Month: October 2022

From Poverty to Slavery, to a Vision for Vibrant Communities

Posted on October 24, 2022 by - Africa, Because of the GLS, Calling, Complex Thinking, Confidence, Influence, Learning Agility, Nonprofit, North America, Relationship with God, Resilience, Stories, Vision

Bertrand Fonsa

From poverty in Cameroon to slavery in Qatar, and several near-death experiences, Bertrand Fonsa is no stranger to hardship. With a deep passion to make a difference in the world so that no one has to experience poverty the way he has, Bertrand is now leading his life to become a speaker, coach, and entrepreneur with a message of hope and a passion to end poverty and build vibrant communities.

My confidence level has tripled.

After attending The Global Leadership Summit for the first time in 2022, he has been reinvigorated with courage to press on and make a difference with the calling God placed on his heart. “My confidence level has tripled,” said Bertrand. “I’m more eager to read powerful books, invest more resources and time in my worth and value, build a network of like-minded people, and continue to chase my dreams. Since attending the Summit, I’m feeding my mind and making myself resourceful so that I can offer more services to humanity. I’m revisiting my goals more often, setting tangible plans, projecting my vision five years from now, and gaining clarity on where to go from here.”

Bertrand FonsaWith newfound courage, Bertrand looks back on his life and recognizes how despite the pain and hardship he has faced, God can use it to change lives in the future. He realizes that even being alive now is a testament to the fact that God is at work in his life. “Exactly how I happen to be alive today remains a mystery still to be unfolded,” said Bertrand. “From the very onset of my first tragedy—a fire that killed two of my siblings and deformed and left my kid sister and I at the mercy of death and scars—I’ve realized that life is meant to be lived by the living and battles are meant to be won by the survivors. People I have never met have surfaced from nowhere for my rescue, which if you asked me why, I would categorically say, God has always been with me all through my struggles, right up to this moment. I have always had the conviction to see God in every beautiful soul that comes across my path every blessed day.”

Poverty cuts off so many opportunities in life which I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.

Back in Cameroon where Bertrand grew up in a peasant community, he would ask his parents about other parts of the world. After watching TV for the first time, he was blown away by how other people lived so differently—like a fairytale. “I have always hated poverty and our living conditions,” Bertrand shared. “Poverty cuts off so many opportunities in life which I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.”

“Everything about my being is not ordinary,” Bertrand continued. “What God has assigned me to accomplish on earth could be part of the reason why I was born in a peasant community under very impoverished living conditions. This has motivated me with the drive to stand up for God, my community, and the rest of the world. I watched my parents and siblings, especially my mom, suffer under deplorable living conditions. Then out of poverty, I was trafficked and sold as a slave in Qatar, where I was beaten and spat on. I’ve been abandoned in the desert, left for dead, innocently jailed, maimed in Congo, and deported several times in my struggle for survival, even struggling in the U.S., yet I have survived. Above all, I’m standing up for my vision to protect my wife and children, and desire that no one go through what I have gone through.”

My motives and vision for a better future have served as a huge drive to me while I was a slave.

Bertrand’s greatest conviction is to support and build powerful and sustainable communities and leaders around the globe, especially in developing countries. “My motives and vision for a better future have served as a huge drive to me while I was a slave, beaten, jailed, intimidated, deported, neglected, criticized, injured, denied, and abandoned. Yet, I was steadfast and trusted God through it all. I knew if I was broken, many people would suffer and perish. I believe my survival can impact the survival of many nations and generations yet to be born. I feel I have a responsibility to humanity to serve them before I die. My drive is bigger than the sum of my failures and trials. I have been turned down several times seeking avenues to develop my book projects, getting avenues to develop and launch my projects, seeking support and training, resources and many other opportunities, yet I have never thought of backing down even for a second.”

Through resources like The Global Leadership Summit, Bertrand’s main focus today is to invest in himself to prepare for the mission God has bestowed upon him. “I am seeking every avenue I can to learn new skills, engage in more meaningful relationships, and get resources to support God’s visions through me in building and creating vibrant communities through different areas including agriculture, health, education, pharmaceuticals, transportation, food processing, and economic viability.”

I have a responsibility to humanity.

“My favorite part about the Summit is sharing it with my community and network,” Bertrand shares. “I encourage anyone to come learn new skills and connect with like-minded people. It is transformational!”

Join Bertrand and others at The Global Leadership Summit and discover how God may want to encourage YOU on your journey. Learn more at GlobalLeadership.org/Summit.

