Scraping, sanding and refinishing windows and doors isn't something Jodi Hardman is used to doing.
But for a week this summer, she contributed to a school serving special needs children and to a community she has developed a fondness for.
"We love to give back, because we can - it's a calling," Hardman said. "It gives me a purpose in life."
First Presbyterian Church has sent mission teams to Tamshiyacu, Peru, a village of about 8,000 surrounded by jungle and the Amazon River, for seven years.
What keeps them going back is the relationships the visitors build with the villagers.
"We enjoy getting to meet the children in these communities," Hardman said. "It's a good connection; you want to go back and see them mature."