My name is Narciso A. San Miguel, and I am excited about free online Biblical training at the Christian Leaders Institute. I grew up with eight siblings, and I’m the sixth child in the family. My father, now deceased, worked as a construction worker. My mother raised money for the family by accepting laundry chores from other families in our community. When I came to this world on March 25, 1965, it was an added challenge for our growing family. Life, where I was born in the Philippines in the rural Barangay in Alijis in the City of Bacolod, was very hard. Everything was scarce.
My mother was a devout Roman Catholic believer, and my father was a non-practicing Roman Catholic. It was our mother who influenced us to attend Sunday masses, if possible. Although it was hard for our parents to send us to school, they wanted everyone to finish our school and get our college degree.
My Youth Experience of Church and Christ
There was a neighbor in our community who opened their house for a Daily Vacation Bible School outreach of the Bacolod Evangelical Church in the City. I attended this one-week program, and it was then that I knew that there was a Christian Church in our Community called Alijis Christian Church. It was from this church that I was able to make friends. So I started attending Sunday Services whenever I could.
In the summer of 1980, some of the church’s young people invited me to attend a Summer Camp. At this camp, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. Because of my parents’ religious affiliation, they were against me attending these Christian church activities, especially my father. So, I had to find ways to secretly attend the church and join a singing group of young people. I was not water baptized during this period because I was afraid of the repercussions.
In the second year of college, I was looking for a scholarship to finish my Civil Engineering course. I auditioned to join the College Glee Club, and I was able to get a scholarship. Because of my exposure to our church’s singing group, I was able to learn how to sing. When I graduated from college, it was then that I decided to follow Jesus in water baptism. I said to myself, now that I finished my study, it doesn’t matter if my parents get angry with me because of my baptism.
My Wife and Family
Today, my wife and I are still in a singing ministry. We are part of the singing group called The Pillars Of Fire. We do evangelistic concerts all over the country as the opportunity warrants. I’ve been in this group for 31 years now. Actually, I met my wife, Christine, in this group 28 years ago.
The Lord blessed us with four children. Our 27-year-old eldest daughter, Lin-ay, is one of the Worship Leaders in our Bacolod City Alliance Church. Our 23-year-old son, Miggs, is the drummer of the Worship Team. Then, our 20-year-old daughter is also part of the worship team as a back-up singer. And our youngest, a 13-year-old boy, Y’Ho, is an alternate drummer for his big brother.
Changes
I served as an elder in our church for a long period of time. When the Corona Virus Pandemic hit last March 2020, our church was affected. It immediately went into quarantine, and we closed it. It really saddened my heart to see our churches closed on Sundays. There were so many questions running in my mind. I looked for leaders and pastors who would stand by what they were preaching. In my personal thought, it should at this time that we, as leaders, had an opportunity to manifest our faith and put our preaching and principles into action. However, we surrendered to the enemy in fear by closing our churches.
Called to Online Biblical Training at CLI
It was at this time that I wanted to strengthen my spiritual footing. I looked for someone or an institution from which I could receive training in a Biblical, systematic way. (Learn more about Studying the Bible, Click Here) So, I praise God for leading me to the Christian Leaders Institute (CLI) for free online Biblical training. I really need to be competent and confident when it comes to leading.
My spiritual dream is to have a Center for Pastors and leaders in our community. There they will receive training and equipping for the challenging times that the Church faces. By enrolling at CLI, I believe that my spiritual knowledge, commitment, and experience will be reinforced. Also, there is an opportunity for me to know who the leaders are within the CLI community near my area. I can network with them and work on fulfilling my spiritual dream.
Thank you very much, CLI, and I pray that I will have a fruitful journey with you! God bless us!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
Greetings to all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! My name is Lala Malope. I am thankful for the free Bible study opportunity (Learn more about Studying the Bible, Click Here) at the Christian Leaders Institute. By God’s grace, I am a Christian Leaders Institute student.
I was born in 1991 in South Africa in a small rural area called Mashashane in Polokwane, Limpopo province. My parents had me at a very young age. Therefore, I was raised by my grandmother with other siblings. We were about nine grandchildren in a small house with four rooms. My grandmother is an amazingly strong woman full of jokes, so the house was full of joy and laughter.
We all went to school and completed high school in the village. In 2010, I moved to Gauteng, Johannesburg, to further my studies. I obtained a diploma in business administration.
My Spiritual Journey
The last memory I have of the family going to church is when I was five years old. After that, never again did we set our foot there. I was too young to understand, anyway. So at home, we prayed to God and worshipped other gods and ancestors too. They still do. I did not see anything wrong as that was the only life I knew, and I had to obey the elders at home.
I am a person who dreams a lot. In fact, I never sleep and wake up without a dream. That made the elders conclude that I have a spiritual calling. There were some rituals to be done for me. I carried on with the life of worshipping ancestors and waited for an answer on what to do. However, it never came. In fact, every time I spoke to and worshipped them, my dreams and visions faded. It was like I moved further away from the true God.
How I Met Christ
After graduating, I found a job and had my own space, not close to any family members. That helped me a lot. Even though I did not stop worshipping ancestors, I began to realize that something was wrong. I was not getting the connection nor responses when I communicated with them. Yet, the spiritual void grew bigger and bigger. I knew I had to step into something, but I did not know what exactly. One Sunday, I woke up and went to the nearest church. I met my Savior, Jesus Christ, that day! That was November 2019. It’s been almost a year, and I never felt so alive.
