Training – Field Study: An Outsider’s PerspectiveOur May Field Study is currently being held on SIFAT’s campus May 12-25. Sarah Murphree, SIFAT co-founder Sarah Corson’s great-niece, is a participant this year. She will be blogging about her experience and giving readers a glimpse of what types of appropriate technologies and community development topics are being presented, as well as a look into who some of the participants are. A 2012 graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Sarah recently directed and produced two short films, one taking first place in the 2013 Nashville Film Festival. She is currently working on her third film, a documentary about Camp Koinonia.
I pulled into SIFAT Sunday afternoon preparing to attend the 2013 SIFAT Field Study. I was thrilled I was getting to attend the two-week program, but questions flooded my head as I made the drive from Nashville, Tenn., to Lineville, Ala. Who would teach us about international affairs? What would the people be like? Where would we stay? What would we eat? As I passed red dirt roads and luscious trees, doing my best not to get lost with so few road signs, I looked at the beauty around me and thought this won’t be so bad.
 Ecuador: First 2013 Medical TeamLast week, we posted about this year’s first international mission team from the Auburn University Schools of Building Science and Nursing. You can read about the construction part of the team working in Puengasí here. Just as a reminder, Jeff Etheridge of Auburn University Photographic Services documented the trip. In case you missed our updates on Facebook, here are links to the Facebook albums Jeff posted: Quito, Ecuador, Building Science & Nursing Team, Middle of the World, Nursing team in Marianitas, Building Science team in Puengasí (you can find all of the photos posted below and more in these albums!).  Before leaving Miller Hall, the team along with friends, faculty members and families joined to pray for their trip and those they would be serving. The medical component of the team served in Marianitas with SIFAT graduate Pastor Mario. These nursing, pharmacy and nursing practitioner students and faculty held a women’s health clinic. Not only did the women have physical exams, but they also attended an educational seminar taught by the nursing students. Of course, the team also held VBS for the project’s children and some children from the community. Ecuador: First 2013 team returns!Our first team of the year spent their spring break from Auburn University serving the communities of Puengasí and Marianitas in Quito, Ecuador. The Schools of Nursing and Building Science took a combined team of 35 students and faculty, including three pharmacy students and a pharmacy alumna. This year, Jeff Etheridge of Auburn University Photographic Services took photos and video of the team. In case you missed our updates on Facebook, here are links to the Facebook albums Jeff posted: Quito, Ecuador, Building Science & Nursing Team, Middle of the World, Nursing team in Marianitas, Building Science team in Puengasí (you can find all of the photos posted below and more in these albums!).  On Sunday, the Auburn University Schools of Nursing and Building Science attended church at Agua de Vida and took a tour of Mama Yoli’s House, both of which were built by SIFAT teams. In this post, we’ll focus on the building science component that served in Puengasí, an urban neighborhood of Quito. SIFAT teams have worked in here for the past two years building an addition SIFAT graduate Pastor Oswaldo’s church. This addition will be used for their after school programs and community outreach. In a later post, we will share about the nursing team’s women’s clinic held at SIFAT graduate Pastor Mario’s church in Marianitas. Uganda: Firing the Stove (Jackson Update)Glen Jackson, a member of the SIFAT board of directors, and his wife Marie are currently in Uganda for a month visiting Agape Total Childcare Center. Glen and Marie have gone on short-term mission trips to serve at SIFAT graduate William Nsubuga’s project for the past two years and are leading a team this summer. They will be sharing their experiences with us as they experience life in Mukono! Click here to read more about SIFAT’s work in Uganda. Editor’s Note: Glen and Marie arrived back in the USA last week. This will be their final Jackson Update post for this trip! We’re sorry this final post is so late! It’s taken us a while to get back into the swing of things! Here are our last pictures — firing the new stove on Tuesday before we left for the airport!  Glen and Marie fire the new stove at Agape for the first time! Uganda: Growth of Agape Christian Academy (Jackson Update)Glen Jackson, a member of the SIFAT board of directors, and his wife Marie are currently in Uganda for a month visiting Agape Total Childcare Center. Glen and Marie have gone on short-term mission trips to serve at SIFAT graduate William Nsubuga’s project for the past two years and are leading a team this summer. They will be sharing their experiences with us as they experience life in Mukono! Click here to read more about SIFAT’s work in Uganda. Greetings from Agape in Uganda! God is adding daily to the school’s numbers! We are so pleased to announce that S-5 (a new Secondary class) now has 10 students. Before, the students at Agape who were above S-3 had to go off campus to another school. BUT, no more!!! Now we have S-1 through S-5!  Stella and S-5 students stamping new textbooks. |
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