SIFAT Updates https://sifat.org Sharing God's Love in Practical Ways Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:18:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 February: Samuel Continues Serving in Haiti https://sifat.org/2024-02-haiti/ https://sifat.org/2024-02-haiti/#respond Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:18:01 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5685 Read the Rest...]]> Editor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version.

Written by Sarah Corson, SIFAT co-founder

In 2010, Samuel graduated from SIFAT. Since then, he has been teaching his people in Haiti the things he learned about growing more food and purifying their water. In 2019, SIFAT funded his first proposal to help 50 women get food security for their families by learning better agricultural techniques and working together to help each other. These women worked hard together, prayed together and believed that God would help them. The project was successful, and the women grew enough vegetables to eat with extra to sell. They could pay school fees for their children and buy things for their families.

Samuel (left) is making a difference in his community by providing agricultural training for women in rural communities.

More than five years later, they are still succeeding in their agricultural co-op. Their gardens have become sustainable.  They have helped Samuel start other agricultural projects in communities where children are hungry and cannot go to school.  University students studying agronomy have visited Samuel to see his successful projects.

But in recent years, a bigger challenge has arisen. Haiti is experiencing a terrible situation because of gangs and violence originating in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The gangs virtually rule the capital and the area around it. Women and children are fleeing this violence by escaping into the more remote hills, where Samuel lives and serves. Samuel is helping these families settle among the communities participating in his projects. The women who were once so desperate themselves are sharing what they have to help these refugees.

Samuel’s projects have been successful! The women are growing more than enough food for their families, so they are able to sell the extra for profit to help support their children.

A recent letter from Samuel describes the situation: “I received 30 women and their children today, crying, because gang violence and guns made them leave their homes. I accompanied them to stay in Jannot, where we are working an agricultural project. I wanted to make sure that these families leave the difficulty of finding a place to stay and to get food and clean water to drink. I prayed with them a lot and let them know that we will bring them together with the community to work together. The women and children of Jannot cried because of the great pain and sorrow in their hearts when they saw that these refugees have nothing. I told the new families not to be discouraged. The women of Jannot have already found a small piece of land that other families there have set aside for them to make their own gardens in the future to solve the problem of hunger and poverty.” Until these refugees can get their gardens growing, Samuel and the people he works with are sharing what they have, so that all will have something to eat.

Because of violence in the capital city, families are escaping to rural areas. Ladies from Samuel’s training programs are sharing their knowledge and helping the new families settle into their new homes.

Samuel is working on the fifth agricultural project. When this one begins to produce, there will be five communities he has helped train in agriculture techniques. He has helped more than 250 families go from utter starvation to having sufficient food for their family and enough money to send their children to school. How can people who are still very poor and have families to support still share with so many refugees in Haiti now? I believe the answer is because when Samuel works with the people, he takes them spiritual bread, as well as physical food. Each week, he visits the women’s fields, and once a month, all the women in the community meet together to discuss their problems and their plans for overcoming. He teaches them about the love of God, and they feel that love in Samuel. They pray together often, because they have learned from Samuel that they have a Heavenly Father who suffers with them and will empower them to work and help their families. We have a lot to learn from Samuel’s example, too!

Your support of our projects makes a difference in the communities in which our graduates live and serve! Thank you for providing seed money for their projects.

Some of you have helped SIFAT raise the funds to get these groups started—the “seed money”—that they have used to build a small economic base that is supporting them. I cannot remember all the times Samuel has written SIFAT saying Thank You! He says the women ask him to tell SIFAT thank you, and he also says thank you for himself, because he would be hurting so badly if he could not do something to help. Every letter he writes is praising God because we can work together to be the hands of Jesus in these tragedies. We want to say thank you for supporting SIFAT. You pray for us and for Samuel, as well as for all our graduates throughout the world and the hurting people with whom they are working. Thank you for praying with us and, like the women of Jannot, sharing with SIFAT, so that we can share with Samuel, and he can share with those in need.

For more information on our International Graduates’ Projects, click here. You can read profiles about past projects as you pray for our graduates, as well as see new projects that will be added in the coming month.

Visit our international projects page to learn more about our graduates’ projects around the world.

