Week Ten finishes L&S 2007!

Wow. It is hard to believe that Week Ten was our last week. However, what a great week to finish the summer...our week ten students kept everyone pumped up and didn't let us get sad until Friday.

Quiet Time

Each day, we continued having quiet time to get the day started. Everyone finds a spot on campus to just have some one-on-one time with God. Whether it is on the swinging bridge, by the AT shed or on a rock in the creek, students have the chance to seek Him and listen. Often, our "God moments" happen during this time.

"Come on and join us to change the world"

Thursday nights...another wow this summer. Originally, our staff planned to have special musicians come in for an energy-filled "Jesus Jam". After this fell through and the prayer service materialized, we realized this was one of our "God moments" for the summer. We were able to see God in the prayer service each week. And after communion wrapped worship up, we had our own "Jesus Jam" time, which was usually a huge party to end the week. This week, we got a visit from Jarred's cousin, who happened to be...a leprechaun?

Goodbye Week Ten!

Finally, here's a photo of our last week of students. Keep in touch and let us know what you're doing in Oviedo and Orlando - or somewhere else! We'll see you next year.

What happens at L&S is only the beginning

At SIFAT, students and adults get the chance to step away from everyday life. Cell phones get little to no service, so you don't stay on the phone much. We have no televisions to get caught up watching random marathons of your favorite shows. Instead, you get to spend a lot of time with God in His creation and fellowship with fellow believers.

During these times, we often let God talk to us - and we listen a lot more! Two sisters have written about their experiences at L&S this summer. We want to share their stories with you.

My Home Away from Home
by Carson Shock

During the past couple of years, so many things have changed in my life. My brother has gone off to college, friends have come and gone, and I have moved from Mississippi to Arkansas. Even though I have moved and changed, one thing has always stayed the same -- every summer I go to SIFAT. No matter what youth group I'm in, we go every year.

I have been going to SIFAT twice a year for the past four years. Every year there is different staff and counselors, but it is always the same ole SIFAT. SIFAT has helped me grow and change in my walk with Christ. Every year that I go back, it just gets better and better.

This year was probably the most AMAZING year ever. I learned so much this summer at SIFAT. I learned that you don't have to go overseas to do mission work; you can do it in your own backyard. I learned to choose joy in everything I do; I learned to take the situations that God has given me and run with them and be happy and choose joy. Through the years I have learned so many other things at SIFAT as well. I have learned to appreciate the things that God has given me and to not take things for granted.

I love SIFAT. As soon as you pull up to that gravel road and drive up to the lodge or International House or walk over the bridge, or play in the creek, or hike over to the cafeteria, or go over to the ropes course, or go down to Aldea, or go to the slums, you can feel God. God is alive and well at SIFAT; he is changing lives and making himself known among his people. God is an AWESOME God and he has done so much through SIFAT. God is good. Through everything, no matter how many times I have moved and changed I know SIFAT is always there. SIFAT is my home.

Slapped at SIFAT
by Taylor Shock

I have been to SIFAT more times than I can even count, but this time was by far the most life changing experience I have ever had at SIFAT. This summer God truly opened my eyes and my heart to the world around me. He showed me how much he has blessed me with and how much I take everything I have for granted . God showed me that there is more to the world than just the United States. He showed me there is so much more out there in the world. God opened my eyes to see the less fortunate people in the world, and he showed me how much I can truly help serve those people.

Every time I come to SIFAT it is always a little bit different than the last. This summer I felt like I was in a new place. I mean , everything was the same: we toured the village and we were taught how to use appropriate technology, but somehow it seemed like I was in a different place. I feel that this summer God let me fully experience and understand what SIFAT is truly about.

This summer we had quiet time in the morning, which was new and much needed. I loved quiet time because it gave me a chance to listen and talk to God. I really liked quiet time because it gave me a chance to block everything out and just focus on God. Another thing this summer that was FREAKING AWESOME was the counselors. The counselors really helped with everything, they were always there to talk or just to hang out.

I saw God so many times throughout my week at SIFAT. I saw God in the counselors because you could just see the Holy Spirit spilling out of them. I saw God in the AMAZING worships we had every night in the FREAKING AWESOME Quonset hut. I loved having worship in the Quonset hut. I saw God in the stars at night, and I saw God in the AMAZING sunsets I saw at nights from the Quonset hut. I especially saw God in the children from the trailer park.

