Ecuador: Update from BethanyBethany Lake is sharing about her five-week internship in Ecuador this summer. She traveled to Ecuador twice as a middle schooler, participated in Learn & Serve with her youth group and just completed her freshman year of college. We look forward to hearing about her adventures this summer with our short-term teams! You read her first post here.
These past two weeks have been absolutely incredible! The Lord has been moving in Ecuador. The first week, I was picked up from the hotel by Dr. Roberto and Jose to go to the airport to receive the team from Texas A&M, as well as Tom (SIFAT’s executive director) and Peggy (SIFAT’s international team coordinator). The team had about 28 members with the majority coming from the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College of Nursing, Ragel College of Pharmacy and School of Public Health, but about 9 came from the Texas A&M Department of Construction Science. We had an incredible week with amazing results.
 The Texas A&M team at the middle of the world! This was the first SIFAT team of the summer in Ecuador, and they brought both medical and construction components. Ecuador: Meet our 2015 InternBethany Lake will be sharing about her five-week internship in Ecuador this summer. She participated in two trips as a child that made a lasting impact on her life. Bethany also attended Learn & Serve Summer Experience with SIFAT. She has regularly supported SIFAT, as we chronicled in the May 2008 issue of the SIFAT Journal. We look forward to hearing about her adventures this summer with our short-term teams!  Bethany’s first trip to Ecuador in 2007.
Hi, my name is Bethany Lake, and I am a sophomore at Elon University in North Carolina, double majoring in biostatistics and public health. I went on my first mission trip with SIFAT in 2007 as a fifth grader when my world was changed. I saw and understood global needs for the first time and recognized what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ. As I left Ecuador to return home, I knew that I wanted to be back, and I hoped that the Lord wanted me back in Ecuador, as well. The next year, my church once again took the high school students to Ecuador. I was able to again tag along with my mom and older siblings, even though I was younger than anyone else on the team. This within itself was an answered prayer to me. Just the opportunity to go back to the place that captured my heart was the most amazing thing! Fast forward eight years, and here I am, once again watching my dreams come true as I intern with SIFAT. I have had the dream of again returning to Ecuador as an adult to not only work with children, but also experience the medical/public health side of missions. Not a day goes by that I’m not in prayer for the people of Ecuador, and I am in complete awe of the way the Lord is working in my life and that I have the opportunity to go back to the place that captured my heart so many years ago.  Bethany in 2015 as an international intern for SIFAT Learn & Serve: March Madness!While the world is gearing up for NBA March Madness 2013, the Learn & Serve staff is ready to hit the court for one of our busiest months of the year! March brings many groups to SIFAT’s campus for a variety of programs. L&S currently has more than 15 events scheduled next month with an estimated 750 participants coming to our campus during Spring 2013! Groups will be participating in a variety of L&S programs, as well as using our facilities for their own retreats. We also have several groups coming specifically to volunteer their time to help improve our campus through work projects. Please be in prayer for these participants as they come to SIFAT for their retreats. Pray they will feel the Lord’s presence and learn the lessons he has for them here. Also be in prayer for our staff as they prepare for the busiest weeks of the year. Pray for their energy and hearts as they attempt to share God’s love with all those who come to our campus. Are you coming to SIFAT for a retreat next month? Let us know! Comment on our blog, tweet at us, or visit our Facebook page and tell us why you are excited to come to SIFAT! Learn & Serve: “48: A Slum Experience” Retreat!January 19-21, 2013, eighty participants and thirty-four staff stepped into the life of over one billion people on the planet at “48: A Slum Experience”. This intense retreat allows high school participants, adult leaders, and college-aged staff to experience life in an urban slum environment.  Participants and staff of the 2013 “48: A Slum Experience” retreat celebrate gaining a new awareness of slum life around the world. Learn & Serve: New Retreat Programs Now Offered!Learn & Serve is excited to announce two new programming options for retreats! To continue to provide a diverse range of experiences connecting our participants to our brothers and sisters around the world, Learn & Serve has begun offering participants the opportunity to participate in a Refugee Camp Overnight and an Urban Slum Prayer Experience. |
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