A Passion to Teach Children
My name is Venetia Frost and I have a passion to teach children. I am from Griffin, Georgia. I am married to Mike Frost. I have one son, Joshua Skirvin and 5 grandsons. My favorite childhood memories are when we lived far out of town in the country. We had 15 acres to roam freely on. There was a creek at the edge of our property. My 5 brothers and I spent a lot of time playing in the creek each summer. Often our cousins would come down for the summer and spend time with us. We had wild blackberry bushes, a horse, a pig, and a rooster. We often rode the horse, although at times the horse ran away. It was a typical childhood in many ways because we spent so much time playing outside. We weren’t poor, but we weren’t rich either. Being the only girl, I was often lonely. I did not play with dolls like most little girls. I preferred to climb a tree with a good book and read, or play in the creek. My parents were avid Christians. We were always in church. Until I was 15, it was just what we did. It didn’t really mean anything to me. I never gave God too much thought. Later, however, I was very grateful for a Christian upbringing. I’ve never questioned whether or not there is a God. So many young people are struggling with what once was a basic understanding.
When I was 15, a lot of things changed in my life. First, I was born again at camp. Six months later, my mother died. My perfect world began falling apart. My older 2 brothers were in the service. The two middle children (my brother and I) were sent to live with aunts, and my 2 youngest brothers stayed with our dad. It is interesting how God can turn a tragedy around and we can be better because of it. In later years, our aunts became pivotal in family gatherings. If we had not lived with them, there wouldn’t be the closeness there is today.
As a child, I always knew I was meant to teach children. The desire and gifting were evident. A peculiar thing happened in 6th grade Math. As strange as it may sound, it is actually true. My math teacher had to be away one day from class. He asked me to teach the class. Another teacher was there to supervise, but I taught the class. I remember being nervous. This was just not done! I never had the nerve to ask him why he did it. Not to be arrogant, but I was good at math. I suppose God directed him to see the gift of teaching in me. From then on, I wanted to teach. Perhaps that was the catalyst God used to spark the desire in me to teach children. However, God never intended me to teach in a school.
At the age of 27, after recommitting my life to God, I began teaching children’s Sunday School. I taught for 20 years. It really gave me joy. It kept me in the Word all the time. This is something I’ve come to truly appreciate because staying in the Word brought me through many trials. Another gifting that surfaced later was writing. Although I’ve retired from teaching children in Sunday School, I still teach as a backup Sunday School teacher at our church for the adult and children’s classes. We also have a home group where our family, friends, and church members gather monthly to dine, worship and have Bible studies. We’ve kept this group going for 25 years. It has really sustained our family through a lot of hard times.
My dream is connected to my passion, which still is to teach children. Although I’ve authored a book for adults, my dream is to provide Christian stories for children and faith-filled products for children to see and hear the Word as they grow up. There are so many demonic attacks on the minds and hearts of children today. What they believe growing up will direct the path they choose in life. I desire that what they see and hear are the Love, Faithfulness, and Forgiveness of God.
In my personal life, many events have brought me to the understanding that without God, I would not be alive. I would not have even made it to adulthood. I’ve been divorced twice. When life hits you hard, if you haven’t any foundation, you can crumble. God has always moved in my life to direct me, even when I wasn’t living for Him. He is a faithful God. Although I’ve taught the Word for many years, I have a hunger to know the Word better. So I appreciate this first course at CLI. I know God led me to Christian Leaders Institute to help me not only in fulfilling the dream for faith products for children; but also to know the Word better!
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“I will get there because my God is with me.”
Meet Sithembile Kumwenda
Greetings children of Living God, my name is Sithembile Kumwenda (Mrs. Zita) from Malawi in Southern Africa, I am 30 years of age. My loving husband, Kelvin Zita, has been very supportive and an amazing father to our 3 sons, Tubani, Victory, and Miracle. I have been a student of CLI since 2014 August, and I have successfully completed 88 credit hours with 15 awards.
Faith Through Rejection and Trials: My Salvation Story
I was born into a family of six children with the same mother but different fathers. It was very hard growing up in an environment where attention and support from both parents was impossible, and I went through many kinds of abuse. Growing up was very difficult for me because I did not receive the love every child longs to receive. I believe the things I went through drove me to seek true love.
I thank God for my uncle, who led me to Christ when I was only 8 years old. From that moment, my life began to change because I realized I was not alone and that Someone truly loved and cared for me despite my weaknesses. Although the journey was not always easy, God continually rescued me, strengthened me, and proved that His grace is sufficient.
As the Bible says in John 16:33, “In this world there are tribulations, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world.”
This verse gives me courage that even though things are hard, I will get there because my God is with me.
