Hello, my name is David Rohr, and I am taking leadership classes at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible courses, Click Here).
God has called my wife and me to reach the Latvian people for him. I am married to the love of my life and my ministry partner. We have three grandchildren. We are missionaries from the United States. Our goal is to plant churches in the country that are self-supporting, self-governing, sending out and supporting their own missionaries. In addition, we want to plant and teach indigenous church planting principles to the churches we start.
My Spiritual Journey
I accepted Christ at the age of 16. God was working in my heart, so I went to church when invited by my oldest brother. After a few months of attending church, I realized I was lost and needed Christ to save me. So I asked him to save me. My greatest obstacle for spiritual growth comes when I decide to do it my way instead of God’s way.
I worked for several years in Russia as a missionary helper. While living in America, I stayed extended periods of time in the country of Russia. Finally, God called my wife and me to full-time ministry. We prayed to ask where He wanted us to go. God lead us to Latvia. I completed a Bible college online but felt I lacked the leadership skills needed to be a church planter.
Our Mission and Leadership Classes at CLI
My wife and I just moved to the country and the city God called us to minister in. We are in the process of settling in and building relationships with the people. We will start language school soon so we can communicate the gospel in their native language.
Taking leadership classes at Christian Leaders Institute allows me to be where I am called and continue my education. Since I need more training for God’s calling, CLI is an answer to prayer.
We will be starting a new church. We face the biggest challenge of finding people willing to hear the gospel, respond to the message, and join the new church. With a new church, the challenge is finding a place to meet. We will offer discipleship classes so the new believers can grow in Christ. Another challenge will be to get them to rely on Christ and not on the American dollar or the American missionary.
My Spiritual Dream
We want to plant churches that thrive in the Latvian culture. We also want to plant 30 churches in Europe in the next 20 years. In addition, we hope to train nationals as pastors and missionaries. Further, we will work with the international students at the university to reach family and friends in their home countries for Christ. We hope these students will hear the call from God to go home and plant churches in their countries.
My ministry dream is to see churches planted in Latvia. Latvians will lead these churches sent out by Latvian churches and supported by these churches with no American financial support. I pray that God raises up leaders with a passion for the Latvian people to reach Latvia and the world for Christ through their churches and finances.
My Ministry Calling Story
My name is Delilah Lacy, and the Youth Ministry study at the Christian Leaders Institute is a blessing for me (Learn more about online Bible courses, Click Here).
I grew up in Martinez, Georgia in the United States. At the age of nineteen, I started college at Augusta State University in Augusta, Georgia. I started off majoring in biology, pre-med. After years of slacking and wanting to be popular and have fun at the university, I was making horrible grades. So I changed my major to Criminal Justice and graduated in the summer of 2005 at the age of twenty-five. Afterward, I decided to earn a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. In 2012, I earned my degree with a 3.9 GPA from South University based in Savannah, Georgia. In addition, I earned a diploma in paralegal studies in 2020. I graduated with high honors with a ninety-seven-grade point average.
My Early Years
My father is a pastor. So my sister and I grew up in the church. I accepted Jesus as my Savior at the tender age of twelve. As a young child, I was active in the church. I sang in the choir some Sundays, participated in plays, and became a junior usher at one of my dad’s churches.
However, a family conflict arose, and my parents divorced when I was in seventh grade. My mom lost the custody battle as she was deemed unfit because she was very sick with diabetes. So my sister and I had to live with our dad. My sister and I lived in a house that was very strict. We couldn’t see our mom’s relatives that lived up the street because my dad thought they were bad influences. It was messy.
Then the worst thing in my life happened. My mom died of complications of diabetes the summer before my senior year in high school. I could not sleep easily for a year. I blamed God for her death. As a result, I harbored a lot of anger against God.
Challenges and Change in Christ
In my late 20s and early 30s, I began to backslide. In my early 30s, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Additionally, I had to get on disability due to another mental illness. I really felt like God abandoned me. So I stopped praying and stopped going to church because of my mental illnesses. I could not handle the anger over my mom’s death and my mental issues. So I had five psychotic breakdowns over the course of ten years.
During my last mental breakdown, God spoke to me. If I continued to not pray and not believe in Him, I would not see Him in glory. In 2018, I gave the Lord control over my life again. Since then, I have read and studied the Bible. Now, I’m rereading it for the third time. Also, I watch ministers preach on Sunday morning television. I like to read religious self-help books as well. I’m working on going to church as my anxiety is still bad.
Youth Ministry Study at CLI
My calling is to help establish a youth ministry in a church or in a juvenile justice setting. I have the desire to help local youths come to the Lord. If they know Jesus, they can make the right choices in life and possibly change their lives for the better. I hope to help youths avoid some of the same mistakes I made as a young adult.
When I was a teenager, I struggled with self-esteem issues, my family was lower middle class. Therefore, I got picked on in school for being poor, nerdy, and fat. As an adult, I was in toxic relationships. I’m still in toxic relationships with my family. The list is long. If I tell my story, perhaps I can reach some youth and make a difference in their lives.
I’m grateful that I can earn a certificate in youth ministry at the Christian Leaders Institute. CLI is a stepping stone for me. Since I’m on disability now, I’m on a fixed income. I can’t afford to pay tuition. I used my stimulus checks to pay off my paralegal diploma, and that was a struggle. So I’m so blessed by the Youth ministry study at CLI for free. Many thanks to Christian Leaders Institute!
Hi, my name is Fredirick Mau A. Maulion, born on September 24, 1992, and married to my wife Keziah. We currently live here in the Philippines. Currently, I am studying at the Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) for ministry training and preparation for the ministry (Learn more about online Bible courses, Click Here).
Childhood Challenges
I have wondered how my life would be without God in my life. As for my childhood, I never finished college due to some difficulties in life and some family matters. My father died when I was 6 months old and had an elder brother. We were the only ones at that time. To survive, my mother went out to a different place far from us. She left us to the care of our grandmother for a long time. I did not know God had a beautiful plan for me.
Following God Despite Challenges
My life was not easy. I had many struggles, but God never left me. At a young age, I experienced God’s Power and Calling. I was very active in ministry at that time. I always sought God’s Word, but never knew that there was more to come. God was with me wherever I went.
Before I found CLI, I worked outside my country to reach my dreams for my wife and family. That was my plan, but God always has a better plan for me. Many things happened in my life while working abroad, but I always prayed to God and asked what His plan was for me.
New Plans
My wife’s father is a pastor and a mentor to many Christian leaders. My father-in-law always took my wife and son to church to feel the presence of God. I always heard a calling from God to go back. But going back to my country was not so easy as my sponsors did not allow me to go home. So there was a time I wanted to give up.
However, the prayers of the church helped me and encouraged me to push through. God is powerful and fulfilled His promise. Within a few days of waiting, I got to return to my country. I had nothing but God’s promise for my Life. My wife and I have faced many struggles, but God is with us. So we do not fear. We will continue the journey to serve in the ministry and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our church is not that big. However, our faith makes it bigger. We do not have many members in our local churches, but God is our center. Someday, I want to stand in front and tell others that God’s promises never fade and His words never change.
The ministry training and preparation at the Christian Leaders Institute are a blessing. I can study at my own pace and serve in the church. Thank you, CLI!