Full-Time Training - Testimonies

To Hear the Lord's Calling, Ben Phillips

While in high school in Irving, Texas, the Lord instilled within me a desire to attend the Full-Time Training in Anaheim (FTTA). Having grown up in Irving, I met with the local church there and received much care from the brothers and sisters throughout my teenage years. As I began college, though there was never any outward pressure from the brothers and sisters to go to the FTTA, the Lord's inward calling intensified. By His mercy, after completing my first two years of college, the door was opened for me to attend the FTTA. At that time the Training was under the direction of Witness Lee. (He has since gone to be with the Lord.)

While in the Full-Time Training in Anaheim, at the tender age of 20, my eyes were opened to see God's eternal purpose and the meaning of my human life; I saw the universal and local aspects of the church for the very first time. (Revelation 1:4, Ephesians 1:22-23)

My experience and enjoyment of Christ was greatly enriched. My knowledge of the Bible and biblical principles increased. Unfortunately, because I had not yet finished my education, I returned to school having completed only 1½ terms of the FTTA. However, I vowed to one day return to complete the entire two years of Bible truth and church service training.

As the years went by I got married, completed my undergraduate and graduate studies, accumulated a colossal student loan debt, began working firstly as a physical therapist and then as a supervisor, and eventually had two sons. As my student loan debt began to decrease, the Lord's inward calling began to increase again. By the Lord's mercy, as before, my family and I moved to Anaheim in February 2001 so that I could continue to be trained to be a useful vessel to the Master. (2 Timothy 2:21) Although the Lord may not lead everyone to the training, there is no other place that I would rather be. I am now 32 years old, in my third term, and I am having the time of my life.

The Full-Time Training, which is still carried out according to the principles established by Witness Lee, is the “Pre-Training” to the rest of my life. If I could leave the reader with one thought, it would be this: the Full-Time Training only lasts for two years, but I could regret for my entire life having never come. If the Lord so leads, spend a life of no regrets... calculate the cost, then pay the price.

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