 

 

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GivingTuesday is November 28, 2023! https://sifat.org/givingtuesday2023/ https://sifat.org/givingtuesday2023/#respond Tue, 07 Nov 2023 18:37:07 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5593 Read the Rest...]]> GivingTuesday is November 28, 2023!

10 years of GivingTuesday! WOW! In 2013, SIFAT introduced a new opportunity for our donors to give, a “holiday” called GivingTuesday. We were excited about the concept—a global day of giving dedicated to honoring nonprofits and joining together to support them. This annual event has grown more than we could have ever imagined. You  answered our needs every year. Because of your enthusiasm and overwhelming generosity, GivingTuesday is a highlight of our year.

Each year, a group of committed donors creates a matching fund that will double your donation. For 2023, our matching fund is $75,000. For our 10th anniversary of participating in GivingTuesday, we are introducing something new! We have a series of goals to reach:

  • Bronze | $150,000—maximize our matching fund
  • Silver | $200,000—an amount needed to finish 2023 on track with our annual budget
  • Gold | $225,000—our highest goal yet!

We need your help this year! Your prayers and contributions give life to our programs and projects. Because of your continued support, SIFAT is successfully training community leaders throughout the world, encouraging our international graduates with grants or mission teams, and raising awareness of how the majority of our world lives through our campus Learn & Serve programs.

Join us today to support SIFAT and our ministry of Sharing God’s Love in Practical Ways! Please make plans now on how you will be part of GivingTuesday 2023! Giving to SIFAT is simple and quick—donate online or drop a check in the mail. Whether your donation is small or large, we can do great things when we join together to give.

Thank you for supporting SIFAT and sharing our ministry with your friends and family!

Start planning how you will participate in GivingTuesday today!

Three Ways to Participate

Share your SIFAT Experience. Everyone needs a smile and encouragement these days. Share one of your favorite SIFAT memories (funny or serious) on social media. Use the hashtag #MySIFATMoment, so we can share them.

Commit to Pray and/or Participate. Pray for SIFAT staff, projects and programs. Your daily prayers are heard and are such an encouragement. Choose a way to get personally involved in SIFAT. Begin to volunteer, choose a Learn & Serve retreat to bring a group to experience our campus or join an international mission team!

Donate to SIFAT. Generous donors created a $75,000 matching fund that doubles your donation! We have three goals: $150,000, $200,000 and $225,000. You can donate by check or online.

Designate your check GivingTuesday and mail by Nov. 28, 2023. Any designated donations received for GivingTuesday  count  toward our goals!

 

Funds raised on GivingTuesday benefit SIFAT’s general fund, which helps us keep Sharing God’s Love in Practical Ways by meeting the most urgent needs in our budget. You can be part of our ministry throughout the year!

Three Online Giving Options

Give directly to SIFAT. You will be redirected to our PayPal page, where you can donate with your credit/ debit card. A transaction fee will be deducted from your donation, or you can choose to supplement this fee. Remember,  SIFAT’s legal name is Southern Institute for Appropriate Technology.

 

 



Give through the PayPal Giving Fund. You will be redirected to the PayPal Giving Fund, which covers the transaction fee. Donations given through this method can take up to 45 days for us to receive. To designate your gift for GivingTuesday, please e-mail accounting@sifat.org.

Give through The Advance (UMC Global Ministries). SIFAT receives 100% of each donation without any transaction fees being taken. Donors can choose to give credit to their local UMC congregation, as well. There is a delay for SIFAT to receive funds and donor information.

 

Giving online is simple and quick! You can also make set up recurring monthly donations.

 

Maximize Your Gift to SIFAT

Matching Funds from Employers   Have you checked to see if your company matches donations made to nonprofits? Many companies will double or triple your donation! Check with your employer to see if they offer matches for donations to 501(c)(3) organizations. Let us know if you need any supporting paperwork from SIFAT—accounting@sifat.org.

Give Directly from IRA   If you are required to take a disbursement from your IRA, you can donate a percentage or all of it directly to SIFAT. By donating to a nonprofit without receiving the disbursement, you do not pay taxes on the disbursement. For higher income earners, the taxable gross income used to calculate Social Security payments is less and, depending on income level, can result in higher monthly Social Security payments. Consult your tax advisor to see if donating directly to SIFAT could benefit you.

