Its that time of year again! Its shoebox week! I love the Operation Christmas Child This is an opportunity for individuals, families, or groups to participate in a ministry which will impact millions of children worldwide, and do it from the comfort of their own homes. OCC's goal this year it to collect and distribute 8,000,000 (million) shoebox gifts through churches and schools here in the US and worldwide. Last year we were able to track some of our boxes and found out some were shipped to Chad & some to Honduras.
Our shoeboxes are stuffed with combs/brushes, hair bands, crayons, pencils, sharpeners, pads or coloring books, socks, flip flops, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Then for each age group, boy or girl, we specialized the little toys - sewing kits, hot wheels cars, dolls, stuffed animals, blocks, tote bags, bead kits, stickers, card games, etc.
Over the years, we've perfected the stuffing (or cramming) our gifts into these boxes. We've started using plastic shoeboxes for several reasons - you can fit more in them than a regular box, the children will have a plastic box that will last longer than cardboard, and wrapping shoeboxes isn't easy. Its lots of fun, great for all ages,
We spent Wednesday afternoon at our local relay center for Operation Christmas Child. Praying, counting boxes, labeling boxes, crating up boxes, stacking and labeling crates.
Every group of boxes that is dropped off is prayed for by everybody working, most of this involves everyone touching the boxes. The prayers are thanksgiving & blessings for the hands that packed the boxes, and for the children/families receiving the boxes. In our over abundance, completely spoiled society, its humbling to realize that for the children receiving these shoebox gifts ~ this could be the only gift they have ever received. And many of these children may receive the ultimate gift any of us could ever receive ~ the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
wednesday work...about 47 crates holding 10-14 boxes each ~ depends on the size of the box!
If each crate held 10, then thats 470...but the average between them all was about 12 so thats put our number at about 664. Pretty good for 2 1/2 hours of work!
and yesterday we processd 1400 boxes that 90 crates full of shoeboxes
well have fun and happy packing :)
Our shoeboxes are stuffed with combs/brushes, hair bands, crayons, pencils, sharpeners, pads or coloring books, socks, flip flops, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Then for each age group, boy or girl, we specialized the little toys - sewing kits, hot wheels cars, dolls, stuffed animals, blocks, tote bags, bead kits, stickers, card games, etc.
Over the years, we've perfected the stuffing (or cramming) our gifts into these boxes. We've started using plastic shoeboxes for several reasons - you can fit more in them than a regular box, the children will have a plastic box that will last longer than cardboard, and wrapping shoeboxes isn't easy. Its lots of fun, great for all ages,
We spent Wednesday afternoon at our local relay center for Operation Christmas Child. Praying, counting boxes, labeling boxes, crating up boxes, stacking and labeling crates.
Every group of boxes that is dropped off is prayed for by everybody working, most of this involves everyone touching the boxes. The prayers are thanksgiving & blessings for the hands that packed the boxes, and for the children/families receiving the boxes. In our over abundance, completely spoiled society, its humbling to realize that for the children receiving these shoebox gifts ~ this could be the only gift they have ever received. And many of these children may receive the ultimate gift any of us could ever receive ~ the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
wednesday work...about 47 crates holding 10-14 boxes each ~ depends on the size of the box!
If each crate held 10, then thats 470...but the average between them all was about 12 so thats put our number at about 664. Pretty good for 2 1/2 hours of work!
and yesterday we processd 1400 boxes that 90 crates full of shoeboxes
well have fun and happy packing :)
What a wonderful away to serve. You are a blessing.
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