The Fleming Federated Church may be small, but that hasn't prevented its members from accomplishing big goals.

This past Sunday, three members of the congregation gave an account of the mission trip to the Dominican Republic they participated in last month. They joined a group that included people from the United States and Canada. In order to raise money for the trip and to help the work projects, the Fleming church held a fundraiser day in June that included a car wash, a garage and bake sale and refreshments.

As part of her presentation, Diane Saxton held up a picture of a girl named Rachely, who is supported by financial donations from the Fleming Church throughout the year.

“Rachely would not be able to go to school without the support of people like us,” she said. “As many as 6,000 children in the Dominican Republic cannot go to school. There is not enough room.”

Daniel Saxton, Diane's son, was also a member of the team.

“This year's Dominican Republic trip was a very different experience. I was there for three weeks, two by myself, and one with the group,” he said.

Daniel helped to set up a water purification system for the village where they stayed, and he also worked in a medical clinic.

“I even attended a church service where I was the only one who couldn't speak Spanish, and they translated the sermon just for me,” he said.

Because of the water purification system, the local school is able to sell five-gallon containers for 50 cents a day. Normally, the people have little access to clean water, a condition which doctors say accounts for most of the region's health problems.

In the city, fresh water can cost several dollars for five-gallons. The average annual wage is less than $500, so that could deplete a family's income very quickly.

Jennifer Saxton, Diane's daughter, accompanied her mother and brother.

“We didn't work on a project as much this year, but we did more VBS (Vacation Bible School),” she recalled. “The highlight of the camp for the kids was to be able to come and use the pool. It was a treat for them to have camp all day,

rather than just for a couple hours. It was fun for us, but tiring, too.”

As part of the camp, the young people who attended participated in sports and crafts, sang songs and attended religious services geared just for them.

Fleming Federated Church was established in 1959 when the Baptist, Methodist and Episcopal churches merged. Marsha King is the current pastor. According to the church's promotional literature, it welcomes “everyone to enjoy fellowship that provides traditional Christian family values” and its services “are designed to provide you with real encouragement for real everyday living.”

As she concluded the presentation, Diane said, “We did a lot of traveling, and we had a lot of fun, but the mission experience is not about the work you do, it's about the lives you touch and the relationships you make. Most of the members of the team did not know each other when we first arrived, but within a day, we felt like family.”

Diane is now looking forward to the 2009 mission trip.

“Next year, we will be building a house,” she said.

“(It will be) similar to what Habitat for Humanity does. This family will go from a one-room shack with no indoor plumbing to a concrete home with separate bedrooms and a kitchen.”