Today Litsa shares her story of giving in hopes of inspiring all of us to give a little extra this Holiday season! This is perfect for the 30 Day Giving Challenge!
A spirit of giving has always encircled my heart! With the resources that I have been given and the compassion that I have for others, I’m honored to say that Operation Christmas Child is one of the ministries that I strive to honor yearly! It all started with my love of shoes! Empty shoe boxes were being discarded until I learned that Samaritan’s Purse organized a program to help others with the journey of a shoebox!
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. They asked me (not personally but I was called to give) and millions of other people to engage in this fun activity of packing a shoebox with gifts for children! Thus, individuals, families, local churches, and other groups, including schools and workplaces gather to put together unique shoeboxes for children they have prayed for to receive these shoe boxes packed with gifts! For several years, I packed two to four boxes for the program. Then, I increased my giving with the number of shoes I bought that specific year! I had to think about buying shoes because then I’d have to increase my giving. Needless to say, the giving became a part of me so I began designating a drawer in January to begin stowing away little gifts that I found on clearance (toys, crayons, toothbrushes, combs, etc. or even Happy Meal prizes that I didn’t play with as an adult). My one drawer became two drawers as the year unfolded and so the project grew!
Last year, when my daughter turned two, I invited friends and family to join in on the gift of giving. Many opted out completely. Others participated in the program through another venue. And, two joined me at my first annual drive of packing shoeboxes at home! The three of us packed 16 boxes to donate to Operation Christmas Child. This year, I enlisted a few Facebook friends. A few friends joined me last Saturday, November 5th, 2011 to pack shoeboxes—13 were filled to the brim! Today, I had the pleasure of delivering them to the local church that will serve as a drop-off location during OCC’s National Collection Week: November 14-21st! Thus, you’re not too late to join the gift of giving. All the information you need is located at Samaritan’s Purse. Last year, I wrapped all empty shoeboxes that were donated to me. This year, I ordered “Go Boxes!” from Samaritan’s Purse. The boxes were sent via UPS to our door. We folded and filled the boxes. I held on to a handful for next year’s event! And the rest, I donated to the chairperson of the shoebox packing at the local church!
In years to come my toddler and I will tie in tracking our packed shoeboxes around the globe to their final destination. Thus, I encourage you to make your shoe box donation online and learn about the country where your gift is going so that a geography lesson can be combined with this gift of compassion! For today, I’ll relish in the fact that my three year old helped purchase items for the shoeboxes at our local Dollar General and that at home she was eager to help by putting items in the shoeboxes without wanting the little gifts waiting to be organized inside the boxes. Her willingness to help and understanding that they were for other children touched my heart as a mom. I can only imagine the impact of an impoverished child receiving the gifts!
Post by Litsa
Latest posts by Litsa @How to Have it All (see all)
- Mushrooms: Portobello, Morels, & More - April 25, 2016
- Giving Back: Get Involved - December 2, 2015
- The Autumn Advantage - December 1, 2015
Operation Christmas Child is really a great way to give! People here are packing shoeboxes to the Children of Bulgaria.
Mika recently posted..Anna lahja Kansanlähetykselle