Operation Christmas Child

A little while ago Mommy said that cancer wasn't going to define her, so in honor of that statement, I am going to post some non-cancer things.

Today at work we did something so cool. I have participated in Operation Christmas Child for about 12 years. Whether at school or through church, every November/December we gathered our shoeboxes and stuffed them full of goodies and then sent them off to be distributed. Today, we arrived at one of six distribution centers in the US and helped sort through the boxes and prepared them for shipment via plane, boat, train, canoe, bike, and camel.

They have scheduled 400 volunteers each hour from the morning until 10pm at night. Since Monday of last week this distribution center boxed and shipped over 400,000 boxes. They are expecting 8,000,000 boxes to go out worldwide this year! We were put through an orientation and got to see how the boxes are brought in, sorted and filled to the brim and then packaged for shipment. It was truly incredible.

We were put in charge filling the candy baggies to be put in each box. We also filled boxes with shoes, socks, pouches and toys. I have included a few pictures (we weren't allowed to bring in purses or use our phones on the distribution lines) I managed to sneak during the candy bagging time.

One of the coolest things was that we stopped every hour and laid hands on the boxes, candy, etc and prayed over who was going to receive the boxes and the gifts the boxes would bring. One thing a pastor prayed was that while they would find gifts inside, he prayed for the children also to find hope, encouragement, strength, love, joy, peace in the boxes. That these boxes would provide those words in reality to the children.

One great story was of a kid who received a box and told them he didn't want it. They asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he said a family. Then told him they couldn't give him that, but would he please take the box. In the box was a picture of a couple and their address on the back. They began corresponding with him and have since adopted him. He did indeed get what he wanted that Christmas.