Testimonies
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My time at the training was not a waste, with the Lord placing me in a home
with four other middle age saints. This was quite an experience and gaining
of my being. After being in the church for so long a time attending the
meetings, going to conferences, to trainings, home meetings etc., I thought
that I was ok, but was I so wrong. Every class was an eye opening,
especially the class on the perfecting training which exposed my cancer of
opinion, and disposition. There were those that showed me how I did not have
a heart for man. In the training you are immersed in the Word, prayer, and
fellowship day in and day out. I was able to have morning watch with my
husband every morning before my corporate morning watch with the other
trainees. Attending the live ministry meeting on Wednesday night was so
enjoyable. It was a joy to help in the kitchen with the cooking and the
cleaning. We enjoyed singing and fellowshipping with our precious brother
who was laboring with the cooking to see that we had healthy food to eat.
These precious times were not in vain. The service, home meetings, the
nourishing from the saints in Anaheim were wonderful. I encourage every
middle age saint to bring this matter to the Lord in prayer regarding the
middle age training. This will add years to your time in the church life.
A brother and I decided to go for two weeks to experience the training. I
especially remember the time we had in the morning praying and
fellowshipping with the Lord on our own and with the saints. I got help from
the speaking that will be a special help to me. I treasure all that we went
over in the training. We went for another two weeks, this time going through
the pre-training, which was a large dispensing of the Triune God into us. I
would say if you can go full time, go. But if you can only get away for two
weeks do that, and attend the middle-age training! Before attending the FTTA-MA, we took
for granted the riches in the ministry of the Word that we are privileged to
have. The training opened our being and put many fragments of the ministry
together into a whole vision, teaching us to have a learning spirit. There
is hope now that even we can bear fruit in old age! We feel the training
prepared us for our next move in Him. Many of the classes were taught by the
same teachers as the FTTA. It was like a non-stop conference of glorious
messages! Some classes totally revolutionized our concepts, especially the
ones on neighborhood children's meetings and the God-ordained way! The
classes on disposition and character were so exposing, driving us to repent
to the Lord. This training enlightened us to our real condition--the light
there is very piercing. The study groups were an enjoyable building
experience. Serving with the saints was the greatest joy on earth. We
encourage everyone to let the Lord uproot you, come to the FTTA-MA and let
Him prepare you to be useful in His move on this Earth. Don't let this
opportunity pass you by! You will never regret coming to this training--even
if just for two weeks. The fellowship and building we experienced in serving
with others from all over the world is an eternal memorial for us. Any price
you pay for this is worth it! Amen, Lord: life, truth, service, gospel and
character…gain us! Your kingdom come, Your will be done ON EARTH, as it is
in heaven. Glory to Him!
I have migrated together with my husband and two teenage daughters from
Church in Campbell, Northern California to Lyon, France since August, 2008.
We are here to answer Lord’s calling to Europe to serve as an open home.
Praise the Lord, even we are in mid-age, we can still function in His Body
and participate His move.
I am so thankful to the Lord for making a way for me to go to the middle-age
training. I was there for 2 terms and than I graduated. My prayer to the
Lord in the training was that I would see the Body of Christ and be more
useful to Him. The Lord answered my prayer. To me the training was such a
sanctified time with so many saints from different countries. I served with
so many members of His Body. My highlight in the training was to learn and
see the three divine and mystical stages of Christ’s ministry. The lessons
were very rewarding. Also the book: The Secret of God’s Organic Salvation
was an excellent supply for me. I saw how important it is to be built up
with others. The coordination was excellent. The middle-age training brings
you into a sanctified realm, which left a big impression in me. It brought
me closer to the Lord. How much we need to be trained. It was a very
precious time for me, I will always treasure it.
As the Lord is moving and growing in His testimony and expression, we as His
believers need to be equipped with the truth. The Middle-age Training gave
me a clearer understanding of His eternal economy and His Body, the Church.
My awareness of His presence and His longing to return was heightened. My
love for Him increased as well. The brothers who labored to dispense the
truth into us were surely anointed in each meeting. There was not one class
that I did not sense the Lord and His speaking. If you have even a slight
inclination that you could attend the FTTA-MA, I encourage you to go. I went
at the urging of a sister who has since gone to be with the Lord. When she
first asked, I did not have any strong feeling to go but because I said
“Amen” I got the benefit. Some in my locality have said I did not return the
same person. Amen Lord, more of You!
