SLC 2015

We just got back last week from a fabulous SLC (spiritual life conference) with our team. Our team meets once every year all together to focus on fellowship, study, skill development and fun. It is only during this time that we are all together as we are spread out between anywhere from 2-4 countries of service during the rest of the year as we seek to help the Southern Sudanese.

I thought it would be fun to share a few highlights in pictures. If you’ve no time for the entirety of this post skip to the bottom. You’ll be blessed by listening to the song at the end.

Kids

Our kids get together with other kids from our organisation and a group of volunteers (this year from Scotland) come to lead kids camp in the mornings. The other huge blessing for them is getting to play with their “aunties and uncles” or other adults in our organisation which bless them with love and a listening ear (that is not mom and dad’s)

The kids gathered bottle tops all week then lined then up to see what hte winning Soda was...For those that are curious it was Coke followed by Stoney...
The kids gathered bottle tops all week then lined then up to see what the winning Soda was…For those that are curious it was Coke followed by Stoney…
Snuggles with "aunties" and not just mom is another benefit. This was the first time Daniel chose another adult over mommy...and even fell asleep. So sweet...
Snuggles with “aunties” and not just mom is another benefit. This was the first time Daniel chose another adult over mommy…and even fell asleep. So sweet…
Hill rolling with very willing "aunties" on our team...too much fun...
Hill rolling with very willing “aunties” on our team…too much fun…and laundry
Kid's camp with songs and motions which are still being chanted around our home in a fine Scottish accent :-)
Kid’s camp with songs and motions which are still being chanted around our home in a fine Scottish accent 🙂
Games...for the young and young at heart...
Games…for the young and young at heart…
Another ear to hear stories and observations...
Another ear to hear stories and observations…
Getting to sing song for the adults one day...
Getting to sing song for the adults one day…
Playing games with other kids from our organisation
Playing games with other kids from our organisation
Late night swing rides by the fabulous "Auntie Claire"
Late night swing rides by the fabulous “Auntie Claire”
Lots of free time for laughter
Lots of free time for laughter
Learning about the "armor of God" in kids camp...
Learning about the “armor of God” in kids camp…

Teaching and Training and information sharing

Because we are all in one place at one time we can do some needed trainings and communications such as child safety policies, internet security, communication based on world views, emergency procedure training, stress assessment training and burnout and spiritual training. This year our Speaker focused on the Gospel. We also get to hear about other minstries and work that is being done. Since we are so spread out it is great to hear what others are doing with the southern Sudanese.

Our speaker sharing with us.
Our speaker sharing with us.
Steve came to review what the gospel was and how we needed to remind ourselves of it often.
Steve came to review what the gospel was and how we needed to remind ourselves of it often.
Study time in groups and personally in our speaker topic
Study time in groups and personally in our speaker topic

Connections that are forged in the “fun” and beauty.

Often when you work in a high stress environment with others it can be easy to be confused about who your enemy is…pretty soon stress starts making those that are working alongside you appear to be working against you (I know it sounds weird but it happens!) The best antidote (or one of them) to this odd occurrence is to laugh, have fun and forge non-stressful fun memories so when the stress comes you can counter it with joy and beauty. This aspect of SLC is so vital for us!

Tennis playing with others
Tennis playing with others
Group game times
Group game times
The team from Scotland taught us to dance a Ceilidh dance. Soo fun!
The team from Scotland taught us to dance a Ceilidh dance. Soo fun!
So many got involved in the laughter and twirling of movement.
So many got involved in the laughter and twirling of movement.
We got to be silly together! This is our N. Africa team probably the last time we will all be together...
We got to be silly together! This is our N. Africa team probably the last time we will all be together…
Bonfire-worship music (more on that below) rolls, marshmallows and laughter are all part of this fun evening
Bonfire-worship music (more on that below) rolls, marshmallows and laughter are all part of this fun evening

Worship

One of my favorite part of SLC is our worship times. The Scotland team did a great job of leading us in worship, but singing with our teammatees is amazing. We have so many different “heart languages” present and one evening around the bonfire we were able to all sit and sing together (see below). Sometimes our worship was in song, sometimes in words of encouragement, sometimes in walks into nature, and sometimes in study of Truth but it was amazing to be doing it together.

Beautiful walks through tea folds
Beautiful walks through tea fields
Moments of singing with one voice
Moments of singing with one voice
Times of study together
Times of study together
Awesome time of refreshing worship led by a team from Scotland
Awesome time of refreshing worship led by a team from Scotland
Bonfire worship.
Bonfire worship.

If you’ve gotten this far mabruk (congrats!) because I want to share with you my favorite part. Sitting around the bonfire we started singing “God is so good” in folks heart languages. It was sweet to see kids snuggled on laps whose eyes came alive when their language was sung…my little PJ was snuggled next to me and shouted out “arabic!” and led us (you can hear her sweet voice below) in singing a song she knew just as well in her second heart language as her first. I felt like it was a taste of heaven hearing all those voices raised up in beautiful singing. May you be blessed by the many tongues singing as I was. (Click below to listen)

 Many languages, one voice.
Many languages, one voice.