CUW biblical studies student Tsiltiyah Fogle is already using her studies—and military experience—to serve veterans and others.
The list of people who come to a new country at age 18 and within months join that country’s military is probably very short. But it includes Tsiltiyah Fogle, a CUW biblical studies major and U.S. Marine Corps veteran who is already using her own experiences to help veterans and others cope with life’s challenges.
Tsiltiyah Fogle spent the first 18 years of her in Israel, but came to America as a young adult “to see what the U.S. was like and to get my life in order,” she says. Within a few months, she set her sights on joining the military.
“I realized I didn’t have anyone to help me with anything like college funds, a car, or anything else,” she explains, so she looked to the Marines as an avenue “to get on my feet on my own.”
“Also, I wanted to gain the character and morals the military offers like honor, courage, commitment, and so on,” she adds. “I also thought it would be fun!”
Overcoming her past
Like so many veterans, Tsiltiyah left her time in the Corps experiencing symptoms of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She struggled for years to get things under control. The breakthrough came in 2017, when she accepted the healing love and grace of Jesus.
“When I first became a Christian, I was experiencing, like, 62 serious symptoms of complex PTSD,” Tsiltiyah recalls. “Now, 33 of those symptoms don’t happen at all anymore, and 22 of them have gotten drastically better.”
What that means, she explains, is that instead of happening almost every day, they happen only two or three times a year. It’s a good thing, too—because she clearly has her hands full!
She and her husband, Charles, a U.S. Navy veteran, are proud parents of three: ages 7, 2-and-a-half, and 18 months. They also recently started a non-profit organization: Chesed Life Builders, dedicated to helping veterans and other underserved communities by providing free and low-cost housing, as well as other services such as spiritual development and drug/alcohol counseling. They’ll also help veterans apply for V.A. benefits and help make sure they’re getting the most help they can.
“But we’re not just helping veterans, because civilians need help, too,” she explains. “We’re going to provide meetings that address the mind, body, spirit, financial, relational … basically the entire health spectrum of individuals, but from a Christian perspective.”
Though founded less than two years ago, Chesed Life Builders is already providing housing for 17 people in need people. One thing that makes their housing ministry different from most others is what she and Charles call a “scattered housing” approach. That is, many programs house participants in a “compound” setting, with dozens or even hundreds of people living four to a room in the same building. The Chesed approach is to provide multiple smaller housing opportunities, to spread people out more and give them more personal space.
“Why would you want to take a bunch of addicts and stick them together with a bunch of other addicts?” she asks. “I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but how can they get sober if they’re surrounded by people that are struggling with the same thing? They want to live like everybody else. And I’ve heard a lot of people in vulnerable populations say they’d rather live on the street than go into some of these group housing programs.”
Sustainable ministry
The organization is funded largely by the Fogles themselves, as well as by private donations, various grants, and income from Ephrata Farm, a faith-based, sustainable 8.82-acre vegetable plantation outside Racine, Wisconsin. It not only generates income, it provides job opportunities for people being helped by Chesed Life Builders.
As their website states:
Our mission in the agriculture industry is rooted in community service across Southeastern Wisconsin. Through partnerships with local pantries and CSA sales, we aim to provide quality, affordable, and organic produce. A significant portion of our farm’s revenue supports our nonprofit initiatives, reinforcing our commitment to local welfare and sustainability.
Running a non-profit definitely has a “business” side to it, but it’s first and foremost a ministry. Tsiltiyah’s husband, Charles, is on track to graduate soon with a master’s degree in nonprofit management, while Tsiltiyah is set to graduate from CUW in May with a degree in biblical studies.
At the heart of it all is a devotion to Christ. Tsiltiyah herself knows the life-changing power of Jesus, seeking to share His love and use His teaching to help people.
She originally was on the social work track, but switched to Biblical studies “because I really believe that that’s what I’m supposed to be doing.” After that, she plans to purse a doctorate of divinity from Trinity International University in nearby Bannockburn, Illinois. The goal is for Charles—who also plans to pursue a doctorate in law—to manage the business side of things, while Tsiltiyah will oversee the spiritual and counseling needs of program participants.
“Our goal is to get residents on their feet, where they don’t really need nonprofits services anymore,” Tsiltiyah says. “But they’ll be welcome to stay as long as they need to. It all depends on their circumstances.”
Three kids. A farm. A non-profit. And a full load of classes at school. Now those are some circumstances! But through it all, Tsiltiyah knows that it’s the love and strength of her Savior, Jesus Christ, that will keep her and Charles chasing after His will for their lives.
“Jesus has done a lot for me,” she says. “I used to never experience joy or peace or anything like that. But now, even though I’m still struggling with like ten things, I have joy and peace a lot of times, and my devotion to Christ is all-day, every day, because that’s the only way anyone can truly live their best life.”
And isn’t that all that any of us can really ask for?
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Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.