Godwill Zwelithini Mandla. Graduate story

My name is Godwill Z. Mandla aged 37, am a born-again Christian living and working in Botswana as a science teacher. I am married with no children yet. I am a member of small and fast growing church in Botswana where I serve in the house of the Lord as an Executive Committee chairperson, and my wife a minister in the house of God.

Botswana has been a Christian state since its independence from the British colony in 1966 to date, we have been very much blessed by having been founded in peace, and by God’s Grace we are one of the very few countries in Africa that has never experienced any kind of wars on the soils of our land. From independence the country was mainly dominated by the mainline Protestant churches, a group of Protestant churches that contrast in history and practice with evangelical, fundamentalist, and charismatic Protestant denominations. These are churches that a prone to social gospel, less emphasis is put on the teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the one and only way of human salvation. This has led to the people of Botswana to remain behind in the knowledge of true salvation and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people. Therefore people took a church as a good social organization where people meet to exhort each other and worship God, but without appreciating Jesus Christ as our personal savior. It is now in the past three decades that the true gospel of Jesus Christ the savior, has come to the country though evangelical and charismatic Protestant denominations that few people of Botswana started to come to an understanding of the true Christianity. In this light I want to say it is not only to bring people to Christ but also to reteach them and encourage people to engage in reading and developing a habit of reading the word of God on their own.

The scholarship of CLI will greatly assist me in equipping me with the wisdom of the word of God as continue to serve in the house of the Lord. It is my strong believe that all leaders in the house of the Lord must be knowledgeable in the word of God. And be able to evangelize in any place they find themselves in. it is therefore very important for me to have had this opportunity of knowing about CLI and making use of it, especially that I could not have managed to go to a Bible college or seminary because I am currently working.

My dream is to see a nation of Botswana getting personal with God, that is being a God fearing nation, a nation which the face of the Lord shall not depart from it, a fulfilment of the scriptures;
2 Chron 7:14
“14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” NIV

With CLI programs I believe that I and the multitudes that are yet to enroll, we can take the gospel to the nations even if it means one person at a time.