I am from Naples, Florida in the United States. From a very young age, I have known that God was working in my life. I was born to an unmarried, very young, very poor Mother in York, Pennsylvania in 1973. She was an alcoholic and addicted to drugs. When I was four years old, God intervened in my life, and I was adopted by loving parents. Although they were not Christians, they provided me with a safe, loving home. I was well cared for and got a good education. My grandmother was a Christian woman, and it was because of her that I learned the basics of Christianity and attended Bible school as a child. Throughout my teens, 20’s and 30’s I lived life as I wanted, struggling with financial problems, failed relationships, and alcohol. I could always feel God trying to pull me in a different direction, and although I prayed often and felt a connection to God, I was living life my way, and not following Him.

In the spring of 2015, my fiance and I attended a funeral for a close friend of his. We were so moved by what the Pastor was teaching about salvation that we were overwhelmed to tears. We left with a sense of peace and knowledge that our friend had been saved and gone to Heaven to be with Jesus. The Holy Spirit moved in both of us that day.

Shortly after that funeral, my son, who was recently released from jail, asked us to attend a local church with him. We went gladly and enjoyed the service very much. We have gone almost every Sunday since. I started praying for my son at that service, and within a week or so, I began trusting God to take care of him and put my worries for him in God’s hands. The day after I did that, my son called me and for the first time, admitted to me that he had a drug addiction. He told me about all wrongs he had been doing, told me how sorry he was, and said he wanted to change. He admitted himself into a recovery program and is doing very well. He has accepted Jesus into his life and has been baptized. My fiance and I have also accepted Jesus as our savior, and have been baptized.

The area where we live is very diverse. On one side of the street, you will see the very wealthy going about life without seeming to have a care in the world. On the other side of the street, you will see poverty, hunger, and rampant alcohol and drug addiction.

There are so many people who are looking for answers. The answer they are looking for is so simple!!! Jesus is the answer!!! My ministry dream is to follow wherever God guides me to help people find comfort and strength in Jesus. A scholarship to Christian Leader’s Institute will provide me with a way to gain the knowledge I need to have to bring people to Jesus Christ!
Please pray that I can find the knowledge and wisdom I need to help those around me that are suffering and bring them to our Lord and Savior!

Thank you so much for this opportunity! I plan to make the most of it!