Larisa Craig Biography

Larisa was born and raised in Newberry Springs, California, near Barstow in a Christian home where she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior at age four. Serving with her parents, who worked with the American Missionary Fellowship as a child, prepared her for a future in ministry.  After surrendering her life to Christ to serve as a missionary she felt a kinship with David Livingstone’s Africa and the “smoke of a thousand villages with people who had never heard the name of Jesus”. On a mission’s trip to Nevada, at the age of 14, she saw children and adults-- in her own country-- who had never before heard of Jesus and knew that her burden for America was one given by God. Larisa is a 2002 graduate of Christian Heritage College (name changed in 2004 to San Diego Christian College). She double majored in Liberal Studies and Bible Missions so that she would have the tools needed for the mission field today and gain parental trust with a CA Teaching Credential used in after school kid’s ministries.

Larisa serves with the American Missionary Fellowship as an Area Missionary in the Eastern Sierras of California and Central Nevada. At this point, after 5 years on the field, she works within 25+ communities to offer 8 after-school Kids & Young People Clubs, 2 Women’s Bible Studies, as well as evangelistic events such as Vacation Bible School, Youth Rally’s, and various other ministries. In April of 2006 Larisa had the wonderful opportunity to church plant in a community where the gospel outreach began with a Vacation Bible School. In August of 2006 she began a one week Summer Bible Camp with 2 small buildings, 1 garden hose, 1 swimming pool, 1 range oven, 5 bathroom stalls, and over 100 children and staff who basked in the glory of knowing God. In 2005 she began a Christmas outreach to children and teens called Birthday Parties for Jesus. Giving away small Christmas box presents to close to 500 children in recent years, Birthday Parties for Jesus are an amazing opportunity to share the gospel with children and adults who have never before heard. Spending between four and six thousand miles a month in her car on the road, Larisa desires to plant gospel seeds for church planters to one day establish Godly churches. Living on an Indian Reservation, Larisa sees opportunities to work with multiple ethnic backgrounds from low income Hispanics to Paiute and Shoshone Indians. Larisa's heartfelt desire is to evangelize, disciple, and congregate the lost people of California and Nevada by introducing many to her Savior, Jesus Christ.

Larisa may be contacted at Larisa@americanmissionary.org or 760-938-3330.