Operation Christmas Child

When was the last time you opened up a gift and squealed with glee? When was the last time you got an unexpected gift? When was the last time you were given more than you thought possible?

I think mine was about 3 years ago when my parents surprised us with a Disney Cruise. Can you say heart palpitations?! We just stared at our parents in shock–a cruise?! As a gift?!

And for most of us, it would take something as big as a cruise to make us squeal. Jewelry, clothes, books and even electronics are run of the mill, forgotten-tomorrow gifts.

Most kids across the world don’t get a cruise. They don’t get jewelry. They don’t get electronics or furniture. In fact, they usually don’t get anything. Nothing.

But we can change that. We can give kids a Christmas gift. A gift that’s minimal cost and effort on your part–but when multiplied with the reach of Operation Christmas Child and the power of the Holy Spirit, it’s a monumental squeal-worthy gift!

Get Your Kids Involved

I blog a lot about how I want my kids to have an attitude of servant hood and giving. We sponsor kids, we send them letters, we collect shoes and do whatever we can to join the worldwide Body of Christ. With Operation Christmas Child, reaching out to others while showing your kids how to give is so easy. And SO FUN!

Yesterday, we went to The Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart. We bought toys, crayons (cheaper at Wal-Mart!), toothbrushes, washcloths, socks, clothes ($1 Handy Manny shirts at Wal-Mart!), candy, bouncy balls and more to fill up some shoeboxes. When we got home and laid it out on the floor my kids were ecstatic.

We set out 9 plastic boxes (that’s a gift in itself, I think!) and filled them with all the toys. We talked about the kids who would receive the gifts. We counted the toys and tried to divide them equally. We debated if a notebook or a toy was for a boy or girl. We packed and repacked to get everything in tight.

And now we have 9 boxes to send. Nine kids that will receive a gift from us! The next time that box is opened will be when a little girl or boy opens it up to squeals of delight!

Today the kids are writing letters and coloring pictures to place in each box. (We downloaded them from OCC’s website-click on CLIP ART and then scroll to the right.) In their 2 and 4 year old way showing God’s love.

The Real Gift

I wish I could explain how excited I am about this. When I was packing one of the boxes last night, trying to get it to all fit, I got tears in my eyes. A little girl would pick up the pencils I rubberbanded together, she’d smell the soap we placed inside, she’d try on the sunglasses and throw the ball in the air.

But the best part? She’ll also given a Bible storybook that tells of Jesus’ love and sacrifice for them. Then she can be  enrolled in an 11 week discipleship program called The Greatest Journey. The shoebox is just the beginning! These gifts bring about the TRUE gift, the BEST gift of all, a relationship with Jesus!

So, I’m asking you to pack a shoebox. Find one in the bottom of your closet or stop by WalMart and pick one up for ninety-seven cents. Then walk around a store and let your kids fill it with treasures. Enclose $7 {or pay online to follow your box}. Then drop it off. That’s all. You don’t even have to mail it!

What a beautiful way to usher in this Holiday season. What a beautiful step to remind you and your children about giving.

Win BIG with Shoeboxes!

{contest is now closed!}

Now, the fun part! Operation Christmas Child wants to send YOU to deliver the boxes. That’s right! They’re hosting a big SHOE TUBE (*snicker*) contest right now! If you pack a box, make a video about it, or with it, or around it, or sing to it, or make a puppet out of it–or whatever; you can upload it to their Shoe Tube by  November 22.

They’ll pick three finalists and then Operation Christmas Child’s Facebook fans (that’s you!) will vote on the BEST video! If your video is voted on as the fave, then guess what? You’ll be sent on an all expenses paid trip to deliver some Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to needy children!!

Is that cool or what?! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if the winner was an Impress Your Kids reader! Wouldn’t that be fun?

