May 4, 2022

Thirty juniors and seniors from SSCA visited Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico over interterm in April. They spent four days deep cleaning and organizing several buildings on the property, including a food pantry and a clothing supply building, and they revitalized the entire mission, painting the outside of the dormitory, the main sanctuary, and the activity hall. Some of the team built a desperately needed chicken coop, while others did light carpentry at the home of the elderly missionary couple who run the mission by themselves. With temperatures in the thirties for much of the week, the outdoor work was quite a challenge, but the missionaries were thrilled with the blessings the SSCA team provided. In gratitude, the hosts spent many hours in prayer deep into the night for the members of our team.

Another highlight of this trip was creating and leading a vacation Bible school for the Navajo community. Approximately thirty children, teens, and even adults attended each night, sharing the dinner our team helped prepare, singing with our talented praise band, listening to the Bible story, learning Bible verses, playing games, and making Bible crafts. Another group of adults had a Bible study during the VBS led by one of our leaders. As they praised God together, the older Navajo women taught the team to sing some hymns in the Navajo language. The team fell in love with the beautiful people of this region.

During their free time, the team grew very close to each other as they watched the sun rise over Prayer Rock, hiked in precipitous canyons, explored the ancient ruins of Chaco Canyon, cooked authentic Navajo fry bread, and spent an exciting afternoon zip-lining to finish off their adventure. Thank you for all who prayed for this team and for the support!