Donate Stock to SIFAT      Did you know that you can donate stock to SIFAT? You generally take a tax deduction for the full fair market value. By donating stock that has appreciated for more than a year, you are actually giving 20% more than if you sold the stock and then made a cash donation because of taxes. Consult your tax advisor about your options for giving stock to SIFAT.

 

Thank you for supporting our ministry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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October 2023: Fall Worship Night at SIFAT https://sifat.org/2023-10-campus/ https://sifat.org/2023-10-campus/#respond Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:45:26 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5587 Read the Rest...]]> October 2023: Fall Worship Night at SIFAT

Editor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version.

Written by Kaitlyn Glenn, campus program assistant

On Oct. 8, 2023, 72 youth and their leaders came to SIFAT for our Fall Worship Night, where they enjoyed playing games, hayrides, worshiping together and a bonfire with s’mores!

 

It is important to cultivate community at home and abroad to effectively share God’s love to encourage and help one another. SIFAT’ s campus staff hosted a worship night to bring local youth groups together and to build community with churches in our area. Seventy-two youth and adults attended, and a wonderful time of fellowship was enjoyed together. Students enjoyed a meal, hayrides, games, a bonfire with s’mores and a worship service led by the staff. Josiah Corson gave a short sermon,  while Shelby Dickey and Kaitlyn Glenn led the worship music. Intern Alex Angel has fit right in with our staff and was a great help assisting with the program, and local friends came to help out, as well. We also welcomed back some of our previous interns. Our Fall Worship Night was a success, and two youth leaders reported that their students cannot wait to come back. We look forward to hosting more worship nights and hope that events like this will continue to open doors to minister to local citizens, teaching others how to share God’s love with the community around them. Thank you to all who worked to make this event possible!

 

We played games together.

 

It was  a perfect fall evening on SIFAT’s campus in Alabama!

 

Our guests explored our campus.

 

What is a fall festival without a hayride!

 

Thank you to our friends for providing the hay and for the extra help to make this night possible!

 

We ended the night with a bonfire and s’mores!

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September 2023: Raphael Returns to SIFAT https://sifat.org/2023-09-alumni/ https://sifat.org/2023-09-alumni/#respond Thu, 21 Sep 2023 17:47:54 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5578 Read the Rest...]]> September 2023: Raphael Returns to SIFAT

Editor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version.

Written by Tom Corson, executive director

SIFAT Graduate Raphael has returned to SIFAT various times since first participating in our 10-week training practicum. He has taught in our trainings after using what he learned and implementing appropriate technology in his ministry in Nigeria. In his heart and mind, he believes what SIFAT believes is the Heart of the Gospel: sharing God’s love in practical ways—love for God, for everyone, even for our enemies. And wherever Raphael lives, a little part of the Kingdom of God develops around him. He came to SIFAT this September to visit and to serve us by repairing the Nigerian houses he helped Learn & Serve youth build in our Global Village during a previous visits. When he leaves SIFAT, he plans to visit friends and supporters.

Raphael, a SIFAT graduate from Nigeria, spent two weeks with us this September. Our staff loved spending time catching up with news from his ministry and family, as well as having his help on campus.

 

Years ago when Raphael returned from SIFAT to Nigeria, he was moved to see migrants escaping from the part of the country where terrorists were taking over farms and killing people. These people had lost everything and were fleeing for their lives, hungry and destitute. SIFAT’s Graduates’ Project Committee partnered with him to raise money to buy 24 acres of land, which he divided into mini plots on which 30 migrant families could grow enough food to eat and have extra to sell for profit. In three years, the average migrant family worked these tiny farms, harvested their own food and sold enough to provide for their needs. Additionally, most were able to save enough to buy their own farms, which freed the land Raphael was loaning them for others to begin this process. This plan is still working today! The migrants believe in Raphael’s testimony, because he not only told them about Jesus, he lived out the Gospel with them every day.

 

Raphael (on the roof) leads our campus staff in rethatching the Nigeria house in our Global Village, which he built with help from Learn & Serve students on a previous visit.

