We are writing from Brownsville, Texas, where it has been a very busy but enjoyable couple of days. To give a short background of Brownsville, there is a church in Brownsville with around 45 active saints. The two main campuses here are the University of Texas in Rio Grande Valley-Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. The Christians at RGV club currently has around five active students, one part-time serving one, and one full-time serving one.

We hit the ground running on Day 1 of the campus work with a real desperation to gain the seeking ones that would become remaining fruit. Here is a rough schedule for the trainees during the first 2 days:

7:30-8:30— Pass out flyers for the Bible Study 9:15-10:30— Coordination 10:30-12:00— Tabling and passing out more flyers for the Bible Study 12:00-2:00— Half of us at the Bible Study and the other half still tabling and handing out flyers 2:00-3:00— Coordination on campus to see how we can improve the Bible Study 3:00-4:45— More tabling and passing out flyers 5:00-8:00— Dinner with students, bring students to home meetings.

After 8:00 we went home and took care of miscellaneous tasks before going to bed, such as updating the database, organizing the flyers for the next day, and printing out papers for coordination.

We have had a great turnout at all of our events. Last semester, the Bible Study attendance averaged around six students, but on Monday we had 20 students attend and on Tuesday we had 44 students attend. We also had a cookout right in the middle of campus on Thursday, where around 50 students attended and many of the students were ones we previously met and returned to spend more time with us.

By the end of Day 4, we have had over 280 new contacts that have signed up at our tables, attended a Bible Study, and/or attended the cookout. There have also been 15 salvations! Many students have also gone to a home meeting, had appointments with us, or have begun to read the book of John with us. The students on this campus are very open and eager to meet with us and there are not many Christian organizations on this campus, so those who are hungry and seeking are very happy to have come in contact with us.

We have been informed that there has been much prayer from all over the country. Thank you all for sending us the divine supply :)

Prayer Burdens:

• The trainees are a little tired after having 12+ hour work days and need the continued prayers of the saints to supply and strengthen us!
• The students would remain open to us and we would be able to have more contact with them
• The saints in Brownsville to be strengthened to receive these new ones into their homes

After four days of sowing on the college campuses and in the community, the Lord has blessed us with many positive contacts and many Bible recipients. Now we are focusing more on the shepherding and follow-up with these positive contacts. On the one hand, one burden is to distribute the Word of God to the community. On the other hand, our view and our goal is to gain remaining fruit. We predict that by the end of this week, we will have passed around 1,000 Bibles. Of these 1,000 recipients, if the saints in Ottawa had 10 solid positive contacts to shepherd, then this sowing trip will be a success. To gain 10 such ones, we need adequate follow-up with our positive contacts and much and thorough prayer. Lord, may you gain at least 10!

These four days of labor have also tested our endurance. Nevertheless, we have enjoyed coming to the Lord in a fresh way morning by morning to be revived and strengthened. Here are some lines from some hymns that we have enjoyed.

Hymn 554:
“I come to his presence afresh… And He speaks to me and reveals to me all His riches for me today; and with sweet delight I partake of Him, My hunger has passed away… And I drink of Him for my every need, my thirsting has passed away”

Hymn 521:
“I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast shown, and I begin to see, What Thou canst be to all Thine own, What they may be to Thee; If only they will yield Thee all, And trustingly obey Thy call”

Gospel Outreach:
The current statistics are as follows (numbers are still in flux):

• Tracts: 1,895
• BfC Bible Offer Cards: 2
• Bibles: 840
• Basic Elements of the Christian Life, vol. 1: 69
• Other BfC Ministry books: 545
• Contacts >30 seconds: 779
• Prayed With: 19
• Second Appointment: 9

We also have 73 very open positive contacts and 187 additional positive contacts. Many saints are beginning to have appointments with these contacts and we hope to have more appointments on Friday. On Saturday evening, we will host a Bible seminar from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM with dinner included. The topic will be: the Key to Experiencing Christ - the Human Spirit. After a presentation on this topic, we will place the contacts in smaller groups and shepherd them according to their needs. Seminar invitations will be sent out to these contacts tomorrow. May many touch their human spirit on Saturday!

Prayer Burdens:

• The Lord would keep Algonquin College open for Bible distribution and Bibles for Canada would maintain positive relationships with other campus ministries
• Our contacts would respond to our texts and emails for appointments and they would touch Christ in these appointments
• The Lord would bless the Saturday seminar and the Lord would be our wisdom in shepherding the contacts during the group time.

