A team of 17 from the Southern Pines United Methodist Church -- Michelle Aubrey, Don Bryant, Sandy Bryant, Abby Davis, Sherry Driscoll, Jennifer German, John German, Andrew Harmody, Matt Harmody, Matthew Harmody, Susan Harmody, Garrett Pugh, Amy Natt, Ted Natt, Laura "TJ" Tremper-Jones, Matt White, and Debbie Whitley -- left on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for this year's mission trip to Peru.

The team sanded and painted the walls of the sanctuary at Jose Olaya, a small United Methodist congregation, located in a shanty town on the outskirts of Lima. In addition, a three-day free medical clinic was conducted, where a record 700 patients were seen and received health kits.

On Sunday, March 2, Bishop Jorge Bravo consecrated the building during a special worship service. Sherry Driscoll and Debbie Whitley, co-leaders, presented a plaque commemorating the event and a check to cover additional money for furnishings.

For most team members this was a return trip to Lima, while for others it was their first trip. After the work was completed, some returned home while others took side trips to Cusco and Machu Picchu or traveled south to a resort in Ica. The latter group toured some of the areas in Chincha that were devastated by an earthquake last August.

The covenant between the North Carolina Annual Confer-ence of the United Methodist Church and the Iglesia Metodista del Peru was begun in the early 1990s.

"With that support, plus the dedication of the team members, the congregation of the Southern Pines United Methodist Church, Pastor Paulo Llanco, and the Jose Olaya church members, the covenant continues to be lived out today," says a spokesman.