That was also something new that I loved; those children were truly AMAZING. I saw God in the children's smiles and in their laughter. Those children are truly a blessing from God, and I am so thankful that God lets SIFAT bless those children. I saw God a lot throughout my week at SIFAT, but when God showed me how much I take for granted and how unappreciative I am and how I should be helping others instead of complaining about my own life, it really hit me hard.

It was on Wednesday afternoon while I was sitting in Ecuador in Aldea, when God just slapped me in the face and said, "hey Taylor, open your eyes and take a look around." When God did that I just started bawling because I realized how much other people in the world really need me and how much i can truly help them. I have been to Ecuador, so there is not a day that goes by that I don't pray for my babies in Ecuador and when God opened my eyes and hit me hard I immediately thought of them.

I then realized that I know what I want to do with my life, I want to be a missionary. One day I was sitting at SIFAT, and I started listening to My Desire by Jeremy Camp. I knew right away that my desire in life is to serve God and his people. The first time I came to SIFAT I was twelve years old and immediately after I experienced SIFAT I knew that God was calling me to serve his people through missions.

God has changed my life through SIFAT, he has shown me how hard others have to work just to survive when I get everything so easily. SIFAT has made me more appreciative of what I have, and now I don't waste food and I try to help others as much as possible. God has done AMAZING things through SIFAT, and for that I am truly thankful and grateful because if it were not for SIFAT, I would not be the person I am today.

God has and will always bless SIFAT and all the people who come and go from there.


Has your experience at SIFAT changed you? Write and let us know! Has your youth group changed? Are you starting to participate in missions "here. now."? Send photos and a story to Marie at lanierm@sifat.org or Nate at paulkn@sifat.org to let us know what's you're doing!

Week Eight started yesterday!

Week Eight started yesterday. After the Slum Experience and Bambi's delicious supper, the students were "forced" to sit through orientation.

Jamie got a little excited about the "handy, dandy guidebook"...

Jarred and Addison were kind enough to go over some important rules, so that the students can avoid getting in trouble with BH King. (You can see on the screen an example of our counselors getting into a little trouble during their training week).

Week Seven wrap-up!

Week Seven left today, and we're going to miss you guys!

On Tuesday, these students were equipped with some appropriate technologies. They learned how important animals are to many people in the world, not just to eat, but to provide beneficial materials. Sheep, llamas and alpacas' wool can be used to make clothes for the family, as well as items to sell through microenterprise.

After cleaning the wool, it must be carded and spun...which the students found out isn't always as simple as it looks!



Week Seven also got the chance to participate in some team-building challenges on the ropes course!

And, of course, this group conquered "the wall"!

Week Six...we didn't forget!

Sunday began Week Seven, but we missed posting anything for Week Six. We can't forget them! They were a great group that brought a lot of energy and excitement to L&S all the way from Arkansas.

Worship was intense all week. They got to enjoy some of the much needed rain that God sent us. On Tuesday, we got to watch a storm come in and see some of God's glory in our weather.

The storm just intensified our worship time. Several of the students shared their talents with us this week: Beth did some Irish dancing, Spider broke boards. Others just enjoyed good fellowship and dancing.

By the way, Heather's mom reads our blog regularly, so we're posting a photo of Heather and Addison leading our praise time.

If you've attended L&S this year or read the blog, you've probably begun to realize that our students learn about other cultures and get to experience what life is like for Third World citizens. On Mondays, the students participate in cross cultural games that show how good intentions sometimes do not work, and how each culture is different. Most weeks, students get to play a card game that is sometimes harder than it looks!

So Week Six...thanks for coming! We hope to see you again next year!

Jamie and Nate Enjoy Week 5

Even though we didn't have a camp this week...Jamie and Nate enjoyed some quality male bonding time. This picture was taken at the beginning of the week...Nate appears a little stressed from a busy summer. He's better now...

From a storage shed to a worship center

Quonset—used for a prefabricated shelter having a semicircular arching roof of corrugated metal. Quonset huts were used during World War II for barracks, latrines, offices, etc. On the SIFAT campus, we were using ours as a large storage shed.

During training week, the counselors helped convert the Quonset hut into an awesome place of worship. Here are a few of the "before" pictures--the counselors found many interesting items.

