Full-Time Training - Testimonies

Where Jesus is--My Joy is There, Leanne Hauser

Life has perplexed me since I was a child. I used to sit in front of the mirror and stare at my reflection just to convince myself that I in fact was real and was this girl with brown hair and brown eyes called Leanne Elizabeth Hauser. As I got older, I no longer was troubled with the question of my existence but rather with the reason for my existence and the reality of God's existence.

In high school, I struggled with my identity. I struggled to figure out what were my strengths and weaknesses, where I could see myself in ten years and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. When applying for schools, I was interested in all the different majors and fields, so upon entering college I was still “undecided”. However, four years of college helped a lot in giving me direction.

During my third year at U.C. Irvine, I began to know the Lord in an intimate way. I was going through a transitional period from naïve to discovering. I realized that certain people and things were draining me of my time, energy and love. I slowly began to break ties with these people and things and devote my time and energy into relationships and activities that were deserving of me, that returned true affection. It was during this time that I recovered my personal prayer with the Lord. For the first time in a long time, I could see the Lord again and He was able to show me what His will for my life was.

I had heard about the Full-Time Training before and always had admired those who would give two years of their life to study the word and know more of the Lord. Knowing my fickle relationship with God, I never thought I could be so absolute for Him. However, the more you know someone and begin to love this person, the more desirable it is to sacrifice other things to know this person more. This was my experience with the Lord. By His love and mercy, I became one of “those” and came to the Full-Time Training. It has been a wonderful experience. There have been difficult times as well as moments of great joy, but the knowledge of the word of God and of God Himself that I have gained here far surpasses everything else I could have been doing. Like Paul says in Philippians 3:8b, “ I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ.” Now I am decided. Now I know where I see myself in ten years. Now I know the reason for my existence. Now I know Christ.

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