life with Jesus Christ. He died on his birthday at age 88.
Keith was a WWII Air Force Pilot who flew almost every plane in the Air Force inventory. After the war, he became famous as the inventor of the light weight headset. His company, Plantronics, was very successful, and Keith bought property in the Sierra Mountains and founded a camp, Deer Valley, for underprivileged kids, which he ran for many years until his profits from Plantronics were gone. It was then that he and his wife Cynthia began another company in their kitchen which they called ACS, manufacturing lightweight headsets. Another fortune was made. That is when I met Keith. It was 1985, and he had purchased a ship from the Canadian government, loaded it with food, and was setting sail for Haiti. I rode up on my bike, walked aboard the “Good Samaritan”, and began a conversation with Keith that lasted for the next 20 years.
When he ran out of the ACS money, I watched Keith begin another company in Ft. Pierce manufacturing fiberglass campers that turned into houseboats (brilliant design!). Laura was actually the model who sat on top of the “Otter” when it made the cover of “RV News”. He and Cynthia also were making flights to Haiti in their Seneca, delivering many pounds of food, medicine, and other supplies to the many needy families. Over the years, “Air Care” supported many ministries, including our school project along the Rio Coco. It was Keith who flew young Laura Uyeda to Honduras before she married me, to check out if she really was ready for Fourth World living. It was during that flight over the Western Caribbean that I realized just what an outstanding pilot Keith was- we both began dozing off after a big lunch at our fuel stop in Cozumel Mexico, yet the altimeter never wavered more than 100 feet off our assigned altitude. He could hold altitude and heading better than an autopilot, even while half asleep!
The fiberglass business didn’t turn over the millions, so Keith started another headset company, “Pro Tech Communications” and again made it big, before a technology partner pulled the plug. Keith was a man who was always thinking, dreaming, and planning his next business success so that he could again have a bankroll to fund the next ministry. It happened often at a restaurant, where he would suddenly get inspired and begin drawing on a napkin. He had a file cabinet full of those napkins. At the same time, he would do things like show up for dinner at our home wearing two different shoes. “Nobody will notice” he told Cynthia. 10 Seconds after walking through the door, Lukas said “Uncle Keith, did you know that you have on two different shoes?”
Keith had some major accomplishments for a man who dropped out of high school at 17 to join the Army Air Corps. He designed every headset used by NASA from the Mercury project through the Space Shuttle. The first words heard from the Moon came through Keith’s invention. He also fed thousands of kids in Haiti, and around the world. He funded pastors in India through his friend Danny Lehman, the director of YWAM Hawaii. He started the Great Commission Bible School in Oregon in the 80’s. The kids camp in the Sierras, Deer Valley, touch many who were positively influenced for the Lord. His efforts helped us educate thousands of Miskito Indian children. Until he ran out of steam a few years ago, Keith was always active in missionary projects. He was an inspiration for all who knew him.
How many people do you know who made a million dollars and gave it all away- twice!
What can we learn from Keith’s life?
- We are all given talents and abilities by God, and if we are persistent in using them, then He can accomplish much through us. If there was one characteristic that Keith displayed, it was persistence. Although a natural at design, he had many “electronic” challenges to overcome to make Plantronics, ACS, and Pro Tech Communications a success. He persisted and many were blessed!
- We are only conduits for the Lord. What He gives us is for His use, for His purposes. He owns it all, and when He tells us to direct His resources in a certain directions, many good things will happen. When I met Cynthia, she was driving a snazzy white Jaguar yet within a few months, she had sold that, along with her jewelry, to fund ministry. Cyndo later became the queen of TJ Max and drove a Buick and had fun doing it! What an attitude she and Keith had about their resources.
- It is okay to make mistakes in the Kingdom, as long as we learn from them. Keith had many ideas that failed – like his scheme to fly fresh strawberries from the Central Valley of California to Las Vegas. The market was simply not there, and the overheated strawberries stunk up the cabin of his airplane for months!
- We must have childlike faith that God will lead, and God will provide- in all circumstances. Keith hated paying aircraft insurance premiums. He considered that a lack of faith that God would not take care of God’s airplanes, even if there were accidents. His “nose gear stuck-in-the -up-position” landing at Georgetown in the Bahamas was a classic. He shut both engines down on final approach, and had the presence of mind to hit the engine starter buttons to get the propeller blades horizontal before the touchdown and skid on the nose down the runway. God did provide a repair for that accident, and Laura and I actually helped him rebuild the nosecone.