Many cultures are represented by these migrants. Raphael says that we must live in the culture of the Kingdom of God. He constantly goes out to the villages around him, giving seminars of appropriate technologies for their needs, developing relationships with the people. He recalls the first village he taught how to purify their polluted water with the bio-sand filter. He said before he came to SIFAT, he would visit them and started by preaching to them. He learned from experience that not many wanted to hear a sermon from a stranger. This time, he offered the seminar on clean water. Most of the villages were infected with parasites that came from their one water source, which was used by both animals and people. His seminar lasted three days. The local people began to come, and they began making their bio-sand filter, the ingredients for which were readily available. During the day, the villagers worked together on their filters, and at night, Raphael showed the Jesus film and preached a Gospel message. All the people came—from all religions and cultures. He remembers the great celebration at the end when they poured their dirty water into the filter. As it came out, Raphael tested the water, and it was pure! Not only had the community worked together with Raphael to get clean water, but now they continued working together and living out Jesus’ teachings of loving each other. That is the result, Raphael says, of Sharing God’s Love in Practical Ways. He has worked under that belief, and he has seen it work.

Raphael, a missionary to his own people, has implemented appropriate technologies and continued his training since leaving SIFAT 15 years ago. He has returned several times to teach about biosand water filters, fuel-efficient cookstoves and how he has successfully added these technologies to his ministry in Nigeria.

Once when he and his family lived in a suburb on the edge of Jos, radical Muslims planned an attack on Christian communities. A large group rushed into the Christian communities during the night to set fire to their businesses and homes. It was an intense and widespread attack on the places where Christians lived. After the police caught the perpetrators, they asked them one question, “Why did you burn all the Christian urbanizations, except one? You left this one in the middle untouched?” They answered, “Because Raphael lives there, and he loves us.”

Raphael works with all members in his community, regardless of their political or religious beliefs. He believes that building relationships by helping meet peoples’ needs allows him to love everyone and share his faith.

“These people are God’s children,” Raphael says. “A group of Muslims stopped to help me when my car was stuck in the mud. When I offered to pay them, they refused. They just wanted to help. Many Muslims love God. Unfortunately, some of them are radical and want to destroy those different from them. But I have always offered my seminars to everyone. As a Christian I teach everyone—and they have responded with friendship and kindness. If a radical wants to do me harm, it is my duty to pray for him and love him. Jesus was clear in His teachings on loving our enemies. I have found that when we treat them with love, it almost always turns their anger away. And even if it doesn’t, we are Christians! We follow what Jesus told us to do!”

SIFAT is so blessed to have Raphael with us this September. I John 3:18 says, “Let us not love just in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” SIFAT has a network of graduates in many countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America who are living out the Gospel in word, in deed and in truth. Thank you, Raphael, for being a dynamic leader in this network for the Kingdom of God! And for taking time from your busy schedule to come back to SIFAT to repair our Nigerian houses in the Global Village. You help teach us true evangelism, helping people in need.

Raphael taught friends of SIFAT how to build a biosand water filter during his visit at SIFAT. He was able to share personal experiences and tips for implementing this technology in communities, so that it will be used .

Editor’s Note: This September, we launched Season 2 of Glimpses: A SIFAT Podcast, hosted by Josiah Corson. In episode two, you can listen to the full conversation with Raphael to learn even more of his story and how he is making a difference in Nigeria. You can find our podcast on most podcast apps, or you can listen on our website.

 

 

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August 2023: Introducing a New Generation to SIFAT https://sifat.org/2023-08-campus/ https://sifat.org/2023-08-campus/#respond Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:56:16 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5557 Read the Rest...]]> August 2023: Introducing a New Generation to SIFAT

Editor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version.

Written by Matthew Ivey, Student Minister, Brandon FUMC, Brandon, Miss.

I first came to SIFAT around 2004 as a middle school student and fell in love. I attended multiple retreats as a student, and I even helped serve on support staff for summer camp when I was older. If you would have told that 15-year-old kid that he would end up in ministry and serve as a student pastor, he would have laughed at you! Here we are years later, and I have had the opportunity to take my students on a trip to SIFAT!

Matthew (front left) came to SIFAT as a student, and now he is bringing his youth group to Learn & Serve!


The world has changed since my days as a student, yet SIFAT is still as relevant, if not more than it ever has been. As I mentor and walk alongside the next generation, I see the need for these firsthand experiences. The Lord used our Learn & Serve Summer Experience in incredible ways. Students that did not know each other are now friends. Students that have been afraid to get involved are now 100% bought in to our student ministry. Through the Global Village Experience, I watched students that complain about silly “First World problems” seriously take a look at their lives and begin to understand how blessed we are.

