Called Christian Leader – Victim to Victor In Christ

Called Christian Leader – Victim to Victor in Christ

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are abused sexually. CLI graduate, Brandi Rainwater was sexually abused and faced other significant challenges. Through all that unbelievable pain, Brandi became a called Christian leader that encourages others that have and are facing similar struggles.

I’m Brandi Rainwater native Texan. Raised in Lubbock, TX lived in Atlanta, GA for a few years as a child. Then, moved back to Lubbock. Now live in Dallas, TX with my husband and two children.

I was raised in the church under my uncle as my pastor. I grew up in the Church of Christ, and my grandfather was an elder. My mother got married to her first husband, and we moved to Atlanta, GA. Then, after a year we moved back to Lubbock, by then my mom and her first husband got a divorce. A few years later she got remarried, and this man I remember feeling that something was off with him. He molested me from age 8 to 17. He would tell me that if I said anything he would kill my mom, my sisters, and then me. I was scared for years, he would beat me and do so many other things. But then after I graduated from high school, I spiraled into a life of drugs and alcohol to try to fill the hurt and shame. I got pregnant, and life had a little bit of purpose, so I stopped the drugs. But it still felt like life had no meaning.

Brandi kept looking to fill her void. She went from sexual abuse to more abuse and then to the streets, but God never left Brandi. God prepared Brandi with those tests to be a called Christian leader testifying to others.

I went to okay relationships and to having a job, car, and apartment to losing it all. I was out on the street, living in abandoned apartments, not eating for days, begging people for money and food on the street corners. Then I went to a very abusive relationship and lost everything. Lost not just my house and my job, but my kids. Lost who I really was and became homeless again. Then I went to a women’s protective service. I finally realized this is who I was supposed to be with. I got uncomfortable at the women’s shelter (paranoid that he would get out and kill me) that I left what I grew up around. Then, I asked the shelter if could they move me to Dallas. I called to GOD and said that I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t pick the right man that He had for me. “You guide me with the man that you have for me.” With that, I met my husband. We saw where the other one had been hurting, but couldn’t get past our addiction to alcohol and drugs.

During Brandi’s and her husband’s struggle, God revealed a path that lead to Brandi becoming a called Christian leader for God’s kingdom.

One day we saw a church sign that said this church was going to be opening up soon. We went, and it was so different from any other church that I had ever been to. The worship was incredible then the pastor got up there and he spoke words that I’d heard before, but it was like a light bulb went off, and I needed to get more from it. My husband and I started to change and seek HIS face again. It took me time to see that my husband wasn’t going to fix the issues of hurt and pain, but he was going to walk with me with GOD as our leader. I went to the pastor and asked if I could just clean the church to help. Then, we moved into another building, and GOD gave me a dream about helping homeless people. So I went to the pastor and shared my vision, and he told me, “Then you have to lead the homeless at this church.”

Brandi is a called Christian leader with a big dream. She hopes to help the homeless learn skills, but more importantly learn about God’s saving grace.

That dream was to be able to meet the homeless and relate to them and love them right where they are at. To help them in a building that will not only feed them psychically but spiritually. Where they can come get their GED, computer skill training, career training, and also get training that only the WORD can give them.

CLI is providing called Christian leaders like Brandi the opportunity to have high-quality free ministry training so they can further advance their knowledge and lead others to Christ.

With this training, I want to go deeper into being a better leader, a minister, and a woman of GOD. CLI will help me because I’ve been wanting to go to seminary college to get an education in not just how to present the BIBLE to people but to get better equipped in helping lead others. This will help me fulfill the calling He has on my life and be able to assist those who are like me and called to share their stories to lead others to Christ.

Through God, Brandi has risen from victim to victor in Christ and is leading others to victory in Christ.

Right now I’m new at this leading at a church, but I asked GOD to show me my calling and HE gave me a vision. What I do is all unpaid, and my husband works to not only support our family but to help support the vision that GOD has given me. So a scholarship will be a great blessing as lack of finances is what has stopped me from attending seminary college.

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