Keith and Cyndo had one objective in life- make money through their business and use it to fuel the ministry of the Kingdom. Keith is the real inspiration behind the Rio Coco Bean Coffee business.
Thanks Keith for setting an example for us all!
Believer or Living Witness
By Laura Bagby
Actions do speak louder than words.
“Do you believe in God?”, asked Arielle in a conversation at our bbq party during our last week on Utila.
“No, I believe in myself and doing it on my own. “, replied a kind, capable dive instructor from the shop next door.
“Why?”, Air asked wanting more specifics to this mystifying answer.
“Because I believe I can take care of things by myself and I don’t like asking anyone for anything. I believe in MY SELF.” she replied confidently.
Arielle quickly spoke: “Oh, well,…..when you run out of your “Self” and doing things by yourself, just know, God will be there for you.”
Arielle is very matter of fact in her approach to people and issues that come up around her. I made a comment of gaining some weight after not working out as hard as I needed to on Utila. She glanced at me and said in her most logical tone, “You can do something about that.”
“Yes I can… will and already starting doing.”, I said, so glad that I had made my decision to begin doing and not just complaining.
The difference between being a Living force of influence and an entity that simply “believes” is in one’s willingness, surrender and actions that follow.
I have watched my God be there for Arielle on countless occasions where she surrenders her will for the good of others. She is continually a willing vessel coming under our authority and doing what needs to be done for the greater good of others. I am thoroughly blessed by her existence in my life. I feel like the Proverbs 31 woman when it says, “her children rise up and bless her.”
On my 51st birthday and 23rd anniversary (day after birthday) I found myself feeling the blessing of having a God that loves me, a husband that adores me, my children who rise up to bless me, parents that are still involved in our lives and friends that express kind encouragement to me….all of these having a treasured influence in my life at this juncture.
God has been there every time I “run out of my self” on every occasion just as Arielle declared to one of our friends on Utila, an accomplished woman teaching others how to dive. Because of Arielle’s own unique experience living a surrendered life, she could express without hesitation, God’s presence & faithfulness. It is common knowledge around here that we all “run out of ourselves” and have a true need beyond our own capacity to do, to be or to become. The more we see who God is, the more we sense our dire need of Him. He is perfect and complete lacking in nothing. With Him, all things are possible. Without Him, we can do nothing of eternal value.
Dustin and Kate, married, September 18th are back in Utila living the surrendered life of hearts wanting to see others come into the fullness of Christ and true relationship with God. A beginning of a whole new era.
We faced the passing of an era with one of our dear friends and inspirations, Keith Larkin who died September 28, 2011 on his 88th birthday during the reading of Keith’s favorite Psalms 23 by his son, Kevin. Keith was one of our heroes of the faith who we had the privilege of knowing, enjoying and learning many basic principles of life from. He was a genuine genius, full of life, creativity and inventions that would be first penned out on napkins at restaurants. Michael says he was the best pilot ever and he was absolutely driven to make money just to give it all away. He did so by the millions. A great man of God. He suffered with Alzheimers in the last seven years…the last two being his hardest. He passed with his family surrounding him peacefully into the arms of the One He served. We will miss him on this side of heaven. Yet we will continued to be inspired by his life and his everlasting gift to us…we are but conduits of God’s life, resources, gifts, talents and money. Money, to Keith , was only a commodity that was to be used for eternal work and we are only the hands and servants that this resource passes through. I am sure he is receiving his just rewards from the King Himself. He lived LARGE and I smile just thinking about him and his beautiful wife Cynthia. Our regards and prayers to you and your family, sweet Cindo.
We also suffered the loss of the son of Onofre and Sonia Zamora, our Project Ezra Bible teacher, friend and partner along the Rio Coco. His son, Crisler accidently died when a gun discharged while removing a scope when he was hunting with his brother-in-law.We are mourning with our friends. Thankfully, Tom & Nutie and Whitney who understand loss of this magnitude are right there for the family and friends at this time in Waspam. God is using them greatly and we are thankful for their loving presence amongst our Miskito family.
God surrounds us with what we need in life...not always what we think we want or care to have, but He gives us what we need and does so without fail. We walk forward knowing that He knows best and wants only the best for our lives regardless of how we may feel or think. He is Sovereign and in Him alone do we place our trust and our hope.