Brandon FUMC participated in our Summer Experience in July.

One student, who is just 13 years old, had had his fill of the Global Village as we prepared ourselves for bed. He was tired and hungry, plus he had not slept outside before. He was all but ready to scream. As we talked and discussed the situation— and how much they had done in the village — he started to calm down. We were able to work through the tired, anxious and overwhelmed feelings to truly appreciate what had happened. It was a breakthrough moment for him, and I will never forget it. I am proud to say that the next day, he was eating crickets! This young man who would not touch the black beans and other foods in the village had overcome those feelings and stepped out of his comfort zone to try eating insects when we were being taught about alternative protein sources that can be used to fight hunger and malnutrition.

While at SIFAT, students explored appropriate technologies, such as fuel-efficient rocket stoves.

I love SIFAT! We can talk and preach about comfort zones and stepping out of those. However, my dear friends and family at SIFAT do it in a practical and meaningful way. I have a small group of brave students that trusted me on this journey that are now advocating for SIFAT and planning our next trip to Alabama. Thank you to the incredible staff at SIFAT. Brandon FUMC loves you, and we cannot wait until we can be together again!

While in our Global Village, students learned about living conditions and possible causes of poverty throughout the world, as well as ways we can help.

 

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July 2023: Our SIFAT Family is a Blessing on this World https://sifat.org/2023-07-ecuador/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 17:49:34 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5548 Read the Rest...]]> July 2023: Our SIFAT Family is a Blessing on this World

Editor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version.

Written by Marie Lanier Narváez, Promotions and Marketing Coordinator

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I just returned from spending three weeks in Ecuador with two mission teams serving in Machachi, south of Quito. During my trip, I met new friends and reconnected with others I had not seen in months or even years. Though our teams were small in number, they were mighty in love, compassion and energy!

One night during devotions with Carrollton (Ga.) FUMC, team members shared about how they had previously been involved with SIFAT. Britt, the team leader, had led mission teams to Ecuador, but he had also brought youth groups to participate in Learn & Serve retreats on our campus in Alabama. Angie served on campus work teams with her college ministry, and she also traveled to Ecuador as part of a study abroad team in 2019. Cole and Caroline attended Worship on the Water whenever they visited their grandparents at Lake Wedowee. As I listened, it was as though our summers at SIFAT were all in one room – international mission teams, Learn & Serve and WOW!

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The second team had SIFAT veterans, too. Clear Lake UMC (Houston, Texas) sends a work team to SIFAT each year, and several of this year’s team members had been in Alabama in May. When their Ecuador team needed more team members, our SIFAT family answered the call to serve. Former team members from other churches joined Clear Lake’s team.

During my time with both teams, I experienced seeing first time team members fall in love with our projects, project leaders and SIFAT training graduates, as well as the country of Ecuador. I hope they will be able to return in the future – I know when they left Quito, they wished they could stay longer! If you have never been on an international SIFAT mission trip, you may not understand the desire to return year after year. On this trip, I saw team members who usually travel to Ecuador every year arrive for the first time since the pandemic caused their teams to be postponed in 2020. Their faces lit up, and their hearts were filled by being able to share God’s love in practical ways – bending rebar, laying concrete block walls, making VBS crafts and even having an Easter egg hunt in July! They had been waiting to serve others and reconnect with SIFAT’s work in Ecuador.

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Although I have lost count of the number of teams I have joined in Ecuador, I still get excited to see an upcoming trip on my calendar. And that isn’t because my Ecuadorian husband and I are long distance as we go through the immigration process. It is because I get reenergized and reconnected. I see people from different stages of life getting to know one another on a deeper level. They may attend the same church, but often, their paths have not crossed. Now, they have become like family! I experience friends who cannot speak the same language becoming reacquainted, showing one another pictures on their phones and finding ways to communicate. I watch a humble church with few resources reach its community to meet needs. I observe how they know the children in their afterschool programs and want to empower them to become church leaders and break the cycle of poverty in their communities.

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I could keep writing about fun memories from these trips: playing soccer and parachute games with the VBS kids and donkeys, recounting what we saw from the bus windows as we fought Quito’s traffic jams, walking across a six-lane highway to a field to take pictures in front of a snow-capped volcano or watching kids practice for an upcoming rodeo-type event by lassoing one another from a horse. I could share the serious stories and visits that brought the reality of living in poverty to the forefront of our minds and tears to our eyes. Instead, I want to close with a blessing that was shared during devotions after a long day of service.

