Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!
My name is Jose Benzon Sanchez, a Filipino, 49 years old and a father of five children. I have three boys and two girls, with two grandsons and a granddaughter. My wife and I and still three of our children lives in Hamburg, Germany.
I became a Christian when I was in my teens. But because there wasn’t much fire in my relationship with the Lord, I strayed from His path a lot of times. I just wanted to do everything my own way and God humbled me. After I lost my first family, I was deep in drugs and alcohol.
When God called me back, there’s no sweeter as home sweet home. There is no other thing in my mind, but to be his disciple. No plans of going back to my old self, just praying to be obedient and prepared for our Lord for whatever plan he has for me.
I assist my pastor in every way I can. He allows me to preach from time to time or when he is away. And I also handle the youth ministry. That is why I can say that CLI is an answered prayer for me. With my financial problems, CLI is the answer for my deeper study of God’s word.
Most people here don’t know God or refuse the existence of God. They are well in their lives that’s why they don’t need God. I also have catholic friends who have a general idea about God or people who practices traditional religion.
CLI is so important because if not for you, I wouldn’t be able to go to pursue these studies. My situation does not allow me to do anything like studying. And when you say studying it always has to do with money, but here it is free. Praise God for that! Thank you CLI for allowing us to have opportunities like this.
Please pray that I will be able to finish my course or studies. And will be able to serve God mightily. To be able to evangelize to the people around us here and to be able to take care for those who are with us with the love of the Lord.
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. My name is Robert Biyena and I live in Cameroon, in the town of Douala. I am the sixth of seven children. I blessed the Lord greatly for the freedom we have in our country here to share the Gospel. I’ve been doing it for some years now, in markets, from house to house, in crossroads.
The Lord revealed Himself to me when I was still a small boy in the Town of Garoua in 2000. In 2001, I knew some challenges and backslided even though I continued going to church. I bless the Lord because since 2004, I was forcefully catched by God and I am enjoying this glorious walk with Christ and I will keep enjoying it till Jesus come.
My ministry dream is to invade my town, my country… the world with Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people have heard about a certain Jesus, but they have never received an understandable presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to do it by setting up small groups everywhere and equipping every believer to be a disciple maker. I believe what fits me better is evangelist/church planter.
In 2004, I was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit. From that time, I went about preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and I knew I was called to ministry. One year later (in 2005) as I was on my knees praying around 11 p.m., the Lord called me twice by my name and confirmed the call the ministry. He gave me some clear instructions
Among other issues, I believe corruption is one of the worst things in our Cameroon. Corruption has become a way of living in this nation. It is very difficult to get a service without bribe and it has seriously affected the economy of our nation. People are also unemployed and there is much poverty.
The church has encouraged a lot in my call and has given me the opportunity to display my potential. I came to know God through my elder brother and he is encouraging also.
I believe CLI is a gift of God to me because I am not financially viable. I was seeking a good Bible School to train myself without relocating somewhere else, then I came across CLI and saw it as a divine opportunity given to me.
I pray that the Lord may mightily work through me to bring everybody I encounter to obey to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
My name is Sandra Ewen; I work as a school clinic nurse. My life is a living testimony has to what God can do. I’ve always believed in the Lord but it was one day while I was seated in New York and I was lamenting to a friend over the phone “why God would let me go through so much suffering.” It was then has I uttered the words, I felt a rushing wind towards me and it felt like electricity had shot through me there and I began to praise the Lord in a loud voice. Several months later when I had arrived in Florida, I started to attend a church and got baptized. I’ve always wanted to work for the kingdom of God, but just didn’t know how to get involved, I felt like I didn’t know enough or could quote scriptures to win souls. But, I’ve now realized that God can use anyone and any small thing.
This following life event has propelled me to move out of my comfort zone and not to be afraid to act upon a need:
One particular morning, I had a student who visited the clinic and asked if I’d any underwear due to the one he was wearing had holes in it. I didn’t have any at the time and told him so, sadly he walked away.
He came back a second time for a band aid for his knee which had a small sore on it. By this time I could see how unkempt he was, he was in need of skin care and his clothing was dingy etc.
Third time it was for another band aid the one I’d given him had fallen off, I took care of him and sent him on his way. Within 5 minutes he was back again in the clinic, this time without any shoes, one of his big toe was bleeding. I’m going to be honest, I was now annoyed with him….I had a rough start in the morning, it was June and the A/C wasn’t working; it was 80 degrees in the clinic. There was a big fan on the floor blowing by my desk where he was seated. As he sat there on the chair swinging his feet back and forth, I was assaulted with each swing of a foul odor (can you imagine the scent!?)
I remembered feeling overwhelmed that no one wanted to deal with him and his odor and, boy, I was upset. But while walking to the bathroom to get him a change of shirt because he’d said the one he had on smelt like fish; I asked myself “What would Jesus Do?” and a quiet voice said “Wash his feet!”
This was the most humbling experience for me. I bent down with a basin filled with soapy water, paper towels and washed his bug bitten feet with tiny sores. A week later he was taken with his other 5 siblings and placed in foster care before I had a chance to do anything for him and because of him, his needs and the needs of others “I See the Need Ministry” was birthed. A ministry that raises funds for underwear and socks for the school clinic. I continue to pray that the Lord will watch over them and one day I will see him again better off than he was.
A scholarship to CLI would enable me to learn more about the Bible and to effectively evangelize to those who don’t know Christ. As a single mother of three, I wouldn’t be able to afford or able to attend any classes which would take me away from home from my children. I pray that I can be a blessing to others as CLI.
My vision is to have a ministry that not only speak the Word of God, but also demonstrates the love of Jesus Christ who didn’t ignore the suffering of the people, but did something about it!
Matthew 25:35 (NIV) 35 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”