My name is Julie, an Indian citizen female, aged 35, born and brought up in the Middle East. I did my schooling in the Middle East Indian School and further moved to India for my higher studies (finished my Bachelor’s degree program in Speech and Hearing in 2000). My family was from the Protestant background. I’m not sure of how aware everyone is about the lifestyle in the Gulf – monotonous, dry, and lonely. Parents usually work long hours to earn maximum income to save up and use money for the future. In such a busy schedule, children are usually ignored. Their educational needs are catered by tutors. Food, clothing, toys are all taken care of from the money that parents earn. Once a week, traditional church was a ‘MUST TO GO’, event rather than ‘WANT TO GO’. Such was my life too. And so, the emptiness in me eagered for the truth. One day, God graciously allowed me to attend a Pentecostal meeting where in one Minister of God was used mightily in sharing about the Holy Spirit and His works; I received Our Lord as my Personal Savior during that meeting. The greatest day of my life. After which, my entire life changed from sorrow of being alone and rejected to unspeakable Joy of having the King of Kings as my Best Friend. My Passion for reading the Bible, having long hours of Quiet time devotion increased to the point that I didn’t eager for any other companion, until the time God revealed to me the man I was to get married to. He was faithful to His promise. I got married to my Husband after 7 yrs of courtship and we’ve been happily married for the past 10 yrs and blessed with 2 beautiful children, aged 7 & 2 yrs. At present, we are residing in Doha, Qatar. Children are going to school and I’ve been working as a Speech Therapist for 10 yrs too.
As far as my spiritual Background is concerned, I’ve done my Discipleship Training Program in YWAM (Youth with a Mission), from Chennai, India in 2002. I’ve also been Women’s Leader in the Church out here (but took a break from my assignments during my second pregnancy) and actively been a part of the Intercessory Team with the giving of short Exhortations too. Both my husband and I have been blessed with good leaders over us, both from India, Middle East and abroad too. Middle East Church activities can be challenging at times as we have to abide by the rules of the land. We might not be as privileged as those from abroad but yet by the wisdom of Our Lord, we still manage to be a testimony and a faithful worker for Our Lord (More details cannot be given about this matter at this point)
Off late, a strong conviction has come upon me that I have to learn the Bible in a more extensive and organized way. My leaders also recognize the calling of the Lord over my life (to be a Bible Teacher) and support me very well, in pursuing a good Bible Study Program, Since, I am working and also have 2 kids to look after, I was really praying that I could find a program that would not be so burdensome with respect to time and at the same time be affordable. Words cannot express the happiness I had when one of my leaders mentioned about CLI to me. It is definitely more than I could ever ask for.
I have witnessed so many Revival meetings that was organized in my home town and in the Gulf. One of the key elements that most of the churches leave out is the immense follow up and discipleship that the church would require after such meetings were conducted. Our Lord has definitely commissioned us to ‘GO’ but He further says, ‘make DISCIPLES of all nations’. How can we make disciples unless we teach them how to obey & follow His commands and teachings on a daily basis? This teaching cannot be done through a single meeting…not even in a week. Churches definitely require teachers who would help the congregation in their daily living challenges. And that exactly where I want to be.
Attaining a scholarship in CLI & moving on to study further courses, would definitely help me in the calling God has over me. My passion / my dream is to teach the Bible to small groups, family cell meetings, train & counsel Women and Couples. In due time, as God reveals, I would like to completely devote my services to the church and my Family and move out of my profession of being a Speech Therapist. Until then I would be very grateful if you could pray that God would grant me all the wisdom, time, patience and discipline I would require to complete this course. Thank You so much for giving me such a wonderful blessing. Amen.
My name is Evans. I was born 1982 in Ghana to my Ghanaian born parents. I completed my senior secondary education (now senior high) in Business Studies in the year 2001 and went further to complete a bachelor of science in Business administration in the year 2008. I got married to my lovely wife in the August 2011 and we have been blessed with two wonderful kids, Camilla and Emmanuel.
I am currently the Director of Operations for a Capacity Building Institution here in Ghana. I have not been fortunate of having the luxury of living with both parents from my childhood. My parent separated soon after my birth. I spent all of my growing stages with my mum till I completed my secondary education. I started going to church with my mum from my early stages at the Assemblies of God church and got baptized in my late teens at the Original Church of Christ. I am currently with The Jesus Faith and Teachings Ministry where I have been appointed at the youth Pastor by the head Pastor and the Church Board.
My walk with God has been progressive. During my teenage era, I did not understand many things in my walk with God. For instance I did not quite grasp the Grace of God and the providential power of God until it was at after my University Education.
