Greetings from North West Georgia, a beautiful Southern State, full of God’s grace, with luscious water falls, great mountains, and a place to worship on nearly every corner! My name is Laura and I am a faithful believer in Jesus Christ, a volunteer Awana Teacher (a bible teaching ministry), and a women’s small group leader.
My faith in Jesus Christ began as a child, in a southern Baptist Church, where I sought freedom from the abuse in my home. My parents, although they remained married, had a loveless marriage. My mom was always bitter and unwilling, and my father stayed away as much as possible. Neither one did a good job of teaching us how to love or receive love.
As a child I was sexually abused by a family member’s boyfriend, and that is when my mom turned her back on me. Our relationship was forever damaged. The church was the only place I felt safe, until my mom took me away at age 11 and moved me 800 miles away. We continued to move every two years after that with my dads job. At that point the only time I was able to attend church was the occasional sleepover at a friends. I grew into a teenager with the seed planted, but no accountability and lived as the world live.
I married my husband at a very young age. He has been the only man I have ever loved (besides my daddy). We have three children, a daughter 20 and two sons, 14 and 11. Our marriage has been very eventful, and at times, possibly the most painful moments I have had to endure. I lost my job in 2012 and have been unemployed since. That created a great strain on our finances, which led to the next painful event, our separation. Our marriage is an “unequally yoked” marriage and many compromises and sacrifices have had to be made. Agreeing on much of anything has been extremely difficult, and raising children, well lets just say that’s been a disaster.
In the early years I had stepped away from God and lived my life according to my standards. After getting nowhere and with my marriage on the brinks, I went back to what I knew, God, my Father. I devoted my days to spending all waking hours reading, studying and communicating with God through prayer. Every day I found Him waiting for me with open arms. He took me on a journey that was bitter sweet, painful at first, but oh so refreshing after awhile. I learned the meaning and importance of being equally yoked. I learned who I was in Him, how important my marriage was to Him, and my role in the marriage, regardless of what my husband believed or didn’t. He showed His face to me, used a stranger of another culture, to speak truth to me regarding His plan for me. It was amazing; this stranger would have had no way of knowing my current circumstances or desires, but to this very day I am so thankful that he was obedient and allowed God to use him. It was then that I realized that my actions would make other believers either seekers of Jesus Christ or cause them to turn away. I began focusing more on prayer, forgiving and surrendering everything to God. I humbly made amends to my husband for my judgmental, condemning, “holier than thou” attitude, and began loving him (as well as all others) just as God loves me, with all my sin. I understood that day that God is my father, my husband and my friend.
Now my husband has been baptized, his heart has been softened, and although he is not where I am in his relationship with Christ, he is a work in progress, just like I once was. I never gave up, never stopped praying, never lost hope, and to this very day my faith continues to grow as I see daily progress. I knew “it was not by my might, but by God’s might” and left everything up to God. I tried to focus more on being an instrument to be used, an example of Christ, so that my actions would produce love and love conquers all!
My dream is to be able to minister to others who struggle in their marriage, especially those who may come to know Christ ahead of their partners. Or maybe to those who are considering marriage, but don’t understand the importance of being “equally yoked”. The divorce rate is very disturbing to me, and people don’t understand the devastation divorce places on their children, not just while their young, but the effect it has on them as an adult. I would also like to encourage those who have lost hope. My Goal is to take the fundamentals of what God has revealed to me and be able to teach it in a way that is useful.
I have come to Christian Leaders Institute with the anticipation that it will not only further my knowledge, but more importantly, prepare me to teach it. To take the wisdom God has given me and minister it in a way that those listening will understand. That I can be used as a speaker for God, a trusted source speaking with grace, the instructions from His Word. That I will be a confident encourager and helper for individuals whose marriage is in need.
I understand how difficult it is to find biblical help that is affordable, and therefore I seek a scholarship that will allow me to pursue ministry training so that I can do all that God has for me.
My local church is a great supporter. They have encouraged me to start a small group for women, to build them up in Christ, strengthen an Army of Women , laying the foundation of this ministry. They have provided me a place to host this weekly small group and purchased the materials I needed. I ask CLI to pray for the development of this “Women of Wisdom” ministry, and that God will send all those He has chosen!
God Bless all who read this, and thank you CLI for your commitment to Christ and providing this service.
Your sister in Christ,
Laura D’Elia
Online Bible School for Zambia
Christian Leaders Institute is an Online Bible School for Zambia. The Internet allow CLI to beam classes to students in a place like Zambia where ministry training is really needed. Meet Max Chisaka of Zambia:
My name is Max Chisaka. I live in Lusaka, Zambia. I am a retired central (reserve) banker. I am married to my wife Rose, and have three children, the oldest living in the USA, the second is a medical doctor here in Lusaka, and the youngest (22 years old) is finishing his university education in Malaysia. I am a member of the United Church of Zambia, the largest Protestant church in Zambia with some 4 million members in 2,000 congregations in some 100 consistories in 10 presbyteries.
Having held several different responsibilities within the Church, my current focus is: 1) Teaching and developing lay people into leaders 2) Working with the Men’s Christian Fellowship (MCF) group within the Church and 3) Working with the youth group for boys called Boys Brigade.
While I have had some training that allows me to function and perform acceptedly in these areas, I feel that a more systematic study in the areas that CLI can provide will make me even more effective in serving these groups. The MCF groups within the Church are set up with the prime purpose of evangelism. As a leader in this group, I want to see us become more effective as evangelists. With the lay leaders development, I am basically a teacher. My family has been very supportive in the work that I have done so far, though this has often meant being away from home and the use of our personal resources to ensue that the work is completed.
Please pray for the United Church and the various groups and programs that have been established to further the kingdom of God. Pray for me also that even as I advance in age, I can continue to render a service to God’s people that helps them grow.
