My name is Troy Yoppini from the United States. “Who am I that I should go? God chose what is weak.” Therefore, I want to be equipped to minister where God may lead me. That desire led me to the online courses at the Christian Leaders Institute to be further equipped to minister (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
In the Beginning
As far back as I can remember, I was in church. I can’t remember anything specific about those early years except for playing in the yard with friends and acting out a battle scene where we fought against the “bad guy down there.” At some point early in my childhood, my parents stopped attending church. I felt a loss. As a child, all I knew was something was missing. But It was like missing a friend or a parent. I remember asking my mom why we didn’t go anymore. I don’t know what she said, but I remember asking to return to church.
For whatever reason, my parents didn’t return. Finally, they sent me to the church less than a block away. It wasn’t easy as the kids there were established and had families there. Nevertheless, I wanted it. The following year as I moved into the fifth-grade Sunday School class, I met my teacher Mr. Goetz. There was something incredible about him. He made the Bible leap off the pages into my heart and soul.
However, it wasn’t just that. He treated me as if I was the only pupil he had. Of course, he did this with all his students, but I only knew our relationship experientially. He was a father figure who loved me and treated me as unique. As a ten-year-old, I was a bit different, asking questions about Eschatology (end times). I’ll never forget that Mr. Goetz let me borrow his “Late Great Planet Earth” LP. I was immediately enraptured (pardon the pun) by the narrative.
The Fall
Then came the Junior High School enlightenment. Without going into great detail about my Prodigal Son Odyssey, I will say I went full throttle as is my custom. “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 1 Corinthians 6:9. The list that follows that verse was a checklist that I seemed to almost complete. Disastrous choices, one after another, followed. It was like the laws of gravity. It came naturally.
Already, But Not Even Close
Often, at this point in a person’s testimony, we read of a dramatic redemption-style story. These miracles do indeed happen! But not with this guy! I returned to the Lord only to flame out miserably several times. This was devastating to my heart. “Oh Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Sure, Habakkuk was dismayed by the evil he saw and wondered why God wasn’t doing anything, or so it seemed from his perspective. But, similarly, I cried out, “Why Lord, do I keep failing? Why do I doubt and why don’t you make it clear?
Many such intellectual and emotional questions nagged at me incessantly! I had Apologetics books and thousands of hours in audio lectures from Christian institutions. However, I remained blind and, at best, like the blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26). Jesus healed me in stages. “I see people, but they look like trees.” My trek has been a gradual, not dramatic, transformation but a miracle, nevertheless! “Through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
Marriage
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) Late in my life, God brought my “Sarah,” named Juliet, into my life. We married in the Philippines.
While we were there on our honeymoon, we traveled all over the islands. Early during the tour of her native land, I saw a girl not more than nine years old breathing into a sandwich bag like when they get the hiccups. I asked, “What is she doing?” My bride informed me she was inhaling solvent gasses! In shock, I wondered why? She calmly replied, “Because she is hungry and has no food.” It is common among street children there.
The Call
Later that week, as we were returning from El Nido (a beautiful island in the Philippines), we stopped to have lunch. We found a lovely outdoor restaurant. We selected our food from a buffet line of plenty and sat down. I noticed children outside of the restaurant staring in. I shrugged it off, basking in the glow of our beautiful trip.
Then, my wife asked me, “Do you have any coins?” I gave her a handful, curious why she asked. She got up and walked over to a little boy standing at the edge of the restaurant. He was three years old with worn clothing and a dirty face. She handed him all the change.
Immediately cut to the heart, I stopped eating as I asked myself, “How can you just do nothing?” I didn’t look up for more than ten minutes or eat. I knew that the moment I caught my beautifully hearted wife’s eyes, I would burst into tears. On the ride back, I couldn’t shake it from my mind. For the first time, I knew God was saying, “I want you to go back and help my children.”
Almost at retirement age, I know God is calling Juliet and me back to the Philippines. As of this moment, I don’t know what that all looks like or what He has in mind. But like Abram, I will let God show me the way. However, I know that I need to be equipped to minister in whatever God leads me to do.
Equipped to Minister through CLI
This is where the Christian Leaders Institute comes in! I sincerely hope I will be further equipped to minister in the work God has called me to. “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will” (Hebrews 13:20-21).
Register for a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform, and the Programs offered, including:
- Minister Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Hi! I am Alissa Wied. My family and I live in the United States of America. I am excited to study Bible and theology courses at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible online, Click Here).
