Clara Lisa Silva is working on her PhD at Université Grenoble Alpes and leads a women's student Bible study in France.
When did you trust Christ?
I come from a missionary family; my parents have been actively involved in the ministry ever since I was a young child. I am happy to say that they were the ones who introduced me to Jesus. When I was a teenager and responsible for my own decisions, I chose to follow Jesus and began seeking him independently. I love reading and learning as much as I can. So, my way of looking for him and the truth was through the Bible. By reading and studying the scriptures and by feeling the touch of the Holy Spirit, I decided to follow Jesus.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
My older sister has been one of the greatest inspirations in my Christian walk. As a missionary in Brazil and later in Albania, she was the first person to inspire me to get involved in missions. As a family, my parents and I would organise outreaches and involve people from our local church to go to villages in need in Brazil for one weekend a month to provide practical help and share the love of Jesus. Today, my sister is still an example to me of how to live my faith, reminding me to fast often, listen to Jesus in silence, and pray constantly. Additionally, I lived for a month with a missionary team in the middle of the Amazon forest, without internet or phone connection. This time of silence from the ordinary world was really special to me. To hear God's voice without distractions and to see Him at work in the lives of the people in the community.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I heard about the European Leadership Forum while participating in the Cambridge Scholars Network. Attending ELF would be a great source of encouragement and enable me to integrate into a network of Christian leaders who share the desire to live out their faith in their environments.
What is your ministry?
I am currently finishing my PhD at Université Grenoble Alpes in collaboration with the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in France. In my professional life, I strive to be a living testimony of Jesus within the scientific community, viewing the academic environment as my missionary field. In addition, at my church, I lead a women's discipleship group composed mostly of university students.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
In Brazil, I worked for ten years as a leader in children’s ministry with the missionary organization Missão Interior de Minas (MIM). During my time at university, I led Bible study groups and organised evangelistic events with missionary organisations. At the International Church of Grenoble, I have served as a leader of a women’s discipleship group for over three years.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
There are very few Christians actively engaged in the academic and scientific environment.
