A local church has gone domestic for a summer mission trip.

Clear Branch Baptist Church in Wesson partnered with several other churches to travel to Tohatchi, New Mexico. They spent five days there recently volunteering in different group efforts.

“It made a huge impact on their life and they heard the Gospel,” Clear Branch member Rainee Hodge said.

People of all ages traveled to Tohatchi to give their time to the community there.

The group consisted of 49 volunteers from four different churches with the majority being from Clear Branch. Other churches were Bogue Chitto Baptist Church, Walker Community Ministry from Louisiana and Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Florida, Hodge said.

The group efforts consisted of a soccer camp, Vacation Bible School and construction team. The team worked and stayed at Tohatchi Baptist Church.

The Vacation Bible School served children in the area by giving them fun activities to take part in such as music, arts and crafts and bible study.

Soccer camp taught the fundamentals of the sport to area children who were interested in learning.

The construction team worked at various homes in the community. The team was able to reroof and reinsulate a home, along with building a wheel chair ramp.

Throughout the day the teams worked, and then everyone came together for an afternoon worship service followed by a meal. They saw an average of 150-200 people a day.

Tohatchi’s population is majority Native American, specifically Navajo.

For Hodge, the opportunity to give to the people of Tohatchi was nothing but rewarding.

“You go somewhere to bless others, but you come back and God blesses you immensely,” Hodge said.

She said one of the most important things she learned while in New Mexico was truly how blessed she is. While many live in small homes with dirt floors and no running water or electricity, they are grateful.

Story by Gracie Byrne