As Christians, the battle is very intense when your own family rejects you. I am a living testimony because even now my family continues rejecting and persecuting me because I chose to follow Christ. Even though things are like that, my focus remains on eternal life, and I continue to love them and pray for them.
Additionally, Ministry has not always been easy because, here in Africa, men are often viewed as superior to women, making it difficult for women to minister even within the church. Yet God continues to give me victory, and He is using me in a mighty way as people give their lives to Christ and are delivered from spiritual bondage. Balancing life as a wife, mother, and minister is also challenging, but God faithfully helps me each day. Through CLI, I have learned that successful ministry begins with having a strong relationship with God, obeying His will, and always being led by the Holy Spirit.
My Spiritual Dream
My vision is to preach Christ to this troubled world more especially to the less privileged people showing the unconditional love of God and give them hope, most importantly preparing them for the rapture. The free courses that I am doing with CLI is equipping me for this task and every day am growing strong and mature spiritually. There are some things that I have learned with CLI that I never knew all along.
My vision is to preach Christ to this troubled world more especially to the less privileged people showing the unconditional love of God and give them hope, most importantly preparing them for the rapture. The free courses that I am doing with CLI is equipping me for this task and every day am growing strong and mature spiritually. There are some things that I have learned with CLI that I never knew all along.
Continuing My Journey With Christian Leaders Institute
CLI has helped give me strength and confidence that I will reach where God wants me to be. I am in need of this scholarship because I cannot afford to pay any amount of money due to my financial struggles. I depend on my husband, who had not worked for the past four years, and although God recently blessed him with a job, the salary is still not enough to cover all of our expenses. Being included in this scholarship program would greatly help me achieve my God-given dream. Even though I have completed several certificates through CLI, I have not yet been able to request an official certificate or even obtain a student ID because of my financial situation. That is why I am appealing for the Here I Am scholarship program, which exists to make sure every called leader can be launched with credibility.
This degree would help me fulfill one of the greatest dreams of my life. I was once a student at a theological college here in my country, but because of financial difficulties and lack of support from my family, I was unable to complete my studies. As a woman called by God to reach people, especially youth, having a degree would place me in a better position to encourage others about the importance of education and how God wants His children to be the head and not the tail.
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Faithful God
My name is Lancelot Okocha and I serve a faithful God. I was born on the 2nd of October 1980 in Nigeria, Lagos Island. I am the ninth child of my parents. I attended Satellite Town Primary School and Navy Town Secondary School. I concluded my education at AA College in Lagos Nigeria.
Due to an intense strike and no payment of lecturers at the time in Nigeria, people were unable to finish an education at the time. So I decided to travel to pursue further education. I spoke to my late father about my plans to further my education. I wanted to eventually work and see how to get my family out of the bad situation we were facing as at that time. My father and my mother took all they had and made it possible for me.
So I embarked on a journey to South Africa to study with a later move to Canada as my final destination. However, things did not work out as I planned. I spent many years in South Africa unable to get the education I desired due to the fact that I met the wrong people who duped me and I got stranded. I had no place to go, no family relatives or friends to call on for help. My dream for school was there but began to fade away.
My faithful God had other plans. In 2012, I met a woman called Decent at church. Both of us served in the choir (She later became my wife and the mother of our two boys). I was a worker at my local church LifeGate Assembly International where I was the Praise and Worship leader. Gospel music was the only thing that consoled me and connected me deeply to God. Though all the challenges, my faithful God provided for my every need. Then I met Decent, broken in her own way, seeking to know the Lord. I remember vividly encouraging her to follow the Path of the Lord, which she did, not knowing she would someday be my wife.
In 2013, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, I began to pursue my wife. At the same time, the Lord began to reveal to her through revelation in dreams and the Word that He had put her in the season of marriage. It wasn’t an easy road because of what she went through in her previous relationships.
Eventually, our faithful God spoke through a guest pastor that was ministering at our church during an anointing service. She heard that “your husband is standing next to you.” On that day, I was standing next to her singing. And the Lord opened her heart. We began to prepare for the wedding not knowing where the money would come from. We held on to God, and the Lord, our faithful God, began to provide for us in the best way. My wife’s wedding clothes, the venue, my clothes and all we needed were provided. We got married in 2014.
Then, not only did the Lord do that for us, but our faithful God provided the things we needed for our house. We have still not opened all the wedding gifts. The Lord has provided for our children as well. They lack nothing. God has never failed us ever since. My family and I give God the glory and praise for what He has done, is doing, and is going to do. Praise the Lord!
I also thank our faithful God for the opportunity to study with Christian Leaders Institute. What I have learned so far has given me hope again. Now I am receiving the education I always desired. Free online ministry training at CLI is the answer to my prayers for further education.
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