The members of the First Baptist Church of Tarrytown are hosting a church-wide tag sale on Saturday, July 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The sale is one of the congregation's efforts to raise funds for an upcoming mission trip to Sierra Leone.

Member Jacques Cowart has been heading up the preparations for the 10-day trip, which will take place from September 16 - 28.

Cowart said they chose to visit Sierra Leone, one of the world's 10 least wealthy nations, because the church has a missionary, Michael Turay, based there.

"It felt natural that we should go there," said the former Tarrytown resident, adding Turay has been a liason of the church for the past 10 years.

Though it will be the first international mission trip for Cowart and the other members, he said he hopes to make the voyage a habit in the future.

"Maybe we can do a bi-annual thing," he said. "We want to build a relationship there."

Lisa Baugh, a Cortlandt Manor resident who will also be going to Sierra Leone, feels now is the right time to move forward in her spiritual endeavors.

"I feel very fulfilled and very complete in my life," she said. "I am ready to reach out to people outside of my community and share what I have experienced."

In addition to teaching natives "how their lives can change with a new kind of hope in God," Cowart added each of the seven members of the "A-Team" (A for Africa) will share one of their "gifts" while abroad.

"I have a background in film, my wife in dance," he explained. "We will be going around and using our gifts in different ways.

Baugh, a five-year member of the church, has a background in education. She is involved with the First Baptist Church's annual Vacation Bible School and will run a shorter version in Africa.

"There's an opportunity for us to do a three-day Vacation Bible School," she said. "I invested all of my time into this VBS geared towards 100 or more children."

Like the summer camp here in Tarrytown, the Vacation Bible School in Sierra Leone will include activities, games and of course, a healthy dose of Bible lessons.

"We can make a difference in the lives of people around the world," Baugh stated.

Cowart, who has been "training for the trip since January," has worked with the other team members to raise funds, including through a month-long fitness program at the church.

He also created a website to garner support and offer a way for community members to make donations for the mission.

"We are trying different ways not only to reach out to the church, but also do stuff for the community," he said.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Mission to Sierra Leone team, visit here.