Our History
The idea of SIFAT was conceived in the jungles of Bolivia in 1976 when Ken and Sarah Corson and their four children moved to Sapecho to be pastors of a Bolivian Church. Realizing that the homesteaders there needed more than spiritual nourishment, Ken and Sarah began to work in integrated development with the people of the village.
The Quechuan mayor of the village and a great community leader, Benjo Paredes, became a Christian that year. He began to work with the Corsons. Benjo and Ken co-founded CENATEC (Centro Nacional de Tecnologia Sustenible), a nonprofit Christian organization in Bolivia. CENATEC was the mother organization out of which SIFAT was born. In 1979, the Corsons returned to Alabama and established SIFAT as a training center for meeting basic human needs. Since then, CENATEC and SIFAT continue to work closely in many endeavors.
SIFAT has extended its training ministry to all ages through campus programs, international mission teams and seminars and conferences. The goal is to help people from different countries, cultures and social classes understand each other and work together, so that every person can have a chance to develop into the person God intends for each to be. We want to bring the Kingdom of God closer to all.
Mission Stories
The four stories below are taken from Glimpses of God…in the Lives of the Poor by Sarah Corson, SIFAT’s 25th Anniversary Publication. Glimpses of God is a compilation of many stories from the Corson’s experiences in the mission field. To read excerpts of these amazing examples of God at work in the mission field, click on the story titles below.
Sarah Corson finished Risking Everything decades after she began writing newspaper columns and journal entries during the Corsons’ time in Bolivia. Using these memories, Sarah chronicled her family’s journey in Risking Everything, which was published in 2010.
Read an excerpt from the book: Risking Everything
If you are interested in purchasing a paperback copy of Glimpses of God or Risking Everything for $15 plus shipping, email the SIFAT Village Store. You can purchase Risking Everything for Kindle (on Amazon.com) or Nook (on BN.com) for $9.99 online.
