Ministry Leader Training
My name is Meosha Deveaux and I am thrilled to receive ministry leader training at CLI. I was born on the beautiful Island of Nassau, the Bahamas on February 29th, 1976. I am the third of seven children. I have four kids, one son, and three daughters. I was only six years old when my grandmother died, but it was because of her impact in my life and the hand of the Lord upon me that I am where I am today.
Life for me was less than easy. I was considered as the black sheep, fighting to fit in and be accepted but failing miserably. All my life I wanted a family to give me a place of stability and acceptance. But as a young adult, I learned that I had to first love and accept myself. Because of all the rejection, I faced in life, I rejected myself. I hated who I was. I told myself that it was okay for people to reject me because I felt rejected by God and I figured if He didn’t want me, Him being the one that created me, then no one should. These were all lies from the enemy, and for a while, I believed the lies. But I thank God for His grace and mercy and love. I also thank God for purpose and His Word.
I got married on February 26th, 2000. The marriage only lasted a year and a half before we were separated. I was very selfish, unforgiving and angry inside. I was holding up my own prayer life. My husband died of a heart failure in 2007, but about a year before he died, we were close and we both asked for and received forgiveness from one another.
I do desire to get married again so my husband and I could build ministry together as a team. The Bible to me is a mystery waiting to be unveiled. I learned that I am nothing without Christ but can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I need Him every day of my life and to commune with Him is my pleasure. It is His joy that gives me strength.
After it was all said and done, I started going to church more frequently. I rededicated my life to Christ and later served as an usher. Almost a year later I was commended by the pastor and was then put as leader of that department. After leading the usher department for about two years, I was transferred over to lead special events and later I was serving as a director of the ministry.
I later stepped down from leadership because I never received ministry leader training. My desire is to serve in excellence and knowledge. So during my research online, when I came across Christian Leaders Institute I was amazed. I love the way you teach with such revelation knowledge. Finally, teaching that I can understand and rightfully apply it in my life and ministry. I have learned a lot so far. Becoming a product of CLI would be my pleasure. Thank you, CLI!
Becoming a part of the family of God really changed my life. Accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and personal Savior feels great! I am alive in Christ and my past is behind me. I now press toward the goal of the higher calling. God truly changed my life and I am forever grateful!
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Church Planter Heart
Read the story of how God redeemed Juan Figueroa from his many trials and gave him a church planter heart for witnessing:
My name is Juan Figueroa. I was born in 1978 and raised in Romeoville, IL. I was raised in the Catholic faith from a very young age, but I wanted to attend a different church. My father didn’t approve at the time but after a few Sunday school lessons, Bible studies and Awana club meetings, I started witnessing to my father about what was happening to me. I’d caught a spark I didn’t know how to turn off and it eventually grew to be a church planter heart for God.
My father was an alcoholic and when he saw me after he came home from the bars, I was his target. I tried everything to get away, but I was still very young. I used God and church as my outlet at that time. My pastor from back then invited me to attend Indiana Bible College. This place had children coming from all over. They preached the Word straight from the Bible and there was nothing better than when I was there. The worse part was the drive back home because I knew what was going to happen. My father would be furious that I had been gone for hours, but I never stopped going no matter what happened to me. Then my father got sick, and I stopped going to church. I felt as if I’d failed.
I felt Christ was in my heart telling me not to give up, even though going to school was rough. I had bullies older than me pushing me around until I could no longer take it. But when I finally stood up for myself I did it in the way my father would have, and I hated myself for it. I knew I was doing wrong, but I felt lost. During high school, I decided to move away to Bainbridge Island, WA with a friend of mine. I enrolled myself in an alternative school named Strawberry Hill. I stayed in Washington until I graduated, but moved back to Illinois due to my father becoming even more ill from his drinking. I went right back to my old friends and my old ways, and I avoided church at all cost. I met my first wife outside of the church, and I can only blame myself for my first marriage and how it ended, though I would never regret my two sons. After many divorce court battles, I ended up losing everything, including my two jobs and all my finances.
