Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ! My name is Brian Navarro, and here is my story of learning to walk with God. I grew up in a small city in Fostoria, Ohio. I’m a single father of four beautiful children and a grandfather of two beautiful granddaughters. I’m retired military and currently work as a Public Safety Officer for a university. I have a passion for serving and protecting people. My only college experience was back in 2011 when I enrolled at Liberty University. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to study very long due to my deployment to Afghanistan.
The first church I can remember being a member of is Higher Ground Ministries, where I grew up. I also attended the school of ministry there in 2001. However, that was also cut short due to my deployment for the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy. I always felt that the closer I got to God, the more Satan would try and attack me and pull me away from ministry.
Learning to Walk with God in My Current Life
Currently, I live an hour away from where I grew up. Being a Christian leader here has its challenges. There are a lot of people that question religion, God, and anything to do with the Bible. People are so caught up in their own lives that they barely have time for God. Life is so fast-paced, and people are always in a hurry to get to where they are going.
I thank God that I don’t have to worry about being a Christian or proclaiming the Gospel. In other parts of the world, it’s not like that. I have been to those parts of the world and seen how different it is. It makes me really appreciate life and what I have here in the USA. I humbly pray for all my brothers and sisters in Christ that have to hide their faith and relationship with God.
Learning to Walk with God in My Early Life
I grew up as a Christian and can remember my mom taking my siblings and me to church a lot. Most churches we attended were denominational. My grandmother has been a member of the Assembly of God Church as far back as I can remember. I also remember going to that church. I always enjoyed going to Sunday School, learning about God, singing songs, and reading about the stories from the Old Testament. My favorite was about Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:22). I also remember how hard it was to understand a lot of the Bible. I’ll never forget my mom telling us about God and how we should live our lives. One of my mom’s favorite sayings was, “You get what you say, so you better watch what you say.”
Learning to Walk with God from My Mom
My parents divorced when I was two, believe it or not; I still remember parts of it. I remember my dad going out to our city pool, and the police were called. He ended up fighting them and going to jail. I’m 44 now and can still remember it. Overall, I had a pretty normal childhood, even though we were lower income. My mom always made it work for us. We didn’t have much and didn’t go to many places that most families go. I can’t remember a single vacation that we went on as a family. However, we had our faith in God, and that was all we needed.
My mom is the reason I came to know the Lord. Our upbringing and her faith in God kept us all in the reach of God. I’ve had my struggles and my ins and outs of ministry over the years. However, God never gave up on me. He was always there when I needed Him.
Learning to Walk with God Through It All
There were times over the years as an adult that I felt like I was lost. Especially when the devil would attack me and pull me in every direction, but towards God, I can’t thank my family and friends enough for praying for me over the years. Prayer is powerful and works. It’s all in God’s timing, and that was something I had to learn. We have to learn to be patient and believe in God’s perfect timing.
My spiritual dream is to get as many of God’s people to the Kingdom of Heaven as possible. To pray, rebuke, and bind the devil in everything I do. I had a rough life as an adult and went through many trials and tribulations. I’ve had a lot of spiritual dreams, some amazing and some not. I truly felt God was showing me both sides of it so I could prepare myself for what was going to happen in the future. For some reason, I’ve had a lot of Spiritual Warfare in my life. It seems to be one of my strong points now. I love praying, stepping out in faith, and kicking the devil any chance I get. Satan is a liar and a deceiver.
Learning to Walk with God through Obstacles
I faced many obstacles in my walk with God during my almost 21 years in the army. As a single father to my oldest daughter during most of my deployments, it was one of the hardest things to leave her behind. She was three years old the first time I had to leave her. It tore me up inside, and it took a very long time to heal from that. I asked God why He would take me away from her.
However, something happened during that time that I didn’t expect. I grew closer to God as I entrusted my daughter and myself to His hands. I asked Him to lead me in whatever direction I was to go. One day, I read my Bible during my shift at a battle point in a two-person booth we sat in to watch our area. My battle buddy and I took turns watching our area. During this particular time, my battle buddy took a picture of me reading my Bible. To my surprise, when I got the film developed, an image of a fish appeared on my pant leg. I had no clue how it got there or what it meant. My mom said that it means I’m a fisher of men (Matt 4:19).
I have that picture as a remembrance of when God became real to me during that time and year. That year (2001), I gave my life to God and received baptism. It was also the first time I had to leave my daughter. My oldest brother Frank always talked to me about God. Frank and I would go fishing a lot together. He always spoke to me about God during those times. He is my mentor and part of the reason I came to God.
Learning to Walk with God at Christian Leaders Institute
I hope and pray that during my time here at the Christian Leaders Institute, I can grow with God every day. I want to learn as much about God as I possibly can. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17). I hope to preach the word of God to anyone that is lost or needs to hear. With the training at CLI, I hope to be able to answer questions that people ask me about God without hesitation or lack of knowledge. God guides and directs me in everything I do, not only in life but here at CLI.
