A Journey with the Lord
Hello, I’m Mimi! I am taking classes at the Christian Leaders Institute for continued theological and biblical education (Learn more about free theology and Bible courses online, Click Here).
My Youth
I grew up in Guatemala City in a Christian family. It is debatable how Christian my family was; however, everyone believed there was a God and heard about Christ. Latin America is a very religious region, and Christianity is mainly in the form of Catholicism. However, it does not mean that the people know Jesus Christ. I grew up in this context.
My great grandparents were Mennonite pastors. Due to this fact, I got to study in a private Mennonite school. There I was educated with high moral standards, discipline, and biblical instruction. However, at my home, things were different. My parents, brother, and I lived at my grandparents’ house. Even though we attended church, it took us a long time to live a God-honoring life. So, there was confusion in my mind.
Then, my parents moved out of my grandparents’ house responding to the calling they had for a long time. They studied theology and became pastors in the south of Guatemala. At that time, I moved to the city alone to study at University. During my university studies, I was stumbling in my Christian life. But, I never stopped going to church and serving. I knew I was called to serve the Lord. However, I lived what I learned from my childhood. I also didn’t want to do something because of my family. I wanted to make my own decisions.
God’s Calling
God’s calling continued to sound in my heart. Finally, I answered and knew I needed a theological and biblical education. So, I registered in the Central American Theology Seminary. There, I studied and graduated as a Theology Professor. I was studying Literature at the University San Carlos of Guatemala, Theology at the Seminary, and had a full-time job. It was a very busy time, but the Lord got me through.
I desired to be a Bible Translator, so I started the process with Wycliffe in Guatemala. However, things never got anywhere. Then, after surgery, I realized that the Lord had other plans for me. Even when you want to do things for the Kingdom that God has not approved, they are just “your good ideas” not the Lord’s plans. I needed to submit to Him.
This was my second attempt to reach the missionary calling and another failure. You see, I graduated from high school when I was 15 and studied medicine. I wanted to bring physical and spiritual healing in Christ to many. However, my three years in Medical School were very rough, and I never got anything from them, just the lesson it was not for me.
Feeling Lost
For a time, I felt lost and didn’t know exactly what I was supposed to do. I am goal-oriented, and since my goal was unreachable, I felt very disappointed and frustrated. The world, however, was always there and I started spending time with non-Christian people, which led to a separation from the Lord. I didn’t stop attending church or serving, but I was not in the presence of the Lord with the right heart and mind. I cannot say that my non-Christian friends were bad or forced me to do bad things. Yet, their conversation and interests were not aligned with the calling I had. Many times, I felt out of place while we “had fun” together.
After a very hard personal experience and spending time out of Guatemala, I realized that I wanted to serve my people. The Lord had trained me for that purpose. So, I returned to Guatemala to serve full-time in ministry with my parents and enjoyed every moment.
New Direction
Four months later, the Lord opened the door for me to serve as a local missionary in the mountains of eastern Guatemala. There I did the translation and served many children and women. That year, I met the man that is now my husband. Together we serve the Lord as missionaries in Guatemala and the United States. I serve women that are striving to break cycles of sin, abuse, and poverty through the ministry the Lord has granted us.
Using all the resources that God gave me through my theology studies, and experiences in the mission field, the Lord allowed me to write a book. It reflects my journey of growing in purpose as a woman for Him. It also is to help women refocus on the femininity that the Lord has given us.
Finding CLI for Theological and Biblical Education
Seeking excellence to serve the Lord, my husband enrolled in Christian Leaders Institute. He has learned so much there and strengthened his walk with the Lord. He can access the classes from anywhere the Lord has led us to serve and learn. Now, I am enrolled to learn new tools for my ministry. I know that having a Theology degree does not mean I know enough of my glorious God. So, I want to continue my theological and biblical education because I see how important is to learn. I also see how important a title and credentials are in the secular world. Therefore, I want to present myself equipped to honor my Lord before the people He calls me to serve.