I slept in a cardboard box on good days, and on bad days I slept on a yellow slide in the park as long as the cops didn’t make me leave. It was like this for almost three years. I was at a complete loss and wanted to end my life. I wanted to see my kids but I was not allowed unless my ex-wife said I could.
In 2005-2006, I ask the Lord to come back into my heart and guide me in what he wanted me to do. He gave me a church planter heart for him. It was a very hard road to come back, but slowly, it happened. With the Lord’s guidance, I was able to find a job, then a car. I didn’t stop talking to and praising the Lord no matter how my day was. I praised him when things were bad and good. I was sharing the Word with guys at work and they were getting saved.
In 2007, I was working two jobs, I finally got an apartment in Warrenville, IL, and I met my second wife, Norma. A few years later we were married. God blessed me with her even though I didn’t feel worthy. She is a woman of faith, I need her more than she will ever know. I spoke with the Lord to help me to understand my wife truly and to love her better, no matter what battles we may have.
After a few years, we decided to move near family in south Texas. We have two handsome boys and a beautiful daughter. I still have a ton of learning to do to be a better man and even more to become a better husband.
In 2016, I was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis, and in the beginning of 2017, I had carpal tunnel surgery, which hasn’t repaired anything. I have been praying for God to not give up on me and to lead me where ever he wants. I have totally surrendered my life to him and he has strengthened my church planter heart for him. God has been with me through all my battles and I want to finally be able to do anything for him. I feel so good about my life right now even though I can barely type this.
All I want is to love my God and connect with others so we can all share his Word. My church planter heart wants to open my own church, even if it is only a Bible study or a Sunday school at first. I know the Lord has something great in store for this little town and I pray every day for guidance. I want to be able to pay this forward once we are able to. Our vision is to get the youth to attend some of these classes. I feel awesome about this and I want to thank Christian Leaders Institute and its supporters for this great opportunity.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.
Italian Ministry Journey
I am from Benin City, Nigeria. I am currently living in Italy and am on an Italian ministry journey. l was born and brought up in a non-Christian family. I am an only child of my mum and my dad. My mother re-married and had five other children. My dad was a polygamist with three wives and numerous children. He passed away 21 years ago.
My stepfather and the family did not make things easy for me. Though my mother tried her best to make me happy, I hated my mother for not bringing me up with my father and I hated my father for not keeping my mother with him. I thought none of them loved me.
At 11 years old, I was living like a slave with a relative and I started worshipping other gods. After much of this, I went back to stay with my mother until I lost my dad. Then I decided to go far from my mother, and that is how I came to Italy. I came to know God, and until 2006 I was attending Italian church, but even in Nigeria, I was just a churchgoer.
That unforgettable day the Master touched me, I don’t know what happened. I found myself crying, a cry of repentance, and I told God, “From today I want to serve you and I don’t care what it costs me.” That same day I give my life to God. On that fateful day, I started my walk with God. I am hungry for Him, I am living my life for Him, and I have the fear of God in me. Nothing in the world matters to me anymore except the things of God. I know Jesus as my first love and my best friend.
There is this burden on me to reach the Italian people because I see that they don’t know God. So I decided to stay here to reach them on my Italian ministry journey. I also desire to reach the whole world with the word of God.
God has been faithful to me. I married seven years ago and I have two kids. I am doing the work of God in the city I moved to after marriage and, to the glory of God, I am leading a small prayer group. However, I am not satisfied with what I am doing for God. I want to do more and I want to know Him more. That is what led me to search where I can get more ministry training, and thank God I am here in Christian Leaders Institute. I believe that at CLI I can get more knowledge of God to reach people with.
Please pray for me to fulfill the purpose God sent me, and for God to give me the strength that I need as He uses me greatly for His glory. That is all I am living for.
Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.