Operation Christmas Child (Day 55)

Most every year, our family has a tradition of participating in "Operation Christmas Child" through Samaritan's Purse. What we do is buy toys, crayons, clothes, stuffed animals, blankets for kiddos the same age and gender as our kids. Then each one of our kiddos fills a shoebox with these gifts. This ministry then sends these boxes to children around the world who would otherwise not have a Christmas present. They also share the hope of Christmas by telling these children about Jesus.

Our kids look forward to this each year. Before we pack our boxes we watch a video I have that shows how the boxes get to their destinations and it shows children around the world receiving their boxes. I cry through the whole thing every year. The poverty, sadness, sickness and living conditions of so many children around the world breaks my heart. This year was the first year that Abby "got it". And it broke her heart too. After watching the video she just cried and cried. All of the kids were misty eyed. But Abby was heart broken. As much as I hate to see her sad, I hope that her heart always breaks over the things that break the heart of God. It is sad.

So it is neat to think that something as simple as a shoebox full of simple toys could bring joy to the heart of a child this Christmas. The kids and I always like imagining who is opening the special packages they put together. And they truly fill them with gifts they themselves would like to receive.

Tonight we packed our boxes. Tomorrow we will pray for the kids that will receive them. And then we will drop them off to be on their way to their new home. Such an awesome ministry.

Here are the kids tonight packing up their boxes...


I pray that the kids that receive them are as happy as we are to have packed them up.