My desire is to graduate from the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School. I pray that the Lord to provides for me to do it if this pleases Him. As a full-time missionary, I have no income or resources to pay for anything. The Lord faithfully provides for my needs through many generous servants for Him, so I know my help will come from Him.
God is a Good Father and God
In my life, I have learned that the Lord is a sovereign King. He is also a good Father and a wise Lord. If we truly trust God, we submit to Him. That submission to the Lord is the safest thing to do, but even more when we want to live to glorify His name. We can trust the Lord to always take us into spacious places where we can rejoice in His good and perfect will even in the middle of struggles and spiritual growing pains.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Ephesians 2:10 because have seen it a reality in my life. Even when I drifted from Him the fact that I am created in Christ never left my heart and mind and I knew who I belong to and what I live for. Working on all the good work that He has entrusted me with has brought out the best of me for His glory.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course. Then you can enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
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 William Wangombe, from Kenya. I am taking online ministry and Bible training at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about free ministry and Bible courses online, Click Here).
I grew up in a family where my late mother was a believer. She led me in knowing Christ and accepting Him as my Savior when I was 14. It was a great experience and the Lord has been gracious to me through my childhood, my youth, and now as an adult. He has fought many battles for me and made me more than a victor.
My Spiritual Dream
My spiritual dream is to do mission ministry work. I want to bring more people into the Kingdom of God and to the realization of who God is and what He can do in their life. I want people to know that they have a place in the Kingdom of God and a way to achieve that through Jesus Christ. Reaching out to souls at all levels, children, youth, and adults, I want to give them hope in their spiritual, social, and economic spheres of life. I want to promote the Gospel of Christ.
Therefore, I am currently in a church program where we deal with children from the Mukuru Kwa Njenga slums in Nairobi. There, I volunteer as a school patron. We enroll these children in the church primary school, feed them, and supply them with stationeries and other items. It is very fulfilling for it touches even the lives of generations to come.
Challenges
I have faced various obstacles in life. In the year 2016, I lost my seven months old daughter, which left my young family heartbroken. To see a bundle of joy taken from us was not easy. It took the grace of God for us to overcome the grief. God gave us the courage to walk through this tough situation. Furthermore, He provided people that gave us a shoulder to lean on.
During my childhood, there were many events that humbled me to realize that I needed Christ. My mother was a prayerful woman, and I experienced God answering her prayers in a very unique way. She prayed for our healing and provision, and God answered. It made me desire to know God more and more. Therefore, God became very real to me.
Online Ministry and Bible Training at CLI
I hope to use my Christian Leaders Institute online ministry and Bible training in proclaiming the Gospel from a point of knowledge. I believe that the training acquired at CLI will help me in properly handling issues concerning people and God. Then, I can share the Word of God and reach as many souls as possible for the glory and honor of God.
Christian Leaders Institute training is necessary for me. Now, I have the opportunity to get trained after a long search due to financial constraints. I will gain knowledge of the Word of God and become effective in the Lord’s vineyard. As a leader, I will be able to guide, administrate, and evangelize from a point of knowledge.
I am very excited to be in the Christian Leaders Institute as a student. My heart yearned for training and here it is! Thank you! There is so much to be trained on, which will be of great impact in the Kingdom of God, to the glory and honor of God.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course. Then you can enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
I am Michelle Murphy. Currently, I am studying ministry and Bible courses online at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about free ministry and Bible courses online, Click Here).
I live in East London, South Africa. South Africa is a beautiful and unique country that is full of diversity and rich cultures. I love my country even though there is much brokenness and a need for restoration. I have a great expectancy and hope in God’s redemption story for this country, for nothing shall be impossible for God.
My Journey
I came to know the Lord at 11 years old at a youth camp, but only really came into a proper and deep relationship with Jesus Christ in my early twenties. As a young girl, I had a pull in my heart to serve God. I felt the desire to do something bigger than myself, but what exactly, I didn’t know. I was a very shy and awkward child. Also, I had low self-esteem and didn’t believe that I could ever do something meaningful.
