Winter 2024 Newsletter
FTTA Gospel Trip
This January, the FTTA sent a team of six trainees (plus three serving ones joined them) to South Carolina for a week of sowing and shepherding. Both a BfA table and a CCS table were set up on two campuses, and many local saints participated throughout the week. The bulk of the time was spent in Columbia, with a day trip to Clemson and a visit to Presbyterian College as well.
First Enjoy the Lord
Leading up to the trip there was much prayer, and during the trip we endeavored to keep ourselves in the Lord’s presence in an intensified way, keeping ourselves in the love of God by praying always in spirit (Jude 20-21). During morning meetings, we prioritized enjoying the Lord in His word more than than methods and results in the work, trusting that the Lord would gain the glory if we would ‘do the first works’, having ‘the first love’ (Rev 2:4-5). A song the trainees taught us, Every Day There is Much Work to be Done, emphasizes our need to first enjoy the Lord before we work for Him according to His divine principle.
Answers to Prayers
We are thankful to report the entire week went very well, according to our prayers, with even the rainy forecasts withholding the rainfall during times of tabling or outdoor events. One day during the entire 2.5 hour drive up to Clemson it was raining, but when the tables were set up on campus, the rain stopped and the saints were able to meet and distribute many tracts and Bibles.
A tally of the sowing stats is below:
Summary | USC | Clemson | Total |
Flyers/Tracts Distributed | 982 | 203 | 1185 |
Bibles Distributed | 312 | 70 | 382 |
Contacted | 97 | 36 | 133 |
Prayed to receive the Lord | 4 | 4 | |
Regular Appointments | 4 | 4 | |
Second Appointments | 2 | 2 |
Additionally, 42 students signed up for further contact. During the week of sowing, we had a New Student Welcome event with 16 students in attendance, and our Friday MIC Night had 29 students, some of whom were new contacts met that week. We thank the saints and praise the Lord. As Isaiah says,
Enlarge your tent site, / Let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; / Spare not; / Lengthen your cords, / And strengthen your pegs; For on the right and on the left you will break open, / And your seed will possess the nations / And will cause the desolate cities to be inhabited.
Isaiah 54:2-3
Photos
Tabling on USC Campus
Trainees and students at New Student Welcome Night
Tabling at Clemson: the Lord held off the rain!
Visiting students at Presbyterian College
Our MIC Night with 29 students
Prayer Burdens
We believe that the Lord desires to pour out more and more onto the churches and saints in the Carolinas. Continue praying for the contacts that have been met: one was baptized the week after the trainees left; others are still open to grow and connect more. The trainees went on to sow more in the Research Triangle area after their time Columbia. Pray for their continued supply and health.