Send a Gift of Hope Around the World

THIS IS A NON-SPONSORED POST ABOUT OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD.
* THIS POST CONTAINS PRODUCT AND AFFILIATE LINKS. *

One of our favorite holiday activities is packing our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child!

It's the time of the year when we pack shoeboxes for Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child. It all started in the summer of 1993, when Franklin Graham, the then President of Samaritan’s Purse, received a call from a man in England asking if he’d be willing to fill shoeboxes with gifts for children in war-torn Bosnia. That Christmas, Samaritan’s Purse sent 28,000 shoebox gifts to children in the Balkans.

Since then, Samaritan's Purse has more than 188 million shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. The shoeboxes bring not only the joy of what, for many kids, is their first gift ever, but also gives them a tangible expression of God’s love. And there a lot of fun to shop for and pack!

We have been packing shoeboxes for almost 25 years. It start with Amy and I packing a couple boxes while we were newly weds. As the kids started coming, we packed a box for each one. As they became old enough to shop for their gifts, we made it a Christmas tradition. We would shop for our gifts, then pack the boxes. It was, and is, a great way to teach your kids how to love others.

The kids may be growing up, but Operation Christmas Child is something we still look forward to each year. Later this week we will head out for a little Christmas shopping as we prepare to pack this years shoeboxes.

We've also been blessed to be part of churches who value the ministry of Samaritan's Purse and have partnered to fill thousands of shoeboxes over the years. This coming weekend, our church is hosting a packing party. We have invited families from the church to bring their items to the church on Saturday, where we will pack shoeboxes together. We're looking forward to sharing in the joy of Operation Christmas Child with our extended family and friends! In fact if you are in the area, you can join us. Click on this link to learn more, C3 OCC Packing Party.

Over the years we've had a lot of fun packing our shoeboxes. In 2017, we shared our packing as an episode of KidsTalk. Breya and Asher had a change to talk about their shoeboxes.

We also shared the fun of packing boxes in 2015. It's fun to look back and revisit those times with the kids. It's also fun to see how little they were back then.

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But we don't want to simply remember our past packing fun. We also want to encourage you to pack your own shoebox this week! Packing a shoebox really is an amazing way to share the love of Jesus with a child this Christmas.

These boxes are more than just toys and trinkets. Samaritan's Purse delivers these boxes to kids in communities where trained pastors are able to communicate the good news of the Gospel with the kids. Each box is given a Gospel booklet that has been designed to invite kids to know Jesus. And, this isn't a one-time only mission. Samaritan's Purse works with the local pastors to develop discipleship programs that continue to nurture and care for these amazing kids.

Packing a shoebox is easy. There is probably a church or organization near you who is hosting a packing event, or collecting boxes. If you can't find a church or organization, visit this Find Local Events, page for a list of organizations in your area.

You can pick up a shoebox, fill it, and drop it off at a local drop off location. It's super easy, and super fun! 

And if you're looking for an online way of packing a shoebox, check out the Build A Shoebox Online page. Just click on the link above!

The National drop off dates begin Monday, November 15th and run through Monday, November 22nd. So get in on all the fun and pack a shoebox this week!

​- the higham family

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