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
Compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

 

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My prayer today is that The Blessing of the Hands, which is attributed to St. Teresa of Ávila who lived in the 1500s, will impact you like it did me. Take time to reflect on our opportunities both here in the USA and internationally. SIFAT strives to be a bridge between the First and Two-thirds Worlds. How will you join us in our mission of Sharing God’s Love in Practical Ways? Will you become an active member in our SIFAT family like the team members I spent time with this July? We have numerous ways to come alongside our staff members, training graduates and supporters. Pray for our projects and programs, and tell your church or civic organization about SIFAT. Schedule a campus tour this fall, or plan a Learn & Serve retreat for any age group. Join (or lead!) an Ecuador mission team in 2024. Whichever way you choose to get involved, I know you will learn more about showing compassion to the world and being the hands and feet of Jesus! Thank you for being part of our SIFAT family.

Carrollton (Ga.) FUMC took its first team to Ecuador with SIFAT! Thank you, Solid Rock

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June 2023: May Field Study Returns to SIFAT Campus https://sifat.org/2023-06-training/ https://sifat.org/2023-06-training/#respond Fri, 23 Jun 2023 18:00:11 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5541 Read the Rest...]]> June 2023: May Field Study Returns to SIFAT Campus

Editor’s Note: Each month, we mail an article with our contribution statements to the previous month’s donors. Click here to download a PDF version.

Written by Kathy Bryson, International Training Director, and Kaitlyn Glenn, Learn & Serve Program Assistant

We recently completed our May Field Study, “World Hunger and Malnutrition: Practical Skills to Make a Difference.” This training equips participants to serve in their communities and empower citizens through public health and community development. Students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham earned college credit when they joined us for 10 days of training. Prior to the UAB students’ arrival, international community leaders finished a week of training. Many UAB participants commented that the May Field Study was not only a valuable experience, but it was enlightening about the issues that so many people face around the world and the ways we can help.

SIFAT co-founder Ken Corson (center left) and SIFAT trainer Bayron Morales lead a class during our May Field Study, which was comprised of 48 participants representing 14 countries.

Participants learned skills and techniques to help people in their communities. They learned about appropriate technologies, such how to make water pumps and fuel-efficient cookstoves. These stoves use less wood than traditional cooking fires and do not produce smoke, which helps reduce the risk of smoke inhalation related illnesses. Students also learned about public health related topics, such as oral rehydration techniques and promoting nutrition through Leaf for Life. They learned how to promote community ownership of projects and how to start microenterprises and savings and loans groups. Besides helping people save money, these groups promote self confidence, strengthen community bonds and create community empowerment. With these skills, our field study participants will now be better equipped to help people around the world have stronger communities and better qualities of life.

Small group discussions on practical solutions for poverty were always lively.

Perhaps the most important lessons learned were the cross-cultural interactions and relationships that were made. The 48 participants represented 14 countries: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and the United States. Each country represented had its own customs, perspectives and opinions, which were valuable to hear and to understand cultures throughout the world. Lively and impactful discussions were had about subjects, such as community, poverty and women’s issues. During these talks, students built empathy with one another, created friendships and were challenged to see the world through the others’ eyes These strong relationships, built at SIFAT, will be beneficial to the participants for years to come.

Our May Field Study included women from Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Myanmar, Mexico, Pakistan, Uganda and the USA.

Your support of SIFAT helps to make programs like our May Field Study possible. We train community leaders and university students to be better servant leaders in their communities and teach them skills to empower those with whom they serve to have better quality lives. Thank you for helping SIFAT keep Sharing God’s Love in Practical Ways!

Louino Robillard grew up in a notorious Haitian slum and later returned to his home to help start Future Generations Haiti, which focuses on community strengths and development from within instead of dependency on handouts. Louino shared life experiences during a simulation in SIFAT’s urban slum. His life is a testimony to hope for a better future and impacted everyone.

