Danny Hughes was described as an excellent student during his college years at Southern Methodist College in Orangeburg. He graduated in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Bible, with a specialization in Christian ministries. He is well known at Santee Bible Church, where his family attended and he was active.

Now Hughes, his wife, Sarah, and their three young children are preparing to move to the southwestern United States to serve the Navajo Indian community.

"Danny is an exceptional young man," said Lucy LaRoche Charpie, an instructor at SMC who taught Hughes in several classes. "I am looking forward to the great things that God will do in his life."

How did a young man who was home-schooled by his mother and grew up in a town called "Round O" decide to become a missionary to serve Native Americans? Hughes said his appreciation for the Indian people began when he was 16 years old.

"Through that time, God gave me both a love for these people and an appreciation for the camping ministry that I was a part of," he said. "I worked with Broken Arrow Bible Ranch for seven summers in a row and began to feel called into full-time ministry during these years."

The Hughes family has joined United Indian Missions International and plan to work at Broken Arrow Bible Ranch in western New Mexico. Their goal is to reach children with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"We have many great counselors who spend the week with the campers building relationships and telling them about Jesus," Hughes said. "We also have two chapel services a day to teach the children about the Bible and the gospel message."

With three young children, Sarah Hughes said there will be some challenges on the mission field.

"I desire for my children to learn to love the Lord and desire to serve him. There are concerns that I have," she said. "(But) I know that God can overcome these things. I also believe that there are great benefits in having my children live in a culture that is different from the all-American culture."

With nearly 60 percent of Navajo Indians living below the national poverty level, Sarah Hughes said she believes her children will learn to value other things in life besides possessions.

"This is completely opposite to what most kids are learning in pop culture," she said. "I would rather have my children do without than think life is about possessions."

Danny and Sarah Hughes have been preparing diligently for their mission to the Navajo Indians, attending cross-cultural training in Canada. Sarah Hughes has received formal Bible training, and her husband has been speaking at churches throughout South Carolina to raise awareness about their mission and gain financial support. They said they have raised 50 percent of the $40,000 per year they are required to raise before they can begin their mission to the Navajo Indians.

Those who would like to help the Hughes family serve on the mission field can contribute online at www.uim.org or mail a check to UIM Finance Center, P.O. Box 6429, Glendale, AZ 85312. Checks should be made payable to UIM International and be sent with a note directing it to the Hughes' account.

T&D Correspondent Cindy Ott can be reached by telephone at 803-829-3638. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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