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You are invited to help the SIFAT staff celebrate our cofounders Ken and Sarah Corson’s 50th wedding anniversary at an informal cookout on August 16 at 10 a.m. Since leaving directly from their honeymoon to serve in Cuba, their marriage has been a legacy to missions, with almost 30 of their 50 years together given to SIFAT.
We would like to put together a scrapbook for Ken and Sarah with meaningful photographs and stories. Please bring your photo and/or story to include in this very special tribute to their marriage. If you cannot attend, please send your contribution to include in the scrapbook. Remember to include your names and when the photo was taken.
Ken and Sarah ask that anyone wanting to give a gift in their honor send it to SIFAT for the Sarah Trust Fund.
We hope you’ll join us at the lodge on SIFAT’s campus at 10.a.m. sharp for a special program, lunch and a wonderful time of celebrating their lives together. Please RSVP by August 1 by calling the SIFAT office (256.396.2015) or by e-mailing Marie (lanierm@sifat.org).
Tuesday morning we headed out bright and earlyto embark on our journey to El Tigre. Riding on top of the truck (my new favorite mode of transportation) plus the free live entertainment provided by the group from St. John`s made the trip not only bearable, but a whole lot of fun. The kids in El Tigre greeted us with fruit, then hearded us all together for an afternoon of soccer. The guys held their own against the Bolivian`s, but the girls were a different story…we were more entertaining than anything else. After the soccer game, St. John`s organized a VBS, complete with a bible story, music and crafts. The kids loved it and I loved being there to experience it. Elba`s (one of the older girls at the internado) sister-in-law lives in El Tigre and was gracious enough to open her kitchen for our cooking needs. We ate well, slept under the stars and woke up renewed and refreshed Wednesday mornign. Before heading back to Ixiamas, we had a service with one of the two churches in El Tigre. At one point we were all singing “Awesome God“ in English and Spanish. It was such an beautiful moment, the Lord was present and glorified. Back at the Internado the team worked hard on the rabbit hutch and the new building.  With Cowboy`s help I was even able to come up with a new solution to fixing the top of the ferro cement tank (apparantly it is not as easy as one would think to build the top of a ferro cement tank). *Thanks Cowboy!  The goodbye`s began while we were away in el Tigre (Abby and Bryan had there farewell with the kids). They, along with the group are on there way home as I type this. Judith will bid the kids farewell Wednesday night and Angel (a volunteer here) will say goodbye then also.  It is sad at the internado as we all say goodbye to old and new friends. Katie and I have a little more time left, so check back for more on life in the internado. Adios, olivia NOTE: Mr. Terry, Thanks for Three Cups of Tea. I finished it this week and LOVED it. It is definitely worth reading. It opens your eyes to a whole new attitude of service. I`m passing it off to Vicky and Rachel. 🙂 The good news is that Sifat readers will no longer have to endure our blogs. The bad news is that we have said our goodbys to some of the most amazing people we have had a chance to meet. Today, I made my way here to Rurrenabaque with the last group of this year. Abby, Katie, and Vicki have been here the last two days on a Pampas tour, and should be getting back in town any minute. While Katie and Vicki will return to Internado, Abby and I will head to La Paz, and from there back to the states on Monday. Our time in Ixiamas has taught us far more than we could possibly ever have to share. Through the Internado staff, the kids, and the people of the pueblo we have encountered the love of Christ constantly. I personally have truly been blessed by this opportunity to serve and share. While we are excited about seeing friends and loved ones back home, we will always remember the new friends we have made here in Ixiamas. The final group has truly been a blessing as well. Through various bible school type activities they have really made an impact on the kids at Internado. Last night, they specifically prayed with and for each kid, and lives were genuinely touched and changed. They also finished most of the work on Internado´s new rabbit huch (all but the thatch roof, which no gringo has the expertise to weave….) and the second floor of the new building is progressing quickly. Thank you for your prayers and support throughout our stay here in Bolivia. It has been an eye opening, life changing experience. See you guys soon! Bryan and Abby International Aid’s Lab in a Suitcase training will be held on SIFAT’s campus August 10-12, 2008. Imagine you are in a jungle area with no electricity. The nearest medical lab is days away. You need to make a diagnosis to determine which life-saving medicines to give… Learn how to use International Aid’s convenient, portable medical lab specially designed for remote areas.
Who: This training is designed for health care personnel who do not have extensive laboratory training backgrounds What: Lab in a Suitcase training. When: August 10-12, 2008 Where: SIFAT’s international campus, Lineville, AL More info: www.sifat.org/workshop.html or contact Kathy Bryson, brysonk@sifat.org The UMVIM group from South Carolina has only been here for three days, but you wouldn´t guess it by the amount of wall they´ve bricked. The second floor is really starting to take shape. Two of the exterior wall spaces are almost done, and one interior wall is halfway up. All of the exterior wall is started with at least three layers of brick, though most has more. Their energy and eagerness to serve has been a blessing to all of us. In addition to their construction exploits, the team has familiarized us with a powdered spice known as slap-yo-mama. Lets just say I put a little too much of the stuff in my soup bowl at yesterday´s lunch. Since then I´ve been a little more carefull…. Yesterday was the aniversario of the department of La Paz. The kids spent the better part of the afternoon cutting bamboo and filling a notch with fuel and a rag to use as a wick. They then joined the rest of Ixiamas below the age of 20 in a huge torch bearing parade. It was a pretty neat sight. The parade ended just off the town square with the singing of the national and departmental anthems. And finally, I am proud to announce the latest addition to the Internado family. She stands a proud 1 foot tall and bosts a three inch tail, thick black fur, a cute little face, and the ability to sleep just about anywhere on just about anything. Her naming process is a story in and of itself. The original idea was to name her Snicker, which is pronounced down hear like the tennis shoe (sneaker). We then realized that the latter might be more appropriate because of her little white paws, so we changed the official name to Sneaker, and the kids never knew the difference.  She seemed a little wary of the place at first, but she´s starting to get the hang of things.  And Scott and Stronger have been more than accomodating.  Not much time left! While we are excited about coming home, we will all miss the kids, the place, the staff, and this beautiful country that has been our home for the last couple of months.  Hasta Luego, Bryan |
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