Prayer Warrior in Training
My name is Debbie Torkelson, and I am receiving prayer warrior training at CLI. I am a 49-year-old wife, mother, daughter, and Corporate Analyst in Southern California. I was an only child who grew up in a small suburban town and found Jesus when I was eight years old in the summer of 1979. It wasn’t until much later in life that I fell in love with Jesus at age 34.
My father is a retired Fire Captain, and my mother is retired from raising me. We casually went to church in my childhood. We fell away from the church, and in my early adult years, I lived very much in the world and almost forgot about Christ.
Therefore, I had to overcome many sins and bad choices from my young adult life: divorce; feminism (it completely corrupted God’s purpose for my life; I had to break free); materialism/idols; shame and guilt; and single motherhood.
Reconnecting with Jesus as a Prayer Warrior in Training
I finally matured and got my life together and was rebaptized on September 11, 2005. I was attending and serving at church regularly. In Southern California, it is hard to find a solid church. There are so many prosperity preaching churches where people show up and go home. It seems like the relationship part with Christ is missing. It’s more about the music, events, and non-offending services. I was here for many years, helping with Hospitality and Greeting. Watching people each week, I could tell something was missing. I found Jesus tugging on my heart about this.
I found and married my Biblical partner, who became my husband on March 22, 2019. Together we both left our prosperity preaching churches. By God’s grace, we found a fantastic Expository Church that teaches Biblical Truth into our lives every week. Now I know the Gospel, the Good News, and I pursue surrendering my life daily to God’s purpose.
Each Spring and Fall, my husband and I take classes separately at our church on Biblical Womanhood and Biblical Manhood. We are growing in Christ together and doing the work to improve our lives, as the Bible intended. In our daily life, we both spend time with God and in our Bibles. We work towards being that example of Biblical Marriage that is needed in the world today.
Future Relocation
This spring 2020, we are relocating out of California. My husband is returning home, and I feel like I am finding my home in Pine River, Minnesota. We have land with a remote cabin. Together, we are going to start a new life and pray God will grow a ministry for us in our new hometown.
We are both planning to join the local church in Pine River, which is expository and getting ready to grow. For this reason, we both felt God’s leading to relocate. When we get there, we plan to settle, to invest in, and grow relationships through Christ in this small town.
Ministry Calling and Prayer Warrior Training
In this new location, I hope to: serve in Women’s Ministry in a small and growing town, serve as Prayer Counselor at my church, and find new ways to develop my walk with Christ and my husband.
I found the Christian Leaders Institute through a friend at work who was taking classes. After our conversation, I checked out CLI. I was impressed from day one, so here I am. I need to learn and study the truth of the Bible to earn certificates. CLI will be coming with me to Minnesota – how cool is that? Anywhere, anytime, CLI and Jesus will be with me on my life journey.
Someday, I hope to mature into a Christian Prayer Counselor to anyone who crosses my path. Also, I am looking to volunteer and spend time in Nursing Homes and Hospice Centers.
Learn about ordination with the Christian Leaders Alliance.
Free Evangelism Education Opportunity at CLI
Hello, my name is Kenneth Thompson, and I am grateful for the free evangelism education opportunity at CLI. I grew up in a Christian home. If the doors were open, my mother and I were at the local Baptist church. My father was a nonbeliever but joined us on special occasions like Easter, Christmas, etc. I was involved in all the youth group activities. However, I never developed a relationship with God. All I learned was how to act like a good Christian boy.
The Lost Years
I joined the Army when I was 17 years old. I didn’t step into another church for 20 years. Freedom from Christian rules was what it was for me. After a failed marriage, my second wife had just been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. One would think this time would be my turning point. Not so, I was too far down the rabbit hole at this time. I didn’t even ask for God’s help. That’s how far from God I was.
My Conversion on My Journey to a Free Evangelism Education
After my wife passed away, I went a little deeper down the rabbit hole drinking and partying. I started dating an old friend of mine. We were drinking and partying a lot. Her son who was playing in a Christian rock band at that time invited us to a revival they were playing at. I was reluctant to go as it was at a Pentecostal Church. I had not been to church in 20 years. But with reluctance, I went anyway. Not a lot happened. That night they had a young evangelist and the band played, but my heart was way too tough for any of that to get to me.
However, some friends of ours invited us to another church the next morning. It was another Pentecostal church, but I survived one, I could survive another. So the next morning, we went to Oak Park Church of God. I walked in and from the time I entered the church, I could feel something changing in me. By the time of the altar call, my eyes were tearing. I went up for the altar call and accepted Jesus as my Savior. We all were standing in front of the church when the Pastor called me up to him. He told the church that God laid on his heart to anoint me to be a mighty man of God to do great things in his name.
My Calling and a Free Evangelism Education at CLI
Ever since that day, I felt that God wants me to do more. But, I didn’t know what. I struggled with my Christian walk and understanding where God was leading me. No matter how far out of wack I got, God always pulled me back. Over the years, God showed me the direction he is leading me and has given me a heart for Evangelism. So this is why I’m here at Christian Leaders Institute getting the training I need to be effective in my calling. Thank you for this free evangelism education opportunity.
Learn about ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Free Bible School Studies at CLI
My name is Femmy Dethan-Bouwman and I take free Bible School Studies at Christian Leaders Institute. Together with my husband Edwer Dethan and our five children Moses, Grace, Micah, Sam, and Aizaach, we live in Kupang, Indonesia.
Early Life on My Journey to Free Bible School Studies
I was born and raised in a Christian family on a dairy farm in the Netherlands. Although I look back upon a beautiful childhood of country living, I indeed did not inherit the farm genes. From an early age, missionary work had a tender spot in my heart. When looking back, it is incredible to see how the Lord prepared me all along for His specific plan for me.
After grade 9, I decided to train to become a hairdresser. I started as an apprentice at age 16 and graduated four years later. Although I learned a lot in terms of dealing with people, hairdressing was not the life goal that God had in mind for me. In 1998, I quit my job and signed up with Operation Mobilisation for a 6-month training at the LUKE Training Centre in Birmingham, UK. It was a wonderful time of learning scripture, different ways of evangelism, and lots of opportunities to bring God’s word to others.
Changes on My Journey to Free Bible School Studies
During my time in the UK, my parents decided to immigrate to Canada. Having been away from my hometown for six months and ready for a new direction, this decision was an answer to prayer! Initially, I picked up my hairdressing skills again to save up for college. However, the Lord had a different plan.
In early 2001, I met my husband, and we were married the following year. We both shared the same vision, spreading God’s word. My husband was born and raised in Indonesia. He desired to work and minister among the people of his hometown. Sent by the Canadian Reformed Churches, Indonesia is where we have been working now for over 16 years.
Free Bible School Studies at CLI
The responsibilities of being a wife and mother primarily fill my days. That includes homeschooling our five blessings. Now that the three oldest can study independently, I have more time on hand to continue my studies as well. I am very thankful for the opportunity Christian Leaders Institute for free Bible School studies. It allows me to do this at home at my own pace. It is my hope and prayer that through these studies, I will be able to better minister to those God has put around me.
The words of Psalm 46:10 have always greatly comforted and encouraged me:
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Learn about the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School degree opportunities.