 

 

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Worship on the Water 2023 https://sifat.org/wow2023/ https://sifat.org/wow2023/#respond Wed, 10 May 2023 18:49:36 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5527 Read the Rest...]]> Worship on the Water 2023

Worship on the Water at Lake Wedowee this summer …

Our summer will officially kick off with the first weekend of WOW at Lake Wedowee! Please help us spread the word about our nondenominational worship services that will be held throughout the summer from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend at 9 a.m. under the pines at Lakeside Marina.

Come by boat, come by car, come as you are!

Each Sunday during the summer, we invite different speakers and musicians to lead our nondenominational, casual service on Lake Wedowee!

2023 Schedule of Speakers/Musicians

May 28
John Ed Mathison Jerry Rogers
June 4 Carey Akin Barry Waldrep and Friends
June 11 Josiah Corson Scott and Shelby Dickey
June 18 Jimmy Yates John and Jake Howle
June 25 Josh Hickman
Fellowship Quartet
July 2 George Mathison Ryan and Missie Robertson
July 9
Sallie Shaw
Jerry Rogers
July 16 Janice Clark Lineville Baptist Church Worship Team
July 23 Terry Norman Abigail Norman
July 30 Blue Vardaman Blue Vardaman
Aug 6
Jamey Walls
Wedowee FBC
Aug 13 Christie Shelton Ryan and Missie Robertson
Aug. 20
Jacob Wilkerson Bear Creek UMC Choir
Aug. 27 Todd Noren-Hentz Joyful Sound
Sept. 3
Billy Coleman Clearvision

Click here to download a schedule

 

People enjoy the service from their boats and golf carts, as well as sitting in the shade of the pine trees.

FAQs

What do I wear?

WOW is outside, so dress casually and comfortably.

Where do I park?

Please park outside of the fence enclosure and enjoy a short walk to the water, if you are able. There is limited space close to the water, so please reserve these spaces for those who need it most. Do not park in front of the boat ramp or block the storage units.

What if it rains?

We still have WOW! Look for us on the side porch of Lakeside Marina.

Questions or need more information?

Call 256.396.2015 during the week or e-mail wow@sifat.org. Follow SIFAT on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates about SIFAT and WOW.

Come join us this summer on Sundays at 9 a.m. Services last about an hour.

Special Thank Yous

WOW is sponsored by SIFAT, but we could not make this happen every week without the help of others.

  • Thank you to Lakeside Marina for allowing us to use their parking lot weekly and porch for rainy days.
  • Thank you to Lake Wedowee Docks for clearing your work area and moving docks each week.

About the Service

WOW is a nondenominational worship service held from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend on Lake Wedowee and is sponsored by SIFAT. Each week features different speakers and musicians. Bring your friends and family under the pine trees or on the water at Lakeside Marina at 9 a.m. each Sunday – we’ll see you there!

Donate to SIFAT/WOW

If you would like to donate to SIFAT/WOW, please use the button below. (remember SIFAT’s legal name is Southern Institute for Appropriate Technology).




If it rains, we meet on the porch at Lakeside Marina!

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April 2023: Remembering Edwin Contreras https://sifat.org/edwincontreras/ https://sifat.org/edwincontreras/#respond Thu, 27 Apr 2023 19:01:48 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5518 Read the Rest...]]> In Memory of our Dearly Loved Brother
— Cecil Edwin Contreras —

In late March, we received word that our beloved engineer in Ecuador, Edwin Contreras, passed away.

Written by Tom Corson, SIFAT executive director

 

SIFAT Ecuador Engineer Edwin Contreras

 

We can hardly believe that we were just standing beside you as you directed our SIFAT team building the addition at the church in Machachi two weeks ago. Today, you have gone ahead of us into the arms of God. We can only be happy for you, as you have graduated from this earthly life of pain, sickness and struggle. You have heard the Savior say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of thy Lord!” But, we are sad to say goodbye because we will miss you more than words can express. We have depended on you. When we have needed you, you were there for us and for the children in the impoverished barrios of Ecuador!

 

Edwin and Miguel, our maestro (project foreman) review blueprints. Miguel will be leading teams in Machachi to finish the construction project there.

 

Most people would have retired. Although you were sick and your body in pain, you continued to work as the hands of Christ. You felt God’s deep call to help the suffering children. You were faithful to that call until the very end of your earthly life.

