As Hurricane Irene hit the Bahamas last Thursday, Servants in Faith and Technology (SIFAT) staff member Addison Shock joined pilot Cameron King of Bahamas Habitat to prepare for an immediate response to the storm’s destruction. The next morning, they flew supplies to Eleuthera, Bahamas, where Bahamas Methodist Habitat (BMH) is located. SIFAT and Bahamas Habitat have worked together similarly in Haiti for the last year and a half.

“I feel relieved to know that no one is critically injured,” King said. “It was good to simply see the people we love, but there is a lot of work to do.”

(photo left: Damage on Eleuthera from Hurricane Irene)

Arriving around 1 p.m. Friday afternoon, King and Shock unloaded supplies, checked on friends and surveyed the damage. Shock also delivered water filters donated by SIFAT to be used by BMH. King and Shock returned to the Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport, where Shock is in charge of ground operations for the Bahamas Habitat staging area. He is coordinating donations, weighing supplies and preparing pallets for volunteer pilots to load on their planes. The pilots will be routed from this facility to different areas of the Bahamas.

Your help is needed. Donations can be made directly to Bahamas Habitat at www.bahamashabitat.org. You can also buy Home Depot e-Gift Cards (Recipient e-mail: MethodistHabitat@gmail.com). By receiving online donations, Bahamas Habitat and BMH can efficiently purchase and ship needed materials to families, as well as purchase fuel for the airplanes delivering the supplies. For more information about SIFAT, please visit www.sifat.org.

(photo right: Abe McIntyre of Bahamas Methodist Habitat, Addison Shock of SIFAT and Cameron King of Bahamas Habitat fly in the first plane of supplies to Eleuthera).

Worship on the Water 2011 details

It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, which means Worship on the Water (WOW) is about to begin!
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We missed posting for a couple of weeks, but don’t think we haven’t been busy at SIFAT! Highlights: CARES, retreats, speaking at churches and a short-term mission leader training with UMC Global Missions and preparing for this week’s field study. It never seems to slow down.

Here’s what’s going on this week at SIFAT:

All week: Field Training in World Hunger and malnutrition: Practical Skills to Make a Difference. Click here to learn more.

Wednesday, May 18: UAB–PAHO International Collaborating School of Nursing will visit to learn about SIFAT and participate in some of the Field Study activities.

Friday, May 20: Sunday, May 22: A work team from Chapelwood UMC in Athens, Ga., is coming to lend a hand and work on some projects around campus!
Saturday, May 21: Our Learn & Serve summer staff arrive.
Sunday, May 22: Ivan Roman and Peggy Walker meet with the Trinity UMC (Birmingham) short-term mission team to Ecuador. Ivan and Peggy will share about the project and do some cross cultural training.

Sunday, May 22: Sarah Corson will be speaking at Rockstand Church

Sunday, May 22: The Learn & Serve staff begin training for this summer’s camp.