Hello my name is Haley Villalobos! I am a resident and native of Arizona. I currently live in New River, AZ. I have been in and out of church most of my life. Youth group was a big part of my life when I was a teen. I returned to the church some time ago and God has put something on my heart for quite some time now. I want to become the youth pastor at my childhood church where I now attend. They currently do not have a youth group or a youth pastor, but they want to find someone to step up and lead the youth of our church. Youth Group was such a blessing to me when I was growing up. I have more than just an urge to become a youth pastor, I know it is what I am meant to do with my life, I need to fulfill my purpose.
I am a single mother of three. I have had a rocky life. I love my children and am doing my best to raise them and give them all that they want and need. For some time now I have been down because I didn’t have the money to go back to school and get my degree in ministry. I thought that I was going to have to put my this desire on hold, so I was so thrilled to find CLI. It is such a blessing to be able to get the education I need, to help lead this generation, without having to worry about how I am going to pay for it! I thank God for showing me the link to the website one day during an internet search, and I am so thankful for being able to get my dream started!!!
My name is Kristina MacDonald, I am 32 years old, married and the mother of two beautiful children. I live in a rural community in Atlantic Canada. I was raised in a christian home, but had a falling away from my church when I was a young teen. Shortly after my parents separated, I moved to the city. At age 19 my world was turned upside down when I lost my brother to a sudden unexplained death, I struggled dealing with this for a long time.
One year after my daughter was born I had the opportunity to move to the house I grew up in and work in my mother’s restaurant business. It was at this point I started turning back to God. I realized I wanted my daughter to be raised knowing God and going to the beautiful country church in the same way that I had. After all, a lot of the congregation was not only family through God but blood family. I started helping in the church with small tasks, trying to fit in.
Fast forwarding over the years, I had many difficult events take place, my husband become physically disabled and unable to work, my daughter and myself were diagnosed with a genetic heart condition, my great grandmother fell ill, our taking care of her, then her passing away, and most recently, I lost my job. Each trial drew me closer to God, making me rely on Him more and encouraging me to share and teach others about Him. I am now very involved with my church. For the past 7 years I have been a youth leader and Sunday School teacher. I also hold a few offices in the church.
I feel I have been very blessed to be able to take CLI’s online training. With my current financial situation, I would not be able to have this training any other way. I hope to use what I learn at CLI to further my understanding of God’s Word, to help be a better teacher, and help bring revival, to the church, community and beyond.
My name is Tiago and I am Brazilian. I was born in 1986, in a small town in northern Brazil. When I was 8, my parents were called to the gospel of Jesus. I was baptized and made my public profession of faith in a Presbyterian Church. Since that time, I myself became a Christian, or at least I thought so. However, until I was 18, I never really took my Christian life very seriously. I lived “without God in the world”, deceiving others and myself. I attended the service and had Christian friends, but I didn’t know Christ.
When I was 18, I moved to another city to go to college. I applied for a bachelor degree in Engineering of Materials, but I couldn’t complete it. At that time, God started to give me strong convictions of sin. I had no more peace with sin and I hated myself because I was unable to live a better life as a Christian. After a long time struggling with the Holy Spirit I came to understand that I needed a Savior. And God presented me, through the Bible, my dear Savior Jesus Christ. He was there all the time, but I didn’t know him. Since then I have rested in Him for salvation and not myself.
When I was 26 I moved to my current city where I work for the Brazilian Prosecution Office. I also teach a youth class at the Presbyterian Church. I always had the desire of having a sound theological education. My ministry dream is to became a bi-vocacional leader and work as a Youth Leader. When I found CLI, I was very happy because we don’t have a seminary in my city.
CLI gives me the opportunity to prepare myself for the challenges we face in Brazil. Our people are suffering much because our spiritual and secular leaders are extremely corrupt. The prosperity theology has ruined many souls. There is a cloud of despair in the air, a fear of the future. The spiritual condition of the people is awful. The youth face the danger of drugs, sexual liberation and unemployment. Even the Christian Youth are affected. We have young people who need encouragement to live out the Christian faith. They don’t want to preach the gospel. They don’t have a life of prayer and intimacy with the Lord. That’s our deplorable condition. So, the work is hard and abundant but many are the opportunities as well. My pastor is encouraging me to pursue theological education, so that I can help more effectively in the ministry of the church. My wife, Ilsa, is also very understanding, and is giving me support.
CLI is a unique opportunity for me, and I will improve with it the best I can. May God bless you and strengthen you so that we all continue to fulfill his mandate.