However, it didn’t change how I felt deep down inside. God sees what we don’t. He knows the plans and purposes He places in our hearts to fulfill His plans. He gives us the desires of our hearts to fulfill His desires. It wasn’t until much later in my life that I discovered my passion for God’s Word. I also discovered the transforming and healing power that scripture brings to mankind. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Wandering and Restoration
As much as I loved the Lord, I walked away from the church and into the world for a period of 9-10 years. This was a great offense to God which separated me from Him. It also became an offense to me through guilt, shame, and pain, which only God could restore. The deep longing in my heart only grew stronger for God. Eventually, by God’s grace, I saw my fallen life and that my sin separated me from God. I could no longer ignore the conviction to get back to God.
I was lost, which brought deep sorrow and remorse because it separated me from God. In God’s great love and mercy, He showed me where I was, the state of my life, and how I needed to choose life over death. I had become an offense to God in my sinful living. Therefore, I needed transformation and reconciliation through Jesus Christ His Son.
At this point, I took responsibility for the state of my life and the mistakes I made. It was the start of my restoration and transformation that only God could bring about. I confessed and turned from my sins, faults, and pride. Then, I asked for God’s forgiveness and received it. I also had to forgive others who had hurt me. And for those I had hurt, I had to forgive myself. It wasn’t easy. There were times when I felt like it was too hard. Yet, I kept choosing Jesus in the Peacefire to get me through and not to partner with the wildfire of lies, pain, bitterness, and shame.
Restoration Brought Transformation
The key experience that God used to bring transformation to my life was the pain and loss I felt from being separated from Him. There was a hole in my heart that only He could fill with His love. Like a child, I needed a home, a place to belong. I was desperate for my relationship to be restored with God.
Only God can restore, heal, and make new what is broken. I experienced that when my relationship with God was restored. God’s redemption story is reconciliation and restoration through the finished work that Jesus Christ did on the cross. His love changed my life 360 degrees. God’s love is immense and He loved me uniquely as He knows each one of us personally. God knew what I needed to come back home.
Ministry Dreams
I am living part of my ministry dream as I run a women’s ministry “Woman at the Well.” My dream has always been to serve the body of Christ. Now, I have the great privilege of living this dream. Another dream that I’m living is taking small groups of ladies on retreats to restore, renew, and reset. I also dream to finish my book on God’s redeeming love and power to save us through His Son Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.
Taking Ministry and Bible Courses Online at CLI
The Peacefire Course as CLI made me look at conflict in a different and better light. The light of the Peacefire is not our desire but God’s desire and will for restoration. This class has helped me to look at relationships, restoration, and God’s desire in the Peacefire and not in the wildfire. We can choose peace in the midst of the fire and trust God to bring restoration.
The challenges one could experience in restoring someone back into a community are forgiveness, trust, and acceptance. Also, physical needs like lodging and employment. Restoring relationships and dignity is always God’s desire, which can be challenging if one chooses the wildfire instead of the Peacefire.
My church leaders are very supportive and available for sound counsel as and when needed. Thank you, CLI, for this excellent class.
Steps to Sign Up At Christian Leaders Institute
Step 1 – Register for a free study account that automatically enrolls you in the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2.
After you register, you will automatically be enrolled in the “getting started” course. You will locate the course at your “home” button when logged in. Scroll down to find the Christian Leaders Getting Started Course Part 1 &2 Link. Click the link and open the course.
Step 2 – Complete Part 1 of this course. Then you can enroll in mini-courses or regular courses.
The Christian Leaders Getting Started Class Part 1 shows you how to enroll in courses and mini-courses. Part 2 of the course connects your calling into ministry with programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute. Part 2 will offer some ministry training and introduce you to the other programs offered through Christian Leaders Institute.
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost college degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.