I remember when we met you 23 years ago. You agreed to help SIFAT for one team, but you did so reluctantly, thinking Christians were hypocrites. You mocked us at times, trying to provoke us to make us mad. But Jesus loved you so much, He kept bringing you back each day, which gave us a chance to get to know you and to love you, too. The last night of that trip, you stood in front of everyone to read a letter that you had written, telling us that you had decided to follow Christ. We had all been praying for you each day. What joy your testimony brought us! What a climax to our week in Ecuador! From that moment on, you were part of the SIFAT family. Your thoughts, your work, everything you did centered on what you could do to help SIFAT help the children who were suffering. You even changed your name from who your old friends knew as Cecil to Edwin, similar to the apostle Paul changing his name to make a break from your old self to the new self in Christ.

 

Pastor Raul, Edwin and Tom review blue prints before starting our construction project in Calderon.

 

We have many wonderful memories of the weeks we spent with you! You helped us so much in every aspect of our ministry. I remember one evening after a hard day’s work when the big, beautiful church building in Atucucho was almost finished. We stood together, looking down the steep hill at the church and the little shacks around it. You had tears in your eyes as you said, “Look! Look at the hundreds of children all down this hillside! They need Jesus! They need teaching. They need food and medical care. That is what they will get here. There are problems in getting this built. Why do we keep struggling to make it happen? Because of the children! We are doing it for Jesus! We can never walk away and leave them without hope!” You never did. You kept working until the very end of your life. Through pain and sickness, you kept the faith. You were there with them until death!

 

Edwin, Dr. Roberto (SIFAT Ecuador director) and Monica tour Aida Leon.

 

Who will help the children now? We are behind you, Edwin. One day we will join you up there with Jesus! But until God calls us to come, we will do our best to keep working to save the children! Your example will continue to inspire us when we are tired or facing problems! Thank you, Edwin, for all you did to help SIFAT reach the children and for the testimony you lived out before us these 23 years!

Until later! We will see you again!

 

Edwin and Jose, our in-country coordinator

 

Edwin worked hands-on with our teams for more than 20 years.

 

Peggy Walker, our international team coordinator, and Edwin show off their SIFAT shirts on one of their many times working together.

 

Jose and Lenin, our SIFAT bus drive for many years, were always laughing together and bringing joy to the work site.

 

Although health issues caused Edwin to slow down, he fought daily to make it out with our teams to oversee the construction as we began working in Machachi. His love for the children of Ecuador left a legacy for the next generation.

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Happy Easter! https://sifat.org/easter2023/ https://sifat.org/easter2023/#respond Thu, 06 Apr 2023 00:26:06 +0000 https://sifat.org/?p=5480 Read the Rest...]]> Happy Easter!

It’s Friday, but Sunday is Coming

More than 2,000 years ago, followers of Christ were hopeless. On a Friday, their Savior had been crucified on a cross, the most terrible way to die. The message for Christians is hope. It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming — and with it is resurrection and life eternal! God gave HOPE to the world for those who believe and have faith in Him.

Isaiah 61:1b tells us why Christ came. “He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.“ This all was sealed by the resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrate every Easter.

Acts 4:33 tells us the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. God’s grace was powerfully at work in them! They had no doubt. They had seen the Risen Savior! Often, we are frustrated with life as we see the dead of winter, but God sees the beauty of spring and our Easter season.

Your prayers, gifts and service mean so much to our SIFAT staff and the people we are serving. Thousands of children now have food to eat and are going to school, learning to read and write, but also preparing to lead the next generation of Christians into the future. Our training graduates have returned to their communities to teach what they have learned, how to provide food for their families and give back to their communities, too. SIFAT is a testimony of Jesus’s resurrection as we show the Love of God in words and deeds—the integrated Gospel to the body, mind and spirit.

SIFAT’s motto of sharing God’s love in practical ways is the story of Jesus being foretold in Isaiah and completed on the cross. Acts shares the testimony of giving us the power to testify with our words and our actions to the risen Savior. Thank you for helping SIFAT share this message of HOPE from our faith and, most of all, LOVE to our world that needs us now more than ever.

May you be filled with faith, hope and love as we celebrate His resurrection knowing it may be Friday in our lives today, but we know that Sunday is coming!

Yours because of Him,

Tom and the staff of SIFAT

Click here to download a printable PDF of our 2023 Easter letter.

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