My ministry goal is to (as a Bi – Vocational Minister) capitalized on every opportunity to project Christ and God’s glory to all I come into contact with. Thus Colleagues at the work place, fellow business executives, friends and family, students under my leadership. As the youth Pastor and Leader, I see my ministry work as an opportunity to guide the youth from engagements in activities and social vices that do not glorify God. Through personal experience, I have come to realize the need not to deliberately sin against God. There are things I did in the past (especially fornication or womanizing) which brought unto me difficulties. The life I was living was not the life that is described and desired by Jesus Christ. During my walk with God, I have realized and have come to the acceptance of the fact that sinning or deliberately sinning against God will never go unpunished. When I came to this realization, I did not run from the truth or God after sinning, but rather I confessed, asked God for forgiveness, repented from my sinful ways and also prayed to God for strength to endure to the end the punishment. I have gone through a lot of trail moments and difficulties as a result of deliberate sinning. Most of the youth today are walking a similar path and it is my aim for reaching Ghana youth not to deliberately sin against God. Even those who have done so will be coached and guided not to run to the world, but assure them of God’s love if they should remain under His watch.
Also, I seek to develop my personal relationship with God. During my Studies of the Word, I have come to know more about God and His Devine Providence. Also I have to know much more about myself. I wish to continue to know more and more and will stop at nothing. Getting closer to God has revealed to me the magnitude of His amazing love and power. All He wants for me is to be glorious. I have also come to the realization that God will achieve whatever purpose within His providential act with or without man’s effort to establish His Glory. I seek in life is to live for Him and also play a God Pleasing role in His providential act.
I want to surrender my all and give up everything to God just as Christ Jesus did and to inspire others to do the same. I want to be dead to sin, and dead to worldly ambition. I yearn for knowledge and revelations in God’s word. I have also come to realized that studying the Word all by myself will not help me achieve the impact I seek to have in propagating God’s Word and His glory. Getting a scholarship with CLI would help tremendously and will be a great building block for further studies.
My name is Sari Tjokro and I was born in Indonesia, but now I live in Melbourne, Australia. I came to Australia in late 2007 as an English student and Australia has been my home since then. I completed my Bachelor of Computer Science and Software Engineering in 2010 and I graduated from Master of Multimedia Technology in 2013. I mostly involve in the student ministry and serve in multimedia department in the church. I was born and being brought up in Christian family, but I did not believe in Jesus and His word. Even during those times, I considered the Bible as the most boring book that had ever been created. I did not really love the idea being Christian because of the misconception and misunderstanding of the way my parent introduced me to Christianity.
However everything started to changes when I began to study abroad. I have experienced miracles and wonders throughout that process. He gives me dream as one of His tools to communicate with me. Although, I experienced all of that, I still didn’t believe that God is there all the time looking after me. Even so, a week before I flew to Australia, I was so determine that I will not go to church in Australia and I refused to be a Christian back then.
Obviously, God have His own ways and He understands and He loves us uniquely. He knows how to win our heart in the specific ways. I flew to Australia with my parent and they just stayed for two weeks. During those weeks, God used it in mighty way. I was forced to look for a church. I went to the church where my cousin went to. During the service, there were a lot of questions about the existence of God and why I have to be in the Christian community. I was asking God (in my heart) what makes Christians so different than other religions? Surprisingly, the worship leader answered that question publicly.
Since then I surrendered my live to Jesus Christ.
I am not quite sure yet about my dream in ministry, but I know that I always have a dream to have and be in multicultural community. I don’t know, somehow I love the idea of diversity, especially when they believe in the same God as I do. It gives me the feeling that God is not bound by time, space or geographic area. I guess I love to call myself as evangelist and I believe that every one of us who called themselves a Christian, they are evangelists too. I think because I know how bad I was before Jesus saved me, John 3:16 become a Rhema in my life. I am not comfortable talking with people as I am introverted, but somehow when I see multitudes of unbeliever especially from different nations, I feel compelled to build relationship with them and share about Jesus and what He has done in my life.
Our comfort zone is the biggest challenge in our ministry in Australia. Australia is such a good place to live, with all the comfort and luxury facilities that we got, sometime it hinders us to do ministry because that is outside our comfort zone. My local church has been a great place to support me physically and spiritually. One of the examples is our student ministry in campus that we called MSF. MSF stands for Multicultural Student Fellowship. This club exists in 3 different universities across Melbourne. It has been a great tool for me to know a lot of people from many nations and share Jesus to their lives.
A scholarship with CLI is essential because I want to equip myself with theological education to support my ministry, but currently I am jobless and I am not able to afford any course if I had to pay for it.
I never pictured myself to be able to live overseas. I am still looking for the specific calling and life direction upon my life. As I am still fighting to get my permanent residency in Australia, I would like to request a prayer of guidance in my life, wisdom and understanding as I study the word and dwell in the word, God can reveal Himself and His secret plan in my life even more, and use my life testimony to bring more people to Christ. Pray for my spiritual growth, character growth and strength to obey God at any costs.