Supporting Women Saves Lives

Posted on October 10, 2022 by - Because of the GLS, Calling, Change Management, Church & Faith-Based, Confidence, Culture, Decision-Making, Family, Influence, Leading Organizations, Nonprofit, North America, Resilience, Stories, Strategy, Vision, Women Leaders - Leading Others

Three women with arms interlocked to each other and hands folded

Nadia GordynskyAn advocate for women in crisis, founder and president, Nadia Gordynsky’s vision for Safe a Life International is changing the lives of women and children in the U.S. and Ukraine by providing crisis pregnancy support, violence and domestic abuse assistance, and humanitarian aid for mothers and their children. Nadia believes no woman should feel the need to abort her child simply because there was no one to offer her support. With a cause so important, Nadia has found encouragement and confidence through The Global Leadership Summit to expand her mission.

“The Summit helped me stop undermining myself,” said Nadia. “It helped me get rid of an inferior mindset. As an immigrant to the U.S. from Ukraine, I still had this mindset that I didn’t belong. But being at the Summit, the atmosphere liberated me from this way of thinking and gave me more confidence. The Summit changes your perception about your God-given gifts and your ability to lead and inspire others. I realized that through Christ I can lead because people ARE following my lead!”

The Summit helped me stop undermining myself.

Nadia’s calling to serve women and support them through crisis pregnancy was unexpected. Looking back on the abuse she experienced in childhood; she can now see how God used something painful from her past to provide empathy to women. “It’s interesting when you look at your life and see the turning points you didn’t realize at the time,” said Nadia. “Sometimes things happen that you don’t understand, and you grieve. But even though it was something horrible, later in life you see how it turned out to bring about something good.”

Starting Save a Life International began with a trip home to Ukraine and a tragedy of her own.

Nadia discovered almost 1M abortions are performed every year in Ukraine. Pregnant with her own child at the time, she realized she wanted to make a difference and turn the tide on abortion in her home country. Yet, she didn’t anticipate what would happen next.

Though Jonathan only lived for a short hour, he already accomplished his purpose on this earth, and I must carry it through.

At just 18 weeks pregnant, she lost her son. It was Nadia’s own experience with losing a child, who only lived for one hour after a premature birth, that led her to start Save a Life International seven years ago. “I saw his heart beating,” said Nadia. “I held him in the palm of my hand. Years later, it still brings back memories. When we gave him to God, we said goodbye and our lives drastically changed. Though Jonathan only lived for a short hour, he already accomplished his purpose on this earth, and I must carry it through. What he accomplished in an hour I continue to accomplish. The best feeling is when I see the peace of the mother with her child, knowing this child wouldn’t exist if God didn’t use me.”

Nadia Gordynsky holding babyWorking through the death of her own child, and reflecting on the experiences women face, especially those in crisis, she began to form a new approach to saving lives that started with the perspective that you cannot save the life of a baby if you don’t first take care of women. “When I start working through the death of my child, I started this organization,” Nadia explained. “Originally, I thought I was saving the lives of babies, but then I realized God wanted me to help to change the lives of the women. My old painful memories of abuse came back to me, and I started understanding the experiences of women so much better. It was a burden on my heart, and I decided to follow God one step at a time.”

Facing opposition and getting caught between being told she is not pro-life enough or not pro-choice enough, Nadia has found confidence at the Summit not to give up. “I hate when people say ‘pro-choice’ and ‘pro-life,’” said Nadia. “It’s such a trick. To truly be pro-choice, the woman needs the opportunity to also choose life. Some people think I’m controversial—they say I’m not pro-life enough. But we cannot march against abortion—if a girl sees us march against abortion, do you think she’ll come to us for support? By marching, we automatically distance her from us—how can we love her if we push her away?”

No woman should feel the need to abort her child simply because there was no one to offer her support.

Nadia believes no woman should feel the need to abort her child simply because there was no one to offer her support. With this focus, she is serving women who experience abuse and domestic violence. However, with the war that continues to rage on in Ukraine, the support women need is only growing and now also includes those who have experienced trauma and abuse by invading soldiers, as well as supporting refugees. “We’re doing the same thing we were doing before, except we expanded because now we have women and children living in the shelters we created out of our centers,” Nadia explained. “We have five times more clients than in all the years at our centers in Ukraine.”

Save a Life International Women Shelter

Save a Life International Women’s Shelter

 

“The Summit opened my eyes and helped me to get up and keep going,” said Nadia. “It reminded me that I have something to give. The Summit gives you a bigger picture. This gathering is absolutely crucial—it brings people together and empowers them to bring good into the world and go out and do it. I love it.”

Join Nadia and others at The Global Leadership Summit to find your encouragement to keep going on the mission God set before you. Learn more at GlobalLeadership.org/Summit.