The training not only cleansed me in a very deep way with my relationship
with the Lord, but it also prepared me to be a functioning member in the
Body. Our home is going to be opened starting next Monday for an
English-speaking meeting and will be serving the Young people on the Lord's
day. Praise the Lord for the serving ones who labored so hard for the
materials to feed us and who also provided the kind loving care for us to
have a balanced growth in Him during the time of FTTA-MA.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the Middle-Age Training forever
changed my Christian life. Although my wife had been in the recovery for
thirty years, I had only been here for two. I was burdened that I needed all
the help I could get in order to make the most of the remaining years of my
life—to be matured as an overcomer. A hothouse is an environment in which
everything necessary for the growth of the plant life is optimized and
maximized. The training is a “hothouse” for the divine life; a “Zoesphere,”
if you will.
We really enjoyed the FTTA-MA. During that time, our daily living was
uplifted to practice the one new man by having morning watch together,
studying together and praying together. With other saints, we exercised our
mingled spirit. All the trainers spoke the word of the living God with their
spirit. After lunch, we enjoyed being in small groups praying and walking on
the campus. We enjoyed the anointing Spirit leading us and were full of joy.
In addition to the FTTA-MA classes, we also enjoyed the gatherings with FTTA
on Monday nights and Wednesday ministry meetings. We found that the FTTA-MA
really helped the saints to redeem the time and have a practical daily
living. We attended the Middle-Age Training when
we were very new to the Recovery and still full of religion. Our hunger was
to know more about Christ-- to be filled with Him. In reality, we had no
idea what to expect, just as young people who enter marriage have nothing
but stars in their eyes. Each day we received huge blessings. Every class we
wanted to reflect on and go over to get more of the gold being mined for us.
Every activity with our classmates gave us memories to cherish. Two months
after we graduated we had a real hunger to do it all over again. We are so
thankful that we had the opportunity to attend and would encourage everyone
to prayerfully consider going to this wonderful training. What we gained and experienced in the training remains a continual source of supply in our daily church life. I have 2 words, 1 verse and part of a
hymn that describe my time in the training. To me, the Middle-age Training is the
best kept secret in the Lord's recovery. This training parallels the
Full-Time Training which was started by our brother Witness Lee. It is a
golden opportunity to get unstuck and be perfected to be useful for the rest
of our lives. At a certain age we feel it is so hard
to be trained, even if it causes spiritual growth. Nevertheless, I have
changed my idea about what training is, for the Middle Age Training has
given me an attainable challenge. There is no age limit to gain Christ and
be able to service in the church life afterwards. The corporate living and
the various services we participated in rejuvenated all who participated. No
matter how old the physical body feels or looks, participating in the study,
the services and the corporate living is an experience for all ages. Even
studying for mid-terms and finals is no impossible dream, because we are
trained to even enjoy studying. I have certainly gained much from that.
After so many years out of school, you short change yourself into thinking
that this is unattainable, but when you study to enjoy, it is totally
different from school experiences. You really gain so much, because you
enter into the riches of the ministry. Everybody should come to the FTTA-MA.
It is beyond words. I completed the first term of the middle
age training in June of 2009. It started in March and it took a lot of
struggling to get there, but I was very glad to be a part of that term and
to complete it. I don’t know that I had a favorite class as they were all
very good. To my surprise even the tests were pretty enjoyable. I was so
glad I had a few sisters to study with. I appreciated all the trainers very
much. They did not speak their own words, but infused us with the truth of
the Word and the ministry in every class. What was truly amazing was the
enjoyment of blending with so many saints from so many different places and
countries. Some saints you hit it off with right away and some you clash
with, and some you don't seem to get to know very well, because you don't
have much contact with them. But, by the end of the training you had the
same love for all the saints. It was very clear that this genuine love, care
and concern were absolutely from the Lord Himself and not of us. The
training was truly a marvelous building experience and I think the verses
that sums it all up for me is: Ephesians 4:11-16 “…Until we all arrive at
the oneness of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, at a
full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” |
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