This is one of my favorite annual things we do as a family. Joseph and I have been participating in Operation Christmas Child since before we had children and over the years it has been fun watching the kids progress in their understanding of OCC.
Each year we get 1 box per child and let the kids pick out things that they think their "friend" would like. In the past we've had many years where the boys cried because they weren't getting anything, but this year was the first year that the boys didn't ask for a thing and were SO excited about getting something for their little friend. Caleb has such a tender heart and cried a couple of times for these kids who have nothing. Heart felt compassion and gratefulness are two characteristics that I want my children to have, but are really hard to teach. And I love it when God gives me a glimpse into their hearts and into what He is doing in their little lives. Love it!
Caleb took great care in packing his box and writing his letter. He really wanted to put a camera in the box so that it would record the kids faces when they opened the box! Once Luke saw Caleb writing a letter he wanted to write one too. Then he drew two pictures, one of a sad little boy and then one of a happy boy with a present! So cute!!
Above are some pictures of our evening. Check out the letter that Caleb wrote all by himself. He even referenced his favorite verse. I wrote it out for him while he dictated it. I didn't even know he knew that verse, but it is definitely one that I will remind him is his favorite!
We included a picture and our address in hopes that maybe we will hear from these kids. We also prayed over these boxes and hope that they will bring joy and Jesus to some sweet children!!
If you haven't participated in OCC before, check it out. It has been a great opportunity to teach my kids while taking care of and loving on anothers!
4 comments:
I love how involved they are in this, from the shopping to the packing and writing a letter. I waited until the last minute to get ours together and I did the shopping and packing then showed Max the next morning. He imagined being the boy who got the box and he was so excited FOR him instead of feeling complain-y like "aw man, none of this stuff is for me??" So, even though I procrastinated, God still redeemed our Shoebox experience to be a blessing. Such a great program!
I love how involved they are in this, from the shopping to the packing and writing a letter. I waited until the last minute to get ours together and I did the shopping and packing then showed Max the next morning. He imagined being the boy who got the box and he was so excited FOR him instead of feeling complain-y like "aw man, none of this stuff is for me??" So, even though I procrastinated, God still redeemed our Shoebox experience to be a blessing. Such a great program!
What a wonderful way to share the love of Jesus....I just LOVE how involved your boys got this year--Caleb's letter is SO sweet!
Thanks for the "fill shoebox" reminder...I remembered to set aside a shoebox at some point during the year as a result of reading about your family tradition last year. Can't wait to get Josiah to the store to fill the box!
I took the girls to the store this morning and our shoebox is packed! Anne (our oldest) was very empathetic with it...only winced once or twice when i told her the things weren't for her. She was even going through her things to see if she could 'spare' something. I did a post on this, this morning and gave you a shout out! :) Blessings.Sara
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