From Flawed and Shattered Pieces to a Brand New Vessed
My name is Nontuthuzelo G. Dlamini from South Africa. Friends and family call me Mantu or Mama Khumo. Nontuthuzelo is a Xhosa name in English that means “mother of comfort.” I am also a student at the Christian Leaders Institute, a tuition-free online Bible training institution.
Escaping Violent Childhood Trauma
I witnessed the murder of my father by his brother when I was five. After that, we continued to live with my father’s brother as if nothing happened. He frequently beat me and my sisters to “discipline” us for things like losing a jersey or shoes at school, etc. It made me grow up an angry child. As the second oldest of five girls, I had no trust in anyone and took it upon myself to protect my siblings. The only person that made me feel human was my mother. Life at home was brutal and cruel. However, Mom did all she could to make things “normal” for us. I always wanted to escape from my house at uMlazi, one of South Africa’s big Townships in the south of Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal.
Before I found my way out, the only “escape” from reality was to bury myself in books. I read a lot – anything I could lay my hands on. I wrote songs and poems to express myself. Daily physical exercise helped me to “let steam off.” I dreamt about leaving home every day.
How The Lord Jesus Found My Family and Me
When one of my school friends invited me to a Student Christian Movement prayer after school on the 9th of April 1987, I accepted the invitation. Little did I know that Christ would meet me in that prayer meeting. I was just thirteen years old. The same friend invited me to her Church, Oasis of Life, Pastored by Themba and Lulu Mthethwa. Experiencing the love of Jesus Christ and genuine love from total strangers at Oasis of Life Family Church opened a whole new world for me. Love drew me closer to Christ and provided the “escape” I so deeply desired out of the life I knew until then. Learning to pray also taught me to express myself to Jesus and find comfort freely.
I told my family about my new-found salvation in Jesus Christ. Further, I invited them to my new Church, which had become my second home. In 1991, most of the family accepted Christ, and things changed. The Name of the Lord became my Strong Tower – I ran to HIM and was SAFE. My mother, aunts, and my father’s brother all accepted Christ. My grandmother, who was a “sangoma,” burnt all her “sangoma stuff,” including her “ancestral shrine,” when she gave her life to Christ later in that same year. Therefore, my home turned from a place of torture to a place of worship.
If The Son Sets You Free, You Are Free Indeed
I was studying towards a 3-year full-time Human Resources Diploma since 1990 at the Mangosuthu University of Technology (then Technikon). I desired to work with people. I excelled in my studies. By God’s grace, I got a scholarship in my first and second year from one of the major Banks in the country (Standard Bank) and a Government bursary in 3rd year that came with a guaranteed job at the end of my studies. My family had eternal life in the kingdom of God. Therefore, when I graduated from tertiary, I finally prepared to leave home for work.
At 19, I moved to Gauteng Province to start working in Pretoria. When South Africa celebrated freedom from the apartheid regime to democracy in 1994, I was quietly celebrating my independence as a working young adult. Jesus kept me grounded in Him.
At 23, I married my love and best friend of six years. He was an Usher, and I was in Praise and Worship. Two years later, after some medical exams, the Doctors informed us that we could not have children. We had several medical procedures done over five years. We never doubted God would give us a child. Therefore, when I was 29, our firstborn, Khumo, arrived strong and healthy. Three years later, I fell pregnant again but suffered a miscarriage at six weeks. A year after that, our second son, Nqoba, was born. We had two healthy miracle babies.
Divorce and Life as a Single Parent
Our 12-year marriage, unfortunately, came to an end in 2008 after two years of counseling. We divorced and separated ways. I had full custody of the boys. While healing from the divorce, the Lord Jesus was my source of strength. I buried myself in books again and upgraded my Diploma to a 4-year degree. To date, I’m still with our two sons, who have endured a lot of challenges resulting from the divorce. However, God kept them grounded. They have grown to be young men who love and fear God. Khumo is a second-year college student, and Nqoba is in his final High School year.
Serving The Lord, My Calling, and CLI
Working in the government and later working in corporate environments, I worked with people. However, there was always a limit to how these people could be drawn closer to Christ. This created a void that I avoided confronting for years.
Throughout my walk with Christ, I served in various ministries. These included Praise and Worship and Pastoral Care. I currently lead Bible Study Teachings at my local Church as well as the Youth Ministry on a part-time basis. Working with young people and navigating through their challenges often reminds me of where the Lord took me from.
I searched online after an encouraging conversation with one of my church Elders regarding full-time Ministry earlier this year. I searched for a Bible training institution where I could study for Ministry. That’s how I came across CLI, which offered free online courses as a Bible training institution. I could register without finding the money to pay and study at my own pace. What an offering! Thank you, CLI!
CLI: a Bible Training Institution
Since registering, I have found very interactive training material, an engaging CLI community network, and, most importantly, a challenge to true discipleship as it is in the Word of God. All the coursework, including this class, confirmed that my childhood desire to “work with people” was a call to work for the Kingdom of God. It confronts the void I have avoided for years.
When Henry Reyenga and Steve Elzinga, in one of the video classes, asked, “What have you been saved from?” I wasn’t sure how to answer that. However, after looking back to where the Lord Jesus saved me, I see how Jesus took the pieces of my flawed and broken life and put them together to form an entirely new being in Him. Then, He called me into the Ministries I currently serve in. Therefore, I have the answer and look forward to the journey ahead.
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Find out more about women in ministry here.
The Most Unlikely! Answering His Call!
