Operation Christmas Child

For the first time in a long time, our home church was a drop-off site for Operation Christmas Child. Every year the kids go shopping with an allotment of money not for them but for a child they'll never meet.

Thought must go into the selection because of size and usefulness. For the boys this year it was the realization that Pokemon cards probably wouldn't go as far as a puzzle.

Once shopped out, (the 2-year-old and the daddy particularly) having visited Michaels, Target, Wal-Mart, Kohls and the Dollar Tree, we came home to fill the tasteful boxes the kids had selected.


Candy was divided and bagged to provide variety.


This year the crew is blessing two 5-9 year old boys, 1 5-9 year old girl and one 2-4 year old girl.

It is interesting to see how the contents of the boxes change and the kids get older and what stays the same.

Always present are tooth brushes and tooth paste and candy. Even the candy has changed though from lollipops to gum to swedish fish. This year sharing candy was harder because Haddie's box needed non-chokable stuff.



Rebekah's reflected the artsy, secretiveness of a young lady: a latchable box, note pads and pens.



Caleb's reflected the boisterousness of boys with flarp, slinky, and the swedish fish.

Elijah's contained the evidence of growing up: a 3-D puzzle but the ever present stuffed animal.




Haddie's was filled with the scatteredness of being 2: stuffed animals, stickers, a slap bracelet


Best of all is how exited they are about their boxes. The idea that a "friend" will receive the box not only filled with things for them but that's been prayed over.

Last year our boxes went to the Dominican Republic. We look forward to where our boxes will end up this time carrying smiles and prayers and the hope of salvation.