My name is Jane Adora Horca Kyles, and I am receiving formal training for ministry at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible courses, Click Here). I am a Licensed Professional Teacher from the Philippines. Now, I’m in California, USA. I am married to Dion Kyles and have five step-children. We have a one-year-old daughter, and I’m pregnant and believing that it’s a boy. My daughter and I just got here in Moreno Valley, California, last January 15, 2021. Our journey is such a blessing from God on how He paved the way for us to process and travel during the Pandemic.
My Youth
I’m the fourth child of 9 children, and one is dead. Since I was a child, I had an untamed spirit. They called me the black sheep of the family. Despite this, I grew up as a religious child and went to the Catholic Church every Sunday. I got a gold medal as the best in religion because I memorized all the prayers and followed by rules. However, my attitude never changed. I loved to scold every born-again Christian that I met, even the pastor that did a Bible sharing in our Barangay. I laughed at them with my Catholic friends and loved to debate them and make them feel bad.
My Spiritual Journey Begins
However, everything changed when I was in my second year of high school. One of my values teachers, who is a Baptist, shared the Gospel with us. At that moment, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I got too excited and overconfident about the truth. Since then, I got motivated to read the Bible. But the Bible I had was in English, and the church I attended had the presentation in English. So, to actually understand the Bible with all my heart, I read the English version while looking at the Tagalog Version and in My Dialect Version, Waray-Waray.
As I grew up in my spiritual life, God molded me through rebuking and correction. I had become so bold that I was blinded to the fact that everyone has a gift and others should be treated better than myself. Throughout this process, God told me to be humble and see other’s weaknesses through His eyes. So I saw the need to share the gospel and encouraging the weak.
Persecution at School
I joined the music ministry, from backup singer to worship leader. We visited specific Barangay’s every Saturday and shared the gospel at school. In my third year of high school, my friend and I visited every room to share the gospel near summertime. But then, I was summoned by our headteacher to proceed to the principal’s office. It was because I shared the gospel. The Word of God is so true as it states in Luke 21:11-12, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say. For at that time, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.” From that time on felt the heavy atmosphere of persecution either from co-students or teachers.
Persecution at Home
However, my persecution didn’t start with that. I grew up in a very devoted Roman Catholic family. My father was involved in church activities during the Easter Celebration as one of the 12 apostles. My mother was a catechist. They didn’t tolerate my changing religion. My siblings were against me too. Then, my father summoned his siblings to encourage me not to read the Bible. But, I never stopped. I followed Jesus through water baptism, and my persecution got worse every day.
I cried at night, begging and believing God’s Word that if there is one person in the family saved, all of them will be saved. In the mornings, I woke up with tears in my eyes. There were times that my father disowned me and sent me away. Every time this happened, I always went to church, thanking God, and believing His promises. The church was always open. There I cried and cried until I fell asleep. Then, my mama would come to pick me up. Another scenario was when a parent visited my house early in the morning to say the worst words and tell me to stop converting her daughter to be born again. But I never stopped because God’s grace just kept me going.
God Makes A Way
Not long after that, my siblings started to follow me and go to church. It started with my older brother, who is a pastor now. Then, my younger brother and older sister were next. They are active in ministries now. Finally, three years after being saved, I was in another city. I got a message from my cell group leader that my parents started going to church with my other siblings. That’s all because of God, whose promises are true.
But, of course, my Christian life has never been perfect. While I was in another city, I struggled to be a young adult while exposed to the world. I entered into a wrong relationship. However, at that time, God kept reminding me about the 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” I kept on seeking God’s leading on how I could get out of the situation, and again He made a way.
Formal Training for Ministry at CLI
My spiritual dream is to be a missionary doing evangelist work and encouraging every church that needs encouragement. Right now, I’m holding meetings with youth from the Philippines online. I hope to use my Christian Leaders Institute training to do what God intended me to do with competency, efficiency, and mastery, knowing that much is at stake.
I’m a full-time mother at the moment with no income at all. So having this free formal training for ministry at CLI is very important for me. Ever since I was in college, I desired to have formal training for ministry education like at Christian Leaders Institute. Also, when I was helping my brother in building a church, I saw the need for formal education for leaders to be equipped to maintain, build, and equip every member. I’m so thankful that Christian Leader Institute offers a scholarship for free training to people like me, wanting to be equipped and with no income. Being an ambassador and a worker in God’s Kingdom, I believe that Christian Leader Institute is God’s best instrument as a source of providing me the proper training to do the will of God.
