Got Shoeboxes?

 

Don't forget it is national collection week for Operation Christmas Child!

There are some beautiful stories and videos at their website.  If you've never taken the opportunity to watch videos, here is a short one.  To me though, the best are the stories of the kids who have grown up, who can still tell you exactly what was in their boxes.

If you can't pack a box, maybe you can pay shipping for one of the boxes that was returned without it's shipping payment (you can give online).  Seven dollars can get a box to a child somewhere, so they can see the love of God in a tangible way, plus they get the gospel in their own language.

Operation Christmas Child

It is Operation Christmas Child collection week!  The girls' AHG troop filled boxes (and my trunk) to overfull again this year.  We were able to drop them off earlier this week.  That is always so fun to do.

If you don't know about OCC and Samaritan's Purse, you can learn more here.  OCC is a really wonderful ministry specifically aimed at the the children of the world.  It is also fun for kids because they can, with a little guidance about what is best to send, choose items to send to a child like themselves.

Samaritan's Purse heads up many, many relief efforts during the year too, far beyond shoe boxes.  They are on the front lines of the refuge crisis--distributing backpacks full of supplies to those in need.  They work in medical missions, disaster relief (here and abroad), and share the love of Jesus in real, tangible ways.

Shoe Boxes!

I've been able to pack Operation Christmas Child boxes with several different groups over the years, but this year I got to be with the girls' AHG troop as they packed their boxes.  They resided in my house for a couple of weeks, but we were able to drop them off yesterday afternoon!  The fellow who was volunteering at the drop off center told us that after a stop off in another part of town our boxes would head for a hub in Atlanta and then on to Africa!

The troop preparing to pray over the boxes

 Some of the boxes in my trunk--they didn't all fit there!  We also were able to print bar codes to place on the box tops, so once they arrive in the country to be distributed we'll get a message telling us where they ended up.

My little American Heritage Girls ready to drop off the boxes.

Kate at the drop off--she forgot her coat and it was below freezing.  Brrr.  Nate helped with the heavy lifting.  He got to pack up a box to take to our church.

We made a stuffed toy together to go in his.  I've worked with the girls on sewing and he has demanded to keep up, learning to whip stitch.  He'll at least be able to fix a hem and sew on a button when he's grown.

The girls made little dolls.  Gabby was putting the gathers in a skirt here.  This was a sample that we showed the Tenderhearts in her troop when they stuffed dollies for me one evening.

(tutorial here)

The drop off point!  We went in and had the chance to pray over the boxes again with the volunteer collecting the boxes today.

The best part of the event this year, for me, was learning that one of Justin's students had received a shoe box as a child before his family immigrated to the United States.  It was the first present he ever received.  For many years, he kept the box, because it meant so much to him.  You can give a child their first present and a glimpse of the love of God all wrapped up in a little shoe box.