This inspiring testimony tells how Ashley intends to battle back against fibromyalgia and other obstacles to become a Christian Counselor and Leader:
Christian Counselor
My name is Ashley Drye, and I am called to be a Christian Counselor. I am from Austin, Texas. I am very excited to begin my journey with the Christian Leaders Institute. I live in a large city that is full of wonderful opportunities for Christian Leaders. We have a unique way of mixing the Austin style within our churches. I am looking forward to being a large part of the church community and spreading the love of Jesus.
I began my journey with God in my mid-twenties. As a child, religion was not a part of my household. My parents were not for or against religion, but they simply did not place any importance on it. I was lucky to have friends that went to church, and they would take me to their Wednesday night groups. I really enjoyed those days, but I had no vested interest in God. In my teenage years, I began to develop physical and emotional symptoms, such as severe pain and depression. It would be a decade before I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
Having Fibromyalgia changed all aspects of my life. My pain became so severe that I could not sit or stand for long. I became bedridden and that made my depression worse. I ended up having two children in my early twenties. My pain stopped me from being active with them, and they had to adapt to a simpler lifestyle. Working became difficult for me and eventually, we became homeless. We moved into a faith-based women’s home. There I was surrounded by the works of Christian Leaders.
I was surprised by the kindness of strangers. I was invited to church and went along, even though I was hesitant. I was sitting in church, listening to the preacher and his words touched me. I started sobbing uncontrollably. People in the aisles were handing me tissue after tissue. Later on, I would recognize that I cry when I feel close to God. Since then, I have had moments where I am close to God and moments when I am trying to get close. My relationship with Him is like a marriage. I am learning to nurture it.
My spiritual dream would be to comfort people when they are facing the worse lows of their life. I want to help people navigate life and gain comfort when they need it. Some obstacles I have faced are my physical limitations. I am working on strengthening myself so that I can act for God in a positive way. I can envision myself in a few roles, but my main goal is to be a Christian Counselor. I want God to work through me to bring emotional healing to his people. My other goal is to be a beacon of hope for others. I am hoping God will continue to work in me and help me grow.
I am currently still a single mother, and we live in public housing. A free education is invaluable to someone like me. It is life changing for my children and me. I am excited to see the ripple effect from this experience. I have learned that even one good work from God can ripple out to many.
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Free Bible Courses
My name is John Randale Rovero of Manila, Philippines and I am taking free Bible courses at CLI. I grew up in a Catholic family. I have one younger brother and we’re currently living with our parents. I am presently working as a call center agent and a part-time Life insurance agent.
What I see here in the Philippines, although known as the only Christian country in southeast Asia, is that being a Christian is just a religious lifestyle. But, after being introduced to Christ, I’ve learned that Christianity is different. It is not about following do’s and don’ts or having perfect attendance on Sundays at church. It was my brother who became a Christian first in our family after someone shared the gospel with him. Then through his life, I’ve been introduced to Christianity. But before I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, my younger brother experienced persecution because of me.
In May of 2014, I accepted Christ when my brother invited me to attend one of their Sunday services and one of his friends shared the gospel with me. Then I noticed that I got more into attending Sunday services but I was still stubborn headed on those days. Finally, after three months I opened a Bible for the first time on my own at home. It was really awkward at first, but by God’s grace, I got used to it. Now it’s clear to me that it was the Father who prompted my heart to feed on His word. And the Holy Spirit enables me to comprehend Christ’s teachings. After three more months, I’ve been part of a ministry and joined a discipleship group.
Now, why did I join Christian Leaders Institute? Honestly, one of the reasons is that I actually never had finished any degree. Although I’ve had opportunities to enroll in schools, I moved from one school to another. I took Fine arts and Automotive vocational courses here in Manila, but I never finished anything because of my pride. Last year in 2017, I started facilitating a Bible study at our office where I currently work as a call center agent. After a month or two, I could tell that it’s not easy without God’s guidance and proper training. I’ve noticed that we’ve had Bible study sessions that to me are lacking and what I actually fear the most is to deliver God’s word outside its context. I then started praying that I needed help when it comes to presenting His words to the lost. This year I prayed about it, and God once again has been gracious to me and through a friend, the Lord introduced me to free Bible courses at Christian Leaders Institute.
At this moment, I just finished the “Getting Started Class” but I still need more prayers to continue studying for His glory and apply what I learn from the Lord through CLI as I reach out to the people and minister as God had called me to do.
All glory to king Jesus! Thank you, CLI, and thank you to our beloved faculty members!
Learn about minister ordination with Christian Leaders Alliance.