Operation Christmas Child

Our girls packing their boxes

 Every November, our church participates in collecting shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. This is one of our main mission projects for this time of year. We even had a couple that took the church's shoe boxes to the collection point in Boone at least once. We began initially collecting back in September (see Pizza Pajama Packing Party for more on this).

Look closely at this picture-can you see Rebekah trying to brush her hair?

Every year FMBC sets a goal of how many boxes we hope to collect. This year's goal was 100 shoe boxes! Keep in mind we have 140-150 people attending most Sundays-so this goal would mean potentially a big portion of the church participating. 

We had a pretty busy week leading up to the deadline so we headed to get the items for our shoe boxes the day before the boxes had to be in. It was an adventure. Rebekah wanted out of her car seat to touch everything she saw and Rachel found many things she wanted to put in a box for a little girl her age (we decided to do a box from each of our girls for a little girl 2-4 and a little girl 5-7), but occasionally had to be reminded that we were giving, not getting, on this day. 

 As part of collecting the shoe boxes at our church, all the children attending that day are invited to help bring the shoe boxes from the back to the front of the sanctuary. This is Rachel's group, our Pre-K class, waiting to help bring boxes forward.

 Due to the fact that I was carrying her, I don't have any pictures of Rebekah helping with the boxes. I did get her from the nursery and she did "help" hold a box with me as we took it to the front. No problem there-the problem began when I started to take the box and sit it on the stack on other boxes. Let's just say she was very unhappy with me that I took "her" box out of her hands!

 We continued with our service as usual until the very end. At the end, the children are invited up to the front again to place their hands on the boxes as we pray for them in preparation for them to be sent to children around the world.

Not only did we meet our goal of 100 boxes, we exceeded it. We collected 117 Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes this year! We are praying that each one will bring a smile to a child's face and that, most importantly, they will have an opportunity to learn about Jesus and how much He loves them through each box sent!

                                                      "Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
                                                      proclaim his salvation day after day.
                                                                      Declare his glory among the nations,
                                                his marvelous deeds among all peoples"
                                                        1 Chronicles 16:23-24