My name is Ashley Crowe. I am married to Jeremy and have a stepson. We currently live in Hopkins, Minnesota, United States of America. I am studying Bible courses and ministry training at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible courses, Click Here).
Before I Was Saved: My Youth
My childhood was not like most people’s. My dad was in the Army. So we moved from Minnesota to Louisiana when I was a year old. I had a younger brother named Richie who passed away suddenly when he was a little over a year. The reason is unknown, but both my parents were blamed for it. My dad did 4 years in prison for manslaughter; my mom did 3 months for an accessory.
They put me into foster care. For months, I refused to speak to anyone and went from foster home to foster home. Finally, a pastor and his wife fostered me and showed me the love of the Lord. A few months after, I came home to Minnesota to live with my grandmother. She showed me a lot of love and took me to church, but I was still missing something in my life.
Before I Was Saved: Marriage Struggle
I was pretty normal as a teenager. I skipped school a lot, partied, and didn’t care. This continued into my adulthood. When I was 18, I met Jason. He was tall, dark, and could talk his way into and out of anything. When I was 27, we finally married. He had many issues growing up with abuse and mental health issues. After our marriage, I found this out. Jason became abusive pretty early in our marriage and didn’t stop until June 5th, 2016. This was the day he decided to take his life. It was 5:15 am. I woke up to a loud sound coming from his home office. I will never forget the sight when I opened that door. Now, more was missing in my life.
New Direction: Yay! Jesus Saved Me!
A year and a half later, my friend was pushing me to find someone to “get over Jason.” I was not too interested, but she had me start a dating profile. That’s where I met Jeremy. An even taller and very handsome bad boy. He had a past, yet he was a believer. That’s what I needed! Someone who was broken like me but loved the Lord. I found what I was looking for! Was it this man? NO! It was Jesus!
Jeremy and I had our first date and every other date after for a while at church. Twice a week, we were meeting fellow broken people and even starting a ministry with some friends. On May 15th, I surrendered to the Lord and received baptism. After 33 years, I finally found what was missing all my life! The Lord!! Jeremy and I are married, and life is great!
Now What? Studying Bible Courses at CLI
As a recovering addict/felon and a widow/child of foster care turned followers of the Lord, we knew we had to do more. We had stories to tell and people to save. Last year, 2020, Jeremy and I decided to sell everything, turn a school bus into a tiny home and take our ministry on the road! We both decided we needed to study the Word more and get a closer relationship with Jesus. So, here we are at Christian Leaders Institute, studying Bible courses and ministry training!
Pray for us as we are studying Bible courses and ministry training at CLI. Our bus, Exodus, hits the road in July 2021.
My name is Joe Kwuble Ghattey, also known as Jeffery, currently living in South Africa. I am excited to get more ministry training at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible courses, Click Here).
My Youth and Salvation
Born in a little village called Peki Dzake in the Volta region in Ghana in the ’70s, I finished tertiary education in 1999. As a teenager, I knew nothing about God even though my parents attended the local church. It’s a practice here to follow our parents to church every Sunday. Yet, we have no personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
In my third year of my secondary school, I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit. I followed one of my elder brothers to the prayer meeting on our holiday, which takes place every Wednesday. Since that day, my inner cry was to know more about Jesus Christ. I registered to be in the new convert class, which taught us the steps of becoming a child of God. This foundation class changed almost every aspect of my life, if not all.
My Spiritual Journey
The journey in Christ has been amazing even though I encountered many challenges, negativity, and rejection by others. I proceeded to the Bible College of Word of Faith and finished in 1999. I married my wife Gladys in the year 2003.
Recently, God gave me the mandate to “gather all that are sorrowful, afflicted, oppressed, and have been put to shame and all that have a burden. I, the Lord, will make them to celebrate in their land. And I will wipe away the tears from their faces.”
After receiving this mandate, I thought of getting more ministry training. I found the Christian Leaders Institute online. CLI has given me the unique experience and opportunity to be trained without being burdened with debt. Also, the classes can be done at my pace and on my schedule.
Furthermore, I believe that through CLI the 2 Timothy 2:15 command will be fulfilled. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (KJV).”
Blessings to you all!