Here’s one Lydia and I made. It will not be winning any awards, I can assure you. I’m pretty sure you can think up something a little more creative…

Even if you don’t make a video, will you pack a box? Give a gift. Change a life.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Operation Christmas Child blogger panel and write about the ministry on a volunteer basis. All posts are my own thoughts and do not necessarily reflect the views of Samaritan’s Purse. Aspart of the blogger panel, Operation Christmas Child will cover my expenses to participate in a trip to the California Processing Center to prepare shoe box gifts for overseas shipment. I am not an employee, agent, or contractor of Samaritan’s Purse.

Last week at the library I randomly picked up The Quiltmaker’s Gift by  Jeff Brumbeau and illustrated by Gail DeMarcken. It had such pretty whimsical illustrations I thought it would be a good one. We sat down to read it and were immediately enchanted.

It’s the story of a selfish materialistic king who wants everything. Finally he discovers there is an old woman in the mountains who makes the most beautiful quilts. More beautiful than any quilt. But she won’t sell them. She only gives them to those who are in need.

He demands a quilt but she refuses. She tells him to give away some of his stuff and with everything he gives away, she’ll add to the quilt. He grudgingly does so and then is swept away by generosity and happily gives everything away!

It’s a beautiful story of the power of generosity and giving.

This week, when we were at the library I noticed The Quiltmaker’s Journey. This is the prequel to the Quiltmaker’s Gift. It’s the story of how the Quiltmaker became…the quiltmaker.

She was a pampered child in a walled city full of prosperity and wealth. One day she ventures out of the city and sees poverty for the first time in her life. She is grieved by the un-even-ness of her city and theirs. So, she returns to collect her wealth and confront the leaders of her town.

They are appalled at her and her desire to help others. They say, “Just don’t look at the poor and then you won’t have to think of them!” They banish her and she leaves the town penniless. Soon she discovers the only thing she can do to help others–sew. And she begins her ministry of quiltmaking for others.

After being in the Dominican Republic, these books really came alive to me. I don’t want to be the same after what I’ve seen there. I don’t want to hide my eyes from the poor and needy. And I want my children to understand the same. I want them to see their comfortable life as a means to help others. It reminded me of a video by Brooke Fraser after she went to Africa with World Vision…

These books started a great conversation about how we can help others. Lydia suggested without any prompting that we give away all of Asa’s baby clothes so other babies could have clothes. Then she suggested we find all the baby toys in our house to give away. It’s not much, but it’s a start!

How do teach your kids about generosity?

linked to Feed Me Books Friday at The Adventure of Motherhood

This is so exciting!  Sarah from Real Life is coordinating an Operation Christmas Child Carnival – a lot of things are happening for this carnival, leading up to a live shoebox packing party on November 5th (see Sarah’s blog for details!).

I heard of Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child soon after I became a believer – and I literally cried when I heard about their mission and the lives they have touched through the years.  The young adults’ group I was involved in packed several shoeboxes that year, and I remember the glee I felt as I purchased little things for the little girl who would be receiving the shoebox I was packing – and more tears were shed as I bought a toothbrush for the shoebox.  Just being able to provide something so small but needed… what a blessing to me - not just the little girl who would one day use that toothbrush.

Having something concrete in my hands to hold while praying for a little girl far away also was amazing – I felt a connection to the little girl that would be receiving the shoebox.  I have no idea who received my box that year, but I know that a little girl and her family received some needed things and some fun things, love and prayers – and the Good News of Jesus Christ was shared with them as well.

I continued to put together shoeboxes through the years, but the past couple of years I haven’t done anything.  And I’ve realized how much I’ve missed that tradition, and how much I want the simple act of packing a shoebox for a child far away to become a tradition in our family.  Elias is at an age where I feel he will understand this – I want him to learn how to bless others!

So what are we going to do? We’re going to host a packing party! Unfortunately, we will not be hosting it on November 5th to link up with Sarah’s virtual packing party, but I hope to have a post up about ours on the 5th!

So stay tuned for details about our packing party, and please hop on over to Sarah’s to read more inspirational stories about Operation Christmas Child – and to participate yourself!