2021 marks the 16th year that the congregation of Middle Octorara Presbyterian Church (MOPC), 1199 Valley Road, Quarryville, has partnered with its sister church in Tamshiyacu, a village along the Amazon River in northeast Peru.

MOPC has a small congregation involved in local, national, and international missions. Typically, a team of volunteers travels to Peru each summer to provide physical and spiritual support to the pastor and his congregation; however, 2020 was different. Due to travel restrictions, MOPC sent funds, medical supplies, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the nursing staff and medical facilities in Iquitos, the major Peruvian city where past mission teams have stayed during their journeys to and from Tamshiyacu.

"No one made it to Peru last year," noted Daniel Henry, MOPC mission team leader. "The airport which we land at in the Amazon was closed most if not all of last summer."

MOPC began its Peru mission in 2005 in conjunction with Daniel's brother, Dave Henry, who serves as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Jefferson City, Mo. Together, the two churches raised funds to build a sister church in Tamshiyacu in 2008. Church members from both Pennsylvania and Missouri travel to Peru every year and stay for one to two weeks. While there, they lead Bible school and work on construction projects at the church and within the village.

"We strive to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus to the folks in this region of the Amazon," said Daniel.

Over the years, the mission teams have completed several projects in Peru, such as doing maintenance on the church, building a playground for special needs children, installing a running water system for the church, and supplying malaria nets and parasite medicines.

To raise funds for its Peru mission, MOPC held its annual Nuts 'N' Bolts consignment sale on Jan. 9.

MOPC will host a yard sale on Saturday, April 17, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. to continue fundraising for its Peru mission. The event will be indoors, and there will be over 30 tables of items for sale, including toys, household items, tools, small appliances, clothes, and much more. Food will also be available for purchase.

"We have been holding the annual yard sale for over 25 years," said Daniel. "We invite folks to donate items or they can rent their own outside space."

MOPC will celebrate its 300th anniversary in 2027. Currently, the church has over 100 active members with attendance averaging about 50. MOPC holds in-person worship services every Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

"We practice social distancing and recommend masks," said Daniel. "All has gone well."

For more information about the yard sale, including to rent a space, call MOPC at 717-786-3402 or Daniel at 717-381-9947.