Friday, November 06, 2009

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD



THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THE PAST FEW DAYS! WE DID THIS TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THE BOYS WERE IN MOTHERS DAY OUT AT A CHURCH AND THEY SENT HOME A LETTER AND WE PARTICIPATED. I REALLY DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD UNTIL I STARTED SEARCHING FOR SOME IDEAS TO DO WITH THE KIDS AT CHURCH THIS CHRISTMAS. AFTER I SAW SOME OF THE VIDEOS I KNEW THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I WANTED SOMETHING THEY COULD DO THEMSELVES TO TEACH THEM ABOUT GIVING TO OTHERS AND THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY WILL BE TELLING OTHER CHILDREN ABOUT JESUS AND THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS AS WELL. WE ARE BLESSED AND ARE KIDS ARE SPOILED........PERIOD. TO SEE THESE VIDEOS OF THESE BOYS AND GIRLS RECEIVING THESE LITTLE SHOE BOXES AND THE JOY IT BRINGS TO THEM BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES. I EMAILED THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SOME INFORMATION AND ASKED RJ WHAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. HE AND GI GI ALWAYS DONATE OR DO SOMETHING SPECIAL AT CHRISTMAS THROUGH WORK FOR DIFFERENT CHARITIES AND I ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY PLANS FOR THIS YEAR YET, AND HE SAID NO. SO, I CALLED JUST TO SEE IF THE FAMILY CHRISTIAN STORE ON 280 HAD ANY OF THE BOXES LEFT TO FILL UP AND THEY HAD 50. SO, I TEXTED HIM AND HE SAID GET THEM. SO, I PICKED THE BOYS UP AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE GOT THE 50 SHOE BOXES AND THE NEXT DAY JAX AND I WENT SHOPPING AFTER WE DROPPED THEM OFF. I CAN PROMISE YOU I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THAT KIND OF JOY OUT OF A SHOPPING TRIP, ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS THOSE LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS. AFTER WE PICKED THE BOYS UP, THEY WERE SO EXCITED AND WANTED TO HELP PACK THE SHOE BOXES. I LET THEM HELP ME BAG THE CANDY AND GET EVERYTHING ORGANIZED, SO IT WOULD NOT BE TOO CRAZY WHEN WE START PACKING THEM ON SUNDAY WITH ALL THE KIDS AT CHURCH. AIDEN AND I PACKED A COUPLE TO MAKE SURE WE HAD ENOUGH THINGS TO FILL THE BOXES WHILE AUSTIN WAS GONE WITH GI GI AND PAW PAW AND AS YOU CAN SEE HE WAS SO PROUD. THEY ASKED ME EVERYDAY WHEN I PICKED THEM UP FROM SCHOOL IF WE WERE TAKING THE BOYS AND GIRLS THEIR SHOE BOXES. I HOPE AND PRAY THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS MORE EXCITED ABOUT GIVING TO OTHERS THAN THEY ARE ABOUT RECEIVING. I LET THEM WATCH THE VIDEOS WITH ME AND THEY KEPT ASKING TO SEE THEM AGAIN. THEY WOULD JUST SMILE WHEN THE LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS WOULD OPEN SHOE BOXES, BUT WHEN ONE OF THE LITTLE BOYS BOWED HIS HEAD AND HELD HIS HANDS TOGETHER AND WAS PRAYING IN THE VIDEO, AND AIDEN SAID, LOOK MOMMY HE IS MAKING GOD HAPPY, I KNEW WE WERE DOING WHAT GOD WANTED US TO DO THIS CHRISTMAS. PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYING FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE 50 SHOE BOXES THAT WILL BE SENT TO THESE 50 SPECIAL BOYS AND GIRLS THIS CHRISTMAS AND FOR THESE BOYS AND GIRLS THAT WILL BE PACKING THEM. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR OWN CHILD THIS CHRISTMAS, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO PACK A SHOE BOX:)!! THANK YOU TO GI GI AND MY WONDERFUL HUBBY FOR MAKING THIS ALL POSSIBLE, BUT MOST OF ALL I GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY AND I KNOW HE WILL BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE OF THESE BOYS AND GIRLS THAT PACK THE BOXES AND THE ONES THAT WILL RECEIVE THEM.
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6 comments:

Melissa Irvin said...

Do I need to call a Family Christian store to get the boxes or what? My Mommy & Me group is looking for some ideas for some charities to give to and this seems like a great one! If you could either leave me a comment on my blog or email me at Meli_2003@excite.com that would be great! Thanks!

Kim said...

Jenn- that is awesome!! We visited Green Valley Baptist last week for church and they are doing the same thing so I have already started gathering stuff for our shoeboxes :) They had a little girl read a letter she got from the person her shoebox went to....it was so sweet and brought tears to my eyes! It's such an awesome way for kids to learn to reach out to someone else across the world and tell them about Jesus :) Your boys will look back one day and be so thankful you taught them to give at such an early age...you have inspired me :)

Goldilocks said...

We do the shoe boxes too! I think it is great and would suggest any family with or without kids do it. Although, I have never seen the red and green boxes. I always use my own. I think I am going to try and find two. Keep up the good work! = )

The Evans Family said...

We also have done this the last several years at our church and you are right, it is such a blessing! It is so important for us to not only remember the REAL meaning of Christmas, but to SHARE that meaning and that truth with others. This is such a great way to minister to children who are so very less fortunate than us and to be able to do it in the name of Christ! Praying for your kids and all the children who will be blessed this year with the love and the story of Jesus!

Anonymous said...

Jenn, We also do this at our church and all the churches in Decatur. Thousands are filled. This is all these children receive and they are so excited. I haven't seen thses red and green boxes. We use the clear plastic and use red and green tissue paper to line them. The kids are going to be soooo excited when they receive your boxes. God Bless you!!! Mamaw

Keri said...

I've participated in this the past few years. It is something so easy for us to do, yet it means so much to the kids that receive the boxes. Hope to participate in this for years to come!