It seems like the older we get the less time we feel we have. All these death and life experiences cause us to once again focus on the important, the impacting, the influencing factors that lend to the eternal…..not just for the here and now. The Bible says, without a vision, my people perish...it implies “allowing opportunities to slip through our fingers” as we hold our hands out not taking the time or effort to close the spaces up in order to catch the opportunities that pass. We want to be people of action for His eternal plans and purposes. Not our will , but His be done for His glory and honor. We pray that you will continue to join us on our journey. Laura
The Bagby Bunch Corner
We made a road trip of 3380 miles this past month from Florida to Michigan to participate in the wedding of our dear friends Kate & Dustin. It was well worth the drive. The manner in which these two made decisions and followed God’s leading in truly inspirational. From their meeting in Nicaragua in February 2010, they both knew something was going on to bring this Maui boy and Michigan girl together. They made Godly decisions along the way as they attended the Great Commission Bible Institute together, where they were not allowed to have a “relationship”. So they focused on the education and experience, and God worked out the details. Now they are husband and wife, and our Team Leaders for the ministry on Utila. It is a beautiful thing when young people submit themselves to God’s ways and plans. The Best!
We are here in Vero Beach for these next weeks moving our coffee roaster to a new location, and making arrangements to open another coffee ministry location here in Vero Beach. In this economy, we are trying to be creative about fundraising for the school project in Nicaragua (Keith Larkin Legacy!). We are quite amazed at what the Lord is doing with the coffee evangelism model that He has presented to us.
In the near future, we are traveling to meet with our teachers in Nicaragua. All is well there except for the health of our project director Truman Cunningham, who is suffering from diabetes related illnesses. Unfortunately health care in Nicaragua is very expensive outside of the government clinics which are understaffed, and very very slow. Truman needs a lot of medical tests and treatment in these next weeks, and is asking for prayer and help. Please keep him in your prayers. Truman is the leader of the project in Nicaragua, and the enemy would love to sideline or eliminate him from the playing field. Once again, your prayers and support are essential to the literal health of the project. We thank all of you who have been so faithful over these decades to keep things moving! Laura & Michael
This Month again we are giving away Free Coffee!
Join the A & M Coffee Club this month and receive a free 12 oz. bag of our Nicaraguan Altisimo Coffee.
Incredibly Delicious Coffee Delivered to Your Door Each Month At Fair Trade Prices!
Here are Four Very Good Reasons why you should join the Arielle & Moselle Coffee Club.
1) 10% off our retail prices!
2) Free Delivery for orders over $50!
3) A monthly letter from Arielle and Moselle explaining things you need to know about coffee, life, etc.
4) You may change your order or cancel at any time!
Sign up is simple–
Call Arielle and she will take your order and payment information.
Call Arielle @ 772-766-6033!
Remember, your monthly purchase of Rio Coco Bean Coffee will help us educate hundreds of children along the Rio Coco in Northeastern Nicaragua.
We have some very special prices this month on our coffee webstore. You owe it you yourself to check our this page. It will help you sleep at night knowing that you took advantage of a great opportunity.
Click here to order Rio Coco Bean Coffee!
We Welcome Your Donations! 
We have operated on the "Team Concept" for over 27 years, and through all of us doing our part as God assigns us, we have together accomplished many notable things.
1) We have educated over 15,000 children in our primary schools along the Rio Coco in Honduras and Nicaragua;
2) We have constructed many school buildings and provided many children and adults with books and learning materials;
3) We have hosted numerous pastoral training conferences in Honduras and Nicaragua;
4) We have hosted a weekly radio show on the "Rio Coco FM" station featuring Onofre Zamora, one of the most capable Miskito Bible teachers;
5) We have sent four members of our Miskito staff to Israel for Bible training;
6) We have delivered tons of emergency relief supplies to desperate families in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Israel.
7) We have hosted Bible training seminars in Centra America, Israel, Hawaii, Florida, and other states.
We know that many of you are now using our online donation page to make your contribution to our school project, missionary support, and child sponsorship program. We thank you for your faithfulness!
Click here to make your donation for this month.
Thanks for taking the time to be with us.
Seek The Lamb, Rio Coco Bean Coffee, Utila, Rio Coco, Nicaragua, Honduras, Project Ezra, Michael Bagby, Laura Bagby, Dustin Insley, Kate Insley, Tom Keogh, Nutie Keogh
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Posted by: MOLLYSolomon | November 05, 2011 at 06:49 PM