Behold the Sower went out to sow and some seeds fell beside the way, others fell on the rocky places,and others fell into the thorns, However, some fell on the good earth and yielded fruit (Mark 4:3-8). Lord, may some seeds fall on the good earth this week!

The heavens rejoice!:

“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting”— Luke 15:10

One of the students from Clemson University was baptized last Tuesday! She received the Lord a month ago and was consistent in participating in the weekly Monday meeting in a home. She has met several times this week in the home to blend with the team and with the local saints. In God’s time, she made a decision to take a complete step into God’s kingdom!

Sowing time in Simpsonville:

On Wednesday, we met with the church in Simpsonville (an hour away from Clemson) and participated in their gospel preaching. The team, together with some local saints, were divided into sub-teams and went to two neighborhoods and distributed BfA door hangers to every home. Our goal was to create an awareness of the local church to the people around the area and to spread the truth. There were several homes that we were able to get a conversation with and some showed interest in the truth and in meeting with us. We pray that the local saints in Simpsonville will be able to pick up the burden to follow-up with the homes who responded.

Prayer Burdens:

• That the newly baptized sister will strongly go on in the Lord and will be useful for His move
• That the saints in Simpsonville will be able to follow-up with the homes who responded

We just finished three days of Bible distribution in Morgan Hill and Gilroy. The Lord really has blessed the labor here. We believe that it is through our much prayer and coordination the Lord was able to bless this area with much sowing.

We feel that Gavilan College is having a new revival. We found out that on the campus there isn’t any Christian club on it. We can feel the thirst and the hunger of the students. Many times they did not receive the Bible because they were late for class. Throughout the last three days, we were able to have many solid contacts. We also set up Bible studies and invited many to the saints’ home.

Last, but not least, we are realizing how vital and normal the church life is here with the local saints having a burden for the children’s work resulting in gaining the hearts of many parents. May the Lord continue to bless His move in Morgan Hill and Gilroy for His Economy.

Enjoyment:
We really enjoyed reading together with the team chapter one of The Exercise of the Kingdom for the Building of the Church. Matthew 16:18 is now being fulfilled among us. The Lord has given us new light on the building of the church so that His prophecy might be fulfilled. We pray that many of us will see that Christ is the resurrected rock flowing with living water. After receiving such a revelation, many will spontaneously declare, “Amen, Lord Jesus. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” By making this declaration, we receive more water within and more oil without. If we declare that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God, we shall be filled with water and covered with oil. How blessed it is to be a Bar-jona who has seen the heavenly vision and has declared it! May we be beside ourselves with this revelation and proclaim it again and again. The more water and oil we receive, the more life and function we shall have. Then by life and function we shall become the corporate Christ, the one Body with the many members to fulfill God’s purpose.

Gospel Activities:

• Starting tomorrow, we are going to start door-knocking. The local saints feel that this is the best way to reach the local community and invite many new ones to attend the seminar this Saturday.
• We will continue to go to Gavilan College and the library in the city center to have Bible studies and to follow up with the hot contacts.
• Thursday night and Friday night we are having a meal at the local saint’s home where we are inviting our new and fresh contacts.
• This coming Saturday we are having picnic followed by a seminar.

Prayer Burdens:

• Pray for the follow up with the hot contacts.
• Pray for activities this Saturday, that the Lord release many new families, children, and fresh contacts to come.
• Please pray that the Lord strengthen the tripartite being of all trainees, bind any sickness and put the enemy to an open shame.

On Tuesday, 1/31/17, many wonderful local saints joined us in our labor for the gospel. We divided into two groups, one went door-knocking, while the other went to the University of Fraser Valley campus to distribute free Bibles and ministry materials, and to inform students about our upcoming seminars. Later, after our prayer meeting, we made a list of contacts and friends we’re burdened for to come to our gospel meeting this Saturday, and we’ve been praying for them by name.

Yesterday, 2/1/17, we continued door-knocking, and there were several very encouraging contacts. Two prayed to receive the Lord! Praise Him! We also made three home visitations, and it has been sweet to be able to pray for the families’ situations specifically.

Prayer Burdens:

• The Lord would bless our upcoming Bibles for Canada seminars with His presence
• The Lord would release many gospel contacts to come to our gospel meeting this Saturday
• The saints we visit would be comforted and encouraged by the Christ us