Hello, my name is Tina Louise Williams. I live in Southern California, about an hour outside Los Angeles. I am the wife of my loving husband, a mom of five beautiful children, and a grandmother of six grandchildren. Furthermore, the biblical ministry schooling I am receiving from the Christian Leaders Institute is equipping me to answer God’s calling. Our spiritual awakening and walk came to us as a family six years ago.
My Childhood
I grew up in a home that made no mention of God in it. I am the second of four children. We grew up in Los Angeles, moved often, and attended several different schools. My dad and mom were products of their upbringings, which ultimately led them to be unfulfilled with things of this world. Those worldly things made our childhood one that was undesirable. At a very young age, I went in the same direction as my parents. Which eventually led me to where I am today.
The Moment Jesus Saved Me
My husband and I married one year after we met. I brought two beautiful children into the marriage, and later, we added three more babies to our family. Our marriage not starting well was a consequence of not knowing the Lord. Things lept from bad to worse.
However, when our youngest daughter was nine, she attended an after-school program called the Good News Club. After three weeks of following this club, she came home and told me I needed to find a church for our family. She was highly persistent for the following weeks, asking if we had a church to attend yet. I continued to tell her I was looking.
One day, God asked me, “How often will you tell her you are seeking me when you know you are not?” At that moment, I started finding a church for our family. One day, while driving down a street, God asked me, “How much more do I have to show you?” Therefore, I turned into a parking lot at a church. Our children and I started attending church the next day, while my husband followed a few months later. We were all saved and baptized as a family! God used our nine-year-old baby girl to rescue our family ultimately.
Preparation For His Call
Since being saved, God has used me in many ways in the church body. From church janitorial work, working with children, security, and women’s ministry to greeting, I was joyful in every moment. God will not call us without first preparing us. All of this was preparation for what was to come. Four years ago, I was attending a women’s retreat. It is where God called me to where I am today.
However, I heard and wasn’t obedient at first. Four years later, God brought me to another ministry where I serve women at a women’s walk to Emmaus. At the same time, guiding me to fulfill His calling, God sent so much confirmation for me. His assurances led me to the Christian Leaders Institute to start my biblical ministry schooling for what He has next.
Answering His Call with Biblical Ministry Schooling at CLI
I could no longer run from God’s calling. The Christian Leaders Institute is an answer to my prayers. I work a full-time job while caring for our children and home. CLI makes it easy to continue our daily lives and fit classes into my schedule. I am forever grateful to those who poured into CLI so people can answer their call to ministry at little to no cost.
Excited for the unknown, I don’t know where God will take me next. However, answering His calling is vital. I pray that my understanding of God’s Word surges in my life. With a humble heart, I seek to obey God’s call. I fear not being used as a vessel for the kingdom of God to bring him glory, praise, and honor more than the uncertainty of being used as a vessel for his kingdom.
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Find out more about women in ministry here.
My name is Vivian Anderson of the United States. I lived in many places, which all impacted my life. I currently reside in Columbia, SC. In 2005, I graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. This was after over ten years of being out of school. I am new at the Christian Leaders Institute for minister training for a strong foundation. The online courses are a blessing.
My Story
Born in Chicago, I grew up in Detroit, MI. I am one of 10 children. I grew up in a single-parent household. My father left home when I was about 5. However, he was a part of my life. Most of my aunts and uncles and my mom were or are pastors, ministers, evangelists, or closely connected to the church. My mom worked a lot, which took her away from home. However, she was still present in my life. Financially poor, a lot of trauma happened in our house. During my childhood, I was abused. I didn’t tell anyone until I was 13.
When I was ten, I heard the pastor at church say something about God dwelling where Satan is most. Then I watched a movie with a billboard saying Welcome to Satan’s Den. The movie was filmed in New York City. At ten years old, I said I was going to New York. Because if that was Satan’s Den, then God must be there. I wanted to find God. I experienced so much abuse, and I felt so alone and unhappy. My mom, aunts, and uncles seemed joyful, although we endured so much trauma. I wanted what they had. Therefore, I concluded to have joy, I needed to know the God they knew.
My Spiritual Dream
My spiritual dream is to share God’s love through my work with youth and community. I run a not-for-profit that works directly with youth and the community. It also does advocacy around policies that impact the lives of the people I serve. My work involves restorative justice practices. I want to ensure God is the center of this crucial work needed to heal our world.
Growing into an adult, there were many obstacles I faced. Many were normal going from childhood to teenager to adult. College was the first time I was away from home. In college, I lost myself to fit in, which made for hard times. I suffered from anxiety attacks and attempted suicide. Losing my best friend’s sister, who was like my big sister, to a motorcycle accident and then losing my dad, grandmother, and mother was too much. Therefore, substances became my comfort and discomfort. Because of God, none of this took me out or caused me to hate God. God has always been real to me. However, I didn’t know how to stay close to Him.
CLI: Ministry Training for a Strong Foundation
I hope to use the Christian Leaders Institute training to heal my community. More than anything, I want to use the training to keep me close to God by understanding how to read the Bible. I want to use the training to set a strong foundation so I can help others build a strong foundation in Christ.
The free training was an answered prayer. I prayed to God that if ministry were where He called me, it would need to pay for itself. My finances don’t allow me to attend a traditional Seminary or Bible College. Until now, when God made a way through CLI. The tuition-free training is crucial because I know many people are searching. CLI provides an answer!
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Find out more about women in ministry here.