Operation Christmas Child - March 2015 Update

“Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry Update”

       A Christmas To Remember*

Ecuador sits on the symbolic line that divides the Earth in half with twelve-hour periods of daylight and darkness.

After Christmas 2012, I took my oldest grandchild CJ (age twelve), to Ecuador for her first shoebox distribution.  Traveling with us was Michael W. Smith, his wife Debbie, and her mother Ann, and Patti (Michael & Debbie’s daughter-in-law).

We had just celebrated Christmas in our homes so it was a special treat to celebrate Christmas all over again with the beautiful children of this South American nation.

The Smith’s jumped right into the fun helping children open their boxes and showing them the love of the One the Christmas season celebrates.

CJ is very much like my son Will; she made friends easily and was excited to watch the children gasp with surprise, giggle with delight, and grab hold of their precious gift boxes.  She sat with some of the children as they combed through the presents, sometimes showing them how to use certain things.

Then a little girl pulled out a picture of a family and showed it to CJ.  Her mouthed dropped open.  It was a picture of the family who had packed the box-a family that CJ knew well. 

This has happened on occasion with various team members who travel with OCC, and it is       always a fun moment, but it is also evidence that God guides.  What other explanation could be made that this one box, out of nine million collected for that year, would have come from people CJ knew?  It thrilled me that she was able to see God work; for my granddaughter, it made her first   distribution a Christmas to remember.

 A Story of Simple Gifts by Franklin Graham & Donna Lee Toney – copyright 2013

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry Update - February 2015

       Ajay’s Sight Magnified *

You could feel the excitement in the air!  During a distribution in Fiji, one of our Australian    volunteers was in the middle of a church filled with hundreds of young children eagerly waiting to get their boxes.

It was quite a scene as each child ripped open their box to discover the treasures inside.  That is, each child except a little boy named Ajay.  He sat at the end of a bench with his head down, hands in his lap.

Judy soon learned that Ajay was almost blind.  His mom had recently died and Ajay had a lot to be sad about.  When Judy sat down beside Ajay to help him open his shoebox, tears filled her eyes when she lifted the lid.  The first thing visible was a magnifying glass.  Judy knew that God had guided the gift-giver as the box was packed months before.

Lifting the magnifier, Judy held it up to The Greatest Gift booklet in front of Ajay’s eyes.  A smile crept across Ajay’s face as he saw the colorful pages of the book and read the words that Jesus loves him.

Ajay, a calm boy, showed his delight when he held the magnifying glass up to Judy and said, “vinaka” (thank you).  When the event was over, Ajay said a gentle good-bye, squeezing Judy’s hand.  It was simple, yet profound expression of thanks from a child whose whole world was opened up through the power of a simple gift, sent with love from a stranger who cared and followed the leading of a still small voice.

The power and gentleness of the still small voice from Heaven speaks to millions of packers who are listening to God’s prompting in such a simple but profound way, and is the same voice that whispers to recipients “Come”.  “O magnify the Lord with me” (Ps. 34:3).

Taken from “Operation Christmas Child– A Story of Simple Gifts” by Franklin Graham & Donna Lee Toney -copyright 2013