Leslie didn't want to leave school for the summer, but we convinced her! She was glad she could catch up on some reading. Addison and Nate tried to find some new activities to share with students during free time!

Everyone had to get his (and her) hands dirty. While Katie worked on taking apart some old restaurant booths, the boys were, uhm, working?

For those students and chaperones who have worshiped in our storage shed, most count it as one of their favorite times during Learn & Serve.

Sure, the acoustics aren’t amazing, but every night, we get to look out across the pasture and above the tree line for a unique sunset. Some nights are hotter than others, and we're always trying to keep the bugs away, but our storage shed is certainly now a worship center. We get to praise our Creator, while He gives us something to enjoy. Talk about a “God-moment”!

An interview with the counselors

This is Week 05 of L&S, but you won't get any updates about students this week! Our staff is taking this week off as a holiday/vacation time. Our counselors are visiting their families and celebrating the Fourth of July.

Here's a survey that the counselors took. We hope you enjoy reading it and getting to know your counselors more!

General Questions

1. If you could change your name, would you? What would it be?

Addison: Bartholomeu

Leslie: Boo – so I can be everybody’s boo!

2. What did you do for your last birthday?

AddisonS: watched a movie…with my mommy

Heather: Ate at the Cheesecake Factory

Jarred: turned 22

3. What time did you wake up today?

Greg: 6:43 and 17 seconds with approximately 32 milliseconds

Wesley: 6:45 a.m.

4. What were you doing at midnight last night?

Addison: playing with finger puppets in the Village Store

Greg: running after the SIFAT truck

5. Name something you CANNOT wait to do?

Addison: play in traffic…with Jarred

Katie: to climb the hill again…not!

Heather: take a nap

6. Which hand do you like better? Why?

Leslie: Left…right…left…I don’t know!

Heather: Left, because the nails look nicer because my right hand cuts them

Jarred: The long hand. It tells me the minutes so I know the time more precisely.

7. What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone?

Addison: Heather’s socks…she does not know yet…shh

Leslie: Nasty shorts from the slums!

Katie: one of Addison’s undershirts

Wesley: I don’t borrow clothing

8. Coke or Pepsi?

Katie: Dr. Pepper!

Greg: Sunkist

Jarred: sweet tea

9. What's an embarrassing moment or stupid thing you’ve done recently?

Addison: Got clotheslined by Leslie…neck still hurts.

Leslie: Tried to do the Dirty Dancing lift thingy and failed miserably in front of everyone!

Katie: I thought I locked my keys in my car, and I started freaking, so I had Addison drive me over to get my spare key. When I got back to the BH Lounge, my keys were on my bed.

Heather: tripped/locked my keys in my car

Greg: Well…I gave dance lessons to Leslie and Addison, but when I was dancing with Addison, it was filmed.

Jarred: Addison was leading worship, and he said, “I wanna hear ya’ll scream!” He meant sing loudly, but I thought he meant to yell, so I yelled, but I was the only one.

Wesley: I danced with Greg yesterday

About the BH Lounge (aka The Bunkhouse, the Barn, the counselors’ digs)

1. What was your first thought when you saw your home for the next 10 weeks?

Heather: Bugs…lots of bugs

Greg: I’m going to quit this job

Jarred: It is red

2. Has that changed? If so, what do you think now?

Leslie: No – I even have an eggcrate on my bed!!! Oh! And we have a fridge!

Katie: I wouldn’t change anything

Wesley: It’s cool living in a barn

3. What is your favorite part about living at the BH?

Leslie: We sing through the walls together while we shower!

Katie: singing together in the shower & carpet squares

4. What is your least favorite part about living at the BH?

Greg: living with women that are not my mom or sister

Jarred: water that smells like eggs

Wesley: Washer, dryer & oven sitting on our front porch

About the other counselors….

1. Who is the neatest?

Leslie: I am…or Wesley, but he doesn’t have anything!

Katie: Leslie! She uses wrinkle releaser on all her clothes every day.

Everyone else: Leslie

2. Who is the messiest?

Addison: the mice

Katie: Greg! He can’t find anything under all his stuff. We have to find it for him.