My Humbling Experiences
In 2014, after I got a job, I fell sick. It was a strange sickness because I would have severe stomach pains but only at night or alone. In the morning, I would go to work, and it would be as if nothing ever happened as I felt no pain. I went to clinics and hospitals, but the pain did not leave me. After a time, I got better but realized that my menstruation got lighter until there was nothing. I have not seen my periods in seven years to date.
Before I was born again, I tried everything and everyone. I was afraid of the impact that this condition meant for me with infertility problems for the past years. It is a rare and sensitive issue. So I never found someone to talk to about it. I just cried and found no joy in life.
However, when I allowed Jesus Christ into my life, I found closure. I tell him how I feel, and he responds. So, I surrendered all the burden I had been carrying for years and find rest in him. Yes, the situation has not changed, but the living God I serve has given me peace. Also, I now know the promises he has made to me in Christ, and I know all is well. He is at work, and nothing is impossible with him!
Growth in My Relationship with God
I came to know God personally as my dreams and visions started happening in the natural. I dreamed of something, and it came to pass. That’s how I realized that God does communicate with me, and he has been fighting my battles all this time. In one of my dreams, a voice told me my purpose and how God will use me. I woke up crying and very much afraid and excited too.
The Free Bible Study Opportunity at CLI
My spiritual dream is to know God even more. I want to help my family get saved and turn from worshipping ancestors and other gods. Therefore, I need to be more equipped and have more knowledge about the Gospel. (Learn more about Studying the Bible, Click Here)
I also need to build up my confidence because I would like to start a ministry organization for women. There, women can talk about their infertility issues and make awareness to their families and communities to understand and be supportive at all times.
I want to thank the Christian Leaders Institute for this free Bible study opportunity. Signing up was easy, and before I knew it, I was a student. It’s been only a month, but I feel the impact of the training already. Thank you again to the team of CLI!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is Harry Orlowski, and I am excited about the free minister education opportunity at the Christian Leaders Institute. I was born in Hollywood, California. I remember seeing movie stars on Hollywood Boulevard when I went for walks with Mom and Dad. We moved south to the little beach town of Carlsbad, California, when I was only five years old.
My Early Years
In Carlsbad, I attended public school and worshipped at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church every Sunday. I also attended catechism classes for six years until confirmation. Therefore, Christ was always part of my life. Carlsbad was a great place to grow up. I later realized that it was pretty close to paradise than some of the big cities I later called home. What a childhood of innocence and wholesomeness – friendly people, safety, and great weather! There was also magnificent golf in that area. I used to play at the world-famous Torrey Pines several times a week and at a local course nearly every day after or instead of school.
When I graduated from Carlsbad high school, I attended San Diego State University. I graduated with a B.A. in anthropology and economics, as well as an M.B.A. After finishing at SDSU, I transferred to the University of California at Irvine to pursue a Ph.D. in management.
Illness and Surrender to Christ
After working at a few corporate positions, including Blue Cross of California, and Metropolitan Life, I finally burned out after a lifetime of school and work. Too many 80-hour weeks got to be too much for me. So, I became terribly ill with an infection that put me in a hospital for more than a month.
It was the hand of God that took me to Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital. Because, for the first time in my life, I was bombarded with Bible-believing Christians preaching God’s word to a captive audience. Something awoke in my soul – a fervent desire to read the gospel! I read the New Testament several times, and that ignited a long-dormant desire to know Jesus Christ! Well, that was 30 years ago that I confessed my many sins and asked for Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. It’s amazing how sometimes our lowest point in life can serve as the springboard for the turning point towards salvation.
New Direction
After taking a few months off work, I began to question whether I really wanted the corporate rat race. The answer was a very loud and clear, “No!” I decided to take it a bit easier for the rest of my life and have more balance. So, I took classes to earn a California teaching credential and learn a new language, Spanish, to teach in bilingual public school settings. Therefore, at 39 years old, I got a new start as a public school teacher.
I was pretty anchored in Christianity by then, and I constantly looked for opportunities to sneak Christian teachings into the curriculum. This practice was frowned upon officially, but believers do it anyway. That’s how God used a humble teacher to put Christian ideas into the hearts and minds of impressionable young children. After only three years in a classroom, I decided to get an M.A. in Educational Administration and an administrative credential to become a school administrator. I did, and I worked at LAUSD for 20 years until I retired in 2016.
In 2016, I went on vacation to Acapulco and fell in love with Mexico and moved to Mexico City, where I currently live most of the time. Actually, I switch back and forth between Mexico City and Hollywood.
Minister Education Opportunity at CLI
Christianity has been important to me for 30 years. So, when I saw the Christian Leaders Institute minister education opportunity to learn more and seek ordination, I jumped at it. I began in June of 2020, and I’m enjoying my first taste of formal theological instruction with some excellent professors.
There is a coherent thread woven through this story, and it begins with early exposure to religion that was fairly intense for about 10 years. That served to establish a latent desire to know Jesus Christ that was later rekindled at a time of desperation. Reading the New Testament with fresh and more experienced eyes ignited a love for Jesus that has lasted ever since.
It is now a natural progression to devote my time to know God better and learn how to share salvation with others. My spiritual dream is to bring others into a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The CLI training helps me have the substance, coupled with my enthusiasm, to be more effective at this mission. Thank you, and God bless!
Learn more about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.