CLI is a blessing to so many people around the world. I don’t know anyone else that offers the quality of ministry training that’s here at CLI. There are so many people, including myself, that can’t afford tens of thousands of dollars to attend a Christian college. I was searching the internet for quality ministry training at an affordable price and found both here at Christian Leaders Institute. Please pray for me during this time at CLI and on my walk with God. Thank you!
Learn about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is Mary Warkaske, but everyone calls me Marcy. I am studying to become a Restored Life Minister through the free courses at Christian Leaders Institute. I live in North Prairie, WI, USA. Currently, I am on leave from my job due to the pandemic. I have been working in a law office for the past ten years. My bachelor’s degree is in English from U.W.-Milwaukee.
Going My Way
I can’t remember a time that I didn’t know God or believe that He was there. I received Jesus as my Savior in grade school and tried very hard to follow Him. My family was Catholic, and I even thought of becoming a nun. Unfortunately, when I got to high school, I decided to walk away from God. My home life was very chaotic, and I just wanted to have fun. I was 13 years old. That began an 18-year span of time in which I went my own way.
The story is all too common. I drank, partied, and dated until I met my future husband, Mike. Then we drank and partied together. I managed to get through college and be reasonably successful at work. We got married and bought a home. But, after many years of trying, I discovered I could not have children. This discovery was a huge turning point for me, as I realized I was not in control.
Surrender
After a time of wrestling with myself, I was driving to work one morning and feeling very hopeless and empty inside. Looking up, I said to the Lord, “Okay, I give up. I can’t do this on my own. I need You and surrender to You.” My heart felt lighter. When I got to the office, my boss fired me. However, God sent me to a new job shortly after that. On my first day, my new boss invited me to a nondenominational church. My new boss and a coworker mentored and discipled me for the next several years. After that time, Mike and I were able to adopt a little girl.
Called to be a Restored Life Minister
I have stayed close to the Lord for the last 25 years and currently attend a Pentecostal church. After the heartache of having a family member in jail, my desire is to be trained for prison ministry someday. Having witnessed firsthand the devastation of incarceration on individuals and families, God has filled me with compassion and a desire to help if I can. Restored life ministry is something I never imagined I would want to do. But God, who never wastes anything, has been calling me. I hope to complete the Restored Life Minister courses at CLI and see where He leads me. I’m so grateful to have the time and opportunity!
Learn about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
My name is James Borbor, and I am receiving CLI Bible training for free. I am from West Africa, the Republic of Liberia. My wife, our three children, and I live in Kakata Marbibi county. Growing up in a great Christian family, I had the opportunity to attend church services every Sunday. I went with my mother, stepfather, little brothers and sisters to a Pentecostal Church. Over the years, I have had the privilege to work and served as an evangelist, Sunday school teacher, senior Pastor, as well as working on several building projects as a mission director. I have tried getting some level of training through webinars, seminars, and local minister training workshops in my country.
The challenges in my country as a minister are enormous and cannot be overemphasized. They are all due to poverty and starvation. It has created a culture where there are more professed Christians than those living as born again Christians.
Struggles
While growing up as a child, I enjoyed the comfort of a biological father and mother who were loving and wanted the best for me. During the civil unrest in my country that lasted for about 14 years, I was separated from my father due to his death in the war. I was left with my mother. My mother needed someone else to serve as my father and married my stepfather. Life got more difficult for me and my family. We had to walk 45 miles from Monrovia to Kakata Margibi county. I was just seven years old. I saw and experienced the worst forms of human brutality waged on innocent citizens while on our way to Kakata seeking a safe haven.
By 2004, my mother and spiritual counselor fell sick with type 2 diabetes. Her illness lasted for about four years until her death on December 13, 2008. My mother played a significant role in bringing me close to Christ. She encouraged a walk with God the Father. When my mother died, as the oldest brother of six children, I joined my father of 57 years old to care for my siblings to date.
My Calling and Finding CLI Bible Training Online
In it all, I give glory to the Almighty God for allowing me to come to know His son Jesus Christ in those turbulent times. In 2009, I had an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ who gave me these instructions in Acts 26:18, “to open their eyes and turn them from the power of Satan and bring them under the power of God, that they may receive forgiveness of their sins.”
Since that time, I walked with the Lord in obedience and submission to His will and for His kingdom. I wish to advance the kingdom of God with the training acquired from the Christian Leaders Institute. Then I can teach other Christian leaders in my country and wherever possible. CLI Bible training is helping me achieve my ministry goals. It opened my eyes and connected me with great ministers of the Word in my country. The CLI Bible training will go a long way for me. It equips me to bring other Christian leaders in the ministry building a Biblical culture. I wish to get as much training as possible at CLI. The free CLI Bible training is the greatest opportunity I have come across online. For me, CLI is a dream come true! God bless CLI!
Learn about ordination at the Christian Leaders Alliance. Interested in a low-cost degree? Check out the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.