Greg: Myself

Jarred: Addison

3. If you could take one person on a road trip, who would it be and why?

Addison: Jarred – because he sings to me when I go to sleep or Leslie because she would probably make friends with a dead catfish

Leslie: Addison – He sings terribly cheesy songs & I love it!

Katie: Jarred, he would be quiet then once he opens his mouth he is hilarious. He is the crazy one.

Heather: Jarred, because of his girlish screams

Greg: Jarred – he’s pretty much Batman, Superman and Spiderman all in one

Jarred: Leslie – if we happened to be carjacked by an axe murderer, she could still find a positive side.

Wesley: Jarred because he is crazy/funny

Week Four's Slum Experience!

Sunday marked the beginning of Week 04! We have another great group here this week. Wow. The summer is almost halfway over...but we still have plenty of groups coming!

Week Four students participated in the Slum Experience Sunday. While in the slums, they realized how difficult it can be to meet basic needs, such as food and shelter.

Some students had to ask around for a long time to find jobs:

And we learned that sometimes, these jobs take a long time and give us little money:

Building on previous workers

Yesterday, Week Three students worked in the Global Village as we do every Wednesday. The first week of L&S, we began work on two new gardens in South America. Each week, a little more work is being done, and the staff is enjoying seeing the progress of each project as it continues.

This week, the Bolivia team created a terrace going down the hill. They had to find rocks to build the retaining wall and break up the soil to prepare it for planting. The garden that Week One began and Week Two planted has small plants popping out of the soil! Here's one of our youth smoothing out the terrace:

Another garden near Guatemala is almost finished! It has beautiful, rock-lined paths, raised beds and a wire fence. This week's group got to plant some of the garden and also planted fig trees outside. In the weeks to come, a fence will need to be built and the garden tended. Here's a glimpse of the garden:

Creating these gardens is similar to the mission teams that SIFAT sends to Bolivia and Ecuador. Each team builds on what the last team did. While the team is in a country, its people work with the US team to help the citizens. In the same way, in between Learn & Serve students, the SIFAT staff (mainly John and Andy and volunteers Robert and Megan) work on the gardens, which benefit SIFAT. SIFAT supports short-term teams for long-term development.

But...we can't forget the other groups that didn't work on these two gardens! The Ecuador team worked in our main garden by the community house, and they were able to spend some time by the pond after finishing. Ecuador also worked on making some crafts from bamboo in their micro enterprise.

Here are a few more photos:

Week Three, Day Two...

Myrtle Grove is here for Week Three. Although we have a small group this week, there's still excitement on campus. Last night, I wasn't able to attend worship, but as I walked into the Guest House, I could hear their singing coming across the campus!

Today, the students will be equipped with appropriate technologies that are part of everyday life for the majority of the world. They'll be cooking on sawdust stoves and finding nutritious plants that are used in Leaf for Life.

We'll try to post some photos of this group soon. Thanks for reading about L&S and praying for these students!

Week Two: Experiences in the Village

Week Two is going great! They're preparing to leave campus to go serve our local Hispanic community and also help in a reading tutor program.

Yesterday, students worked hard in the village as part of their Third World experience. Four "countries" completed several work projects and were able to go to market, sell their wares or receive payment for their labor, and receive enough money to purchase food for their dinner.

The Philippine house was loved! The Philippine team cleaned underneath their house, built a new firewood rack and weeded the garden area.

The Bolivia team planted corn in the garden prepared by Week One! They also started work on terraces that future teams will complete.

Uganda made bricks that will be used on future projects and also started a micro enterprise by making furniture out of bamboo.

Nepal worked on a new garden by Guatemala. They hauled rocks, broke up the soil and started constructing beds.

After a day of gathering water, tending fires, working on micro enterprises and laboring on their lands, everyone enjoyed a worship time when we got to hear Isabel, a SIFAT Practicum graduate, talk about her life in Guatemala.

Between eating and worship, beautiful music filled the Village...the Philippines family found a use for the old bamboo they found!

More photos from Week One

From a request by Leslie from Brookhaven...

Here are more pictures from the local Hispanic community that some of the Week One students served.

Does anyone have photos from the art camp project? If so, please email me (Marie) some of your best shots, and I'll post those, too!

Week One Review

Here's a short (10 photo) slide show from last week.

Week Two is in full swing! Come back later for some photos of this week's adventures!