Time to Start Operation Christmas Child
Now that we are in the month of March, I looked in my closet to see if I had any Operation Christmas Child (OCC) gifts that I had squirreled away since last November. I was not surprised to find a bag of toy trucks I had picked up some time during the past couple of months. For more than a decade Christ Our Savior has set the ambitious goal of filling at least 100 shoeboxes with gifts for 10 to 14-year-old Third World boys via Samaritan’s Purse. Donation baskets are placed in the church lobby to receive gifts of toys, hygiene items, tools, and school supplies. Since I love to shop, I look for gifts all year long. Some prefer to concentrate on school supplies in the late summer, while others give funds to support Samaritan’s Purse. I will occasionally be reminding you to participate in your preferred way from March until November when we will pack the boxes.
You may wonder if these gifts are truly important—the answer is yes. Here are two stories shared by Samaritan’s Purse that answer the question:
Special Treasures
A 7-year-old refugee in South Asia had wanted a football and a spinning top toy for a long time but he knew his parents couldn’t afford them. His family struggled to have enough money to buy food. He was thrilled to find both items in his shoebox. “What I saw in that box meant that God cares and answers prayers,” he said.
In eastern Europe, a young boy had also been longing for specific items—a soccer ball and jersey. When he opened his shoebox gift, he started jumping for joy because his box contained, among many special things, those exact items.
Gayle Vito, PR Director