Children, youth and adults from Marion traveled by bus to Farmington, N.M., Aug. 4 through 11 to do volunteer mission work.

The mission trip was sponsored by Eastmoor United Methodist Church but included families from four other churches. After around 17 hours of travel, the group arrived at the mission. Volunteers stayed in the old boarding school dormitory.

The adults assisted by the youth did major repair on a trailer to be used to house abused women and families. They repaired floors and laid carpet, painted rooms and repaired the washer and stove.

Women sewed curtains for trailers, houses and the dorm. Youth and children painted wooden fences. The men constructed gates and repaired fences. Automatic floodlights were repaired and adjusted.

Several women and youth worked every day cleaning two large storage garages of many things the mission can no longer use. The children’s playground was cleaned and a group went with a truck to the cemetery and cleaned there. The back porch of the dormitory was repaired, painted, and cleaned. Some of the men and youth repaired bicycle tires. 

The first Sunday the group attended the contemporary worship service at First United Methodist Church.

Each morning and evening there was worship shared by three teams with Pastor Mike Eurit giving leadership. Women and youth led in a children’s Bible school each evening with Navajo children attending as well as our own. Others led a women’s Bible study each evening for Navajo women and the mission team.

Before their departure, several painted a mural on the wall next to the playground of Kansas with sunflowers; everyone all signed their names.

On Sunday, the team will give a report at Eastmoor United Methodist Church in both the 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. worship services.