My Journey
Married for over 20 years, my husband and I have two adult daughters. They grew up on the mission field in Puebla, Mexico, where we lived for almost five years. My husband and I met in college, and both have degrees in Graphic Design and Communication. We currently call Wisconsin home. Like most missionaries, “home” is a very fluid term.
While living in Mexico, we experienced rough physical and spiritual attacks. But in 2018, after many years of prayer, God healed the three of us, my daughters and me, in a single day. God healed us of celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, food allergies, and more. On that day, we experienced God’s love, grace, and power more personally and intimately than ever. You can watch our testimony here: https://youtu.be/dkDu1KAjJuQ.
Our Ministry
We’re independent stateside missionaries through Modern Day Missions with our ministry Outward Heart. We are a unique blend of creative and administrative professionals who work very well as a team. With BA degrees in Design and Marketing from UW-Green Bay, we bring a hands-on proficiency in various disciplines, including layout, design, photography, and writing.
Outward Heart was founded on the idea that incredible “heart” work is happening in tons of ministries. However, too often, that work never makes it to the public’s eye. This fact minimizes the glory God receives through testimonies and more. It also limits the ability of people to grasp the vision, share in the passion, and participate.
However, these things are not the fault of passionate founders and leaders of ministries. It is simply that they are not marketers, may not have the know-how to increase or refine their presence, or perhaps they simply don’t understand the importance that outward appearance has on their calling. Therefore, we give them the know-how to accomplish these things.
Bible and Theology Courses at CLI
I love learning. Lately, I’ve wanted to dig academically into Bible and theology courses. Thankfully, God led me to CLI. Now I am on a study journey at CLI. I can serve others in our community and beyond with greater confidence and understanding of what the Bible says and how it applies to our lives today.
Register for a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform, and the Programs offered, including:
- Minister Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is Jan Tobias Basson. I am a full-time teacher in Namibia, and I love it. At the time of writing this profile, I have been married for two months to the best woman on earth, Elain Lubbe Basson. I am also a student at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about studying the Bible and ministry courses online, Click Here).
Spiritual Journey
I grew up in a loving family who were firm believers in Christ. So, my roots are deep from the start of my existence. My mother and father were hard workers and tried their best to provide for my younger brother and me. In my youth, my parents had to wake up early to travel to their jobs. But they trusted me to care for my brother during the day. In addition, my mother always ensured we had enough to eat and keep busy.
My parents are just amazing! I owe everything to them. The situation I was in at the time taught me how to be responsible and how to act when another is dependent on you. I also had many struggles in my life. My faith was tested to its limit a few times. After school, I traveled to South Africa, the Hollywood of Africa. That was when I fell to my lowest, away from my support system. However, it is also where I met my wife, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.
Bible and Ministry Courses Online
The things I experienced in 2022 are why I decided to enroll at the Christian Leaders Institute and apply to CLI’s Leadership Excellence School. As a teacher of today’s youth, I see firsthand how impressionable they are. Social media and the general media are killing them in a way they can’t comprehend. It attacks their faith, trying to take their attention away from God.
That is where I come in. I am a Christian and a leader. However, I need and desperately want the knowledge to fight and change as many lives as possible. That is where the Christian Leaders Institute and College come in. I can study the Bible and ministry courses online at CLI/CLI.
My dreams come with many risks. I might even risk my life, but it’s worth it. Working with children is my passion. Seeing them led astray breaks my heart. I need to get the Word of God to them before they are exposed to lies. This is my calling to ministry. God wants me to serve through the school system in Namibia.
Personal life
I have always been a Christian. I was baptized and married in our traditional Dutch Reformed Church. Sports played a massive role in my life. Before my injuries, I represented Namibia in various age groups playing rugby. I had the opportunity to play rugby in the USA and maybe make a living as a pro rugby player. However, I was deeply in love with my wife. Rugby allowed me to make friends worldwide, and I was blessed to be in a country where Christianity is still at its core. Before and after matches, we bowed down, prayed as a team, and thanked God for the opportunity to use our able bodies to have fun. Win or lose; we always praised God.
Rugby is what led me to teach. I started as a rugby coach at Windhoek High School in 2020. At the start of 2022, the school was generous enough to allow me to work for them even though I am not 100% complete with my teaching qualification. In January of 2023, I will start my new rugby coordinator and English teaching job at a local private school in Windhoek.
My wife is a hairdresser and settling into her new environment in Namibia. She left everything in South Africa and followed me back home. I love her with all my heart. We dated for about four years before I asked her to marry me on her father’s farm. We married on the 17th of September, 2022.
Register for a Study Account
Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform, and the Programs offered, including:
- Minister Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.