I’m settling in from my travel home to New Hampshire from Colorado. SFC believes in family living on mission together, so my wife and four children joined me for a much-awaited SFC staff retreat weekend tucked in the mountains near Buena Vista, Colorado. We have a couple of brand new staff members and new marriages in the mix on our team. It felt like a prime time to get everyone together to build unity, trust, and care amongst our team as we move into a new wave of mission and strategy at SFC.
One of the highlights of our time together was on Saturday afternoon. We all came together after a morning of fishing, hiking, and enjoying Colorado’s beautiful scenery. That afternoon, we came together to share the stories of how God called us each to this ministry. Everyone in attendance, including the spouses, had the chance to share their “why they are with SFC” and some of their personal stories leading up to joining this family on mission. We also took time to tell the story of what God has done in the past at SFC and spent some time dreaming and planning about what we see God doing in the future with this team.
Sunday morning, we concluded the retreat with a time of prayer. We prayed over each person and each family as we go our separate way back into the mission field in our respective homes. Outside of our meetings, we shared laughs, stories, and adventures. The guys got some fly fishing in and played with the kids on the gorgeous trout ponds while the ladies went for a late morning hike together. The consensus among the team was that this was a much-needed time to bond and rest during a time of considerate transition. It was a blessing for my family to renew friendships and enjoy God’s creation among some of the most dedicated missionaries I know. Thanks so much to the SFC Board of Directors and SFC’s supporters for making this important time together a reality.