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!