Christian Leaders Institute even brings quality free online ministry training to residents in destitute Nigerian areas. Emmanuel Odok is grateful for finding CLI and the free Bible based courses offered. The following is his story that ultimately brought him to seek training at Christian Leaders Institute.
My name is Emmanuel Odok and I live in the Nigerian city of Calabar, Cross River State. Located in West Africa this is one of many impoverished areas in this country. In this Nigerian area God has been helping us to propagate the Good news of the Kingdom. We are faced with many difficult challenges. Poor road networks and lack of maintenance make travel difficult. We are also hindered by an inadequate supply of electricity for the community. Many residents have no electricity at all. There is a severe lack of funding to build and equip worship centers and organize outreach programs.
God has blessed Nigeria with a fertile land for Ministry to thrive but recently, … ‘the “Gates of Hell” have opened into our areas and they are known as “Boko Haram”. Their aim is to hinder the advancement of God’s Kingdom in Northern Nigeria using nearly any way possible.
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This excerpt is from Wikipedia.org: The Congregation of the People of Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad[2][3] which is better known by its Hausa name “Boko Haram” is an Islamic group and takfiri militant and terrorist organization based in the northeast of Nigeria,[6] north Cameroon and Niger.[7][8][9][10]Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002,[11] the organization seeks to establish a “pure” Islamic state ruled by sharia law,[12] putting a stop to what it calls “Westernization”.[13][14] The group is known for attacking Christians and government targets,[13] bombing churches, schools and police stations,[15][16] and kidnapping western tourists, but has also assassinated members of the Islamic establishment.[17] Violence linked to the Boko Haram insurgency has resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths between 2002 and 2013.[18][19][20][21][22][23] The group exerts influence in the northeastern Nigerian states of Borno, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe and Kano. In this region, a state of emergency has been declared… You can only imagine the conditions this Christian Leaders Institute student has to survive every day. It is people like Emmanuel and others living in fearful situations who can certainly benefit from free ministry training online through CLI.*****
I knew the Lord through my mother; now deceased; as a child in the early eighties. When my mother experienced the hand of God upon her life in which she was healed of physical issues she made sure we all converted from the Catholic Church to The Pentecostal of Nigeria Inc. I backslid when I was in high school and stopped going to Church. Sundays were seen as conducive for playing football and fishing.
I left the village and moved to Calabar, the state Capital, after high school. The Lord saw me restored to his sheepfold in December, 1996. In February of 1997 I presented myself for baptism, having resolved to serve Jesus in Spirit and truth.
I desire to empower God’s children to discover who they are in Christ; to appreciate and appropriate their God-given potentials and to live for him daily. I identify most with the word Evangelist firstly, because as Christians we should evangelize the world for Christ. Secondly, one of the things I have enjoyed doing since I was in school is to evangelize. I order tracts from the USA and distribute them as I witness.
God has been faithful to me and my family; both local and extended. We have enjoyed His providence, guidance and protection. I wouldn’t say there is a particular experience that prompted me to pursue Ministry training here in Nigeria. However, what I do know is that I have the calling. I enjoy ministering and having experienced spiritual rebirth. This gave me a yearning to bring the lost to God.
My local Church has really encouraged my ministering. They have given me the platform to operate as a Sunday school teacher since 1998. I also teach Bible Study classes and preach on Sunday services.
My wife, Rosemary is God-sent and indeed a bundle of encouragement. Whether there is enough or not, she doesn’t complain. She’s learned to survive in abundance as well as in lack. Several times I have had to leave her alone with our young son and little or no money for days, so I could attend to the needs of the General Overseer of my church. Bishop Effiong Efiom ministers outside our town of Calabar often and I assist him. This I do trusting God to supply my family as I seek Him first in my service. My mother, of blessed memory, and my siblings have always given me encouragement as well as advice to keep pressing on. They often call me Pastor, Evangelist and other titles. This challenges as well as encourages me to do more for the Lord.
Discovering Christian Leaders Institute is indeed a turning point in my life. I have longed for leadership training in the same way the deer pants for the water in a brook. In 2001, God enabled me to satisfy one of my dreams which was to acquire myself a “better” Bible. I stumbled on an NIV study Bible at the rate of ₦2,500. (₦ is the symbol for the Nigerian currency Naira. ₦2,500 is approximately equal to $15.53 USD.) This amount was 83.33% of my two months allowances as an industrial attaché at PPMC. PPMC is a subsidiary of NNPC, located at Calabar depot. (PPMC is Pipelines And Products Marketing Company, Ltd. of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.)
In 2003, God brought Pastor David Feddes my way via “The Back to God Hour”. Through his radio program he was able to answer many of my Bible related questions. He remains one of the best Pastors I have ever met. I have read most of his publications which have been great benefit to me. Through Pastor David Feddes, I was also able to pursue a correspondence bible course called “Great truths of the Bible”. This was through Cross Roads Bible Institute, Chicago IL.
Christian Leaders Institute will no doubt help me with my dream of becoming an adequately furnished Christian Leader. I desire to bring others the truth of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ in the right ways.
Just as Apollos, who had zeal but knew only the baptism of John, was adequately furnished by Aquila and Priscilla; there are many areas in my Ministry that CLI will help equip me for.
Pray that God, who has called me into Ministry, may do everything in His power to make me faithful and fruitful.
*****
We at Christian Leaders Institute work hard to provide the free online Bible based Christian ministry training and courses for these kind of situations. Many Nigerians have no access to churches or education. The fact that we can help those who have access learn and receive this quality training so they can bring Jesus to their families and communities brings us great joy. If you want to help us help others or to sign up for your free scholarship to receive free online Bible training CLICK HERE to learn more!