One of my amazing readers sent in this story written by her husband about the Christmas that he received a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child.

I had the opportunity to talk to the (now grown) recipient of an Operation Christmas Child Box and I’m so excited to share her incredible story with you.

Humble beginnings

Dania is from a country in the Middle East that can not be identified for safety reasons.  In her country and the two others she lived in, less than 2% of the population were Christians and those that identified as Christians were “in name only”, they were born to Christian parents, but had no idea about the religion.  When she was 5 years old, her family moved to another Middle Eastern country in search of a better life.  Unfortunately her father had a hard time finding a job as an immigrant and they lived in extreme poverty.  On nights when they were able to eat, the meal was likely to be bread and a raw onion, not so much a meal as simply food items to fill their bellies.  There were nights they had no food at all.  They had no beds, they had no furniture.  Her parents heard of a church that was giving aid, especially to immigrants.  The Pastor spoke with them and shared his love of Jesus.  The kindness they were shown in that church made them want to learn more about Jesus Christ and his love.  They joined the church and though their circumstances were still bad, they prayed.

One Sunday, in Sunday School, Dania’s teacher announced they would all be going to the sanctuary and be given shoeboxes.  The excitement was overwhelming to Dania, a child of 5 years old.  She had never received a gift.  There were no trees at Christmas.  Almost as soon as the excitement set in, so did the worries.  Was her name on the list? Would she really get a gift, or was this all a mistake?

The church was decorated beautifully.  There were bible verse read, music was played and everywhere were beautiful, colorful boxes in stacks!  It was real!  Even as she stood in the back of the line, she began to shake, butterflies in her stomach and the largest smile on her face.   Even now, many years later, Dania can still remember how she felt when her name was called- she felt valued, she felt loved.  She received her box and clutched it, hugging this beautiful gift to her chest.  Her mother made Dania and her older brother wait until they returned to their bare home to open the gifts.  Dania spent her trip trying to sneak a hand in to her box to feel what was there.  Was it hard? Was it soft?

Opening the Box

At long last they arrived to home and the boxes were placed in the center of their empty home.  Finally, she could open her box.  She was overwhelmed by how beautiful, how neat, how clean, how NEW everything was.  There were items she couldn’t identify, things that weren’t in her country, but everything in that box belonged to her.  These items, the first she had ever owned, gave her such an incredible sense of value.   There was a beanie baby, notebooks, school supplies- decorated pencils.  It was the first time in her life she had seen a decorated pencil.  Her favorite gift were the activity books.  She would carefully fill them out in pencil, then erase all the marks so she could wait and use them again when she had forgotten all the answers.  The slinky she received was a small piece of magic.  She and her family would gather in the stairwell and watch it “climb” down the stairs.   She and her brother played with the marbles he received, and after every game he would lovingly clean each one before putting it away.

When she received her box, it was the moment she felt her prayers had been answered by God.  She had prayed to own a toy, the simple prayer of a small child, and now she owned a box full of things!  Her life was full and happy, she forgot her family’s poverty and the troubles they faced.  It was the best day of her childhood.  Even now after having spent years in North Carolina, her family accepted in to the United States as refugees, she walks down the soap aisle, the smell brings back the beautiful memory of her Christmas Child Box.

It Comes Fulls Circle

Dania’s story is incredible.  Her family became missionaries, returning to her home village where they faced persecution on a daily basis.  Angry villagers frequently attempted to burn her father’s shop to the ground because he tried to share the message of Jesus and held services in their home.  After nearly a decade, her country was embroiled in war and after much prayer they felt it was time to flee.  They applied as refugees, knowing the wait was usually 2-5 years.  In just 14 months they were accepted by the United States.  They settled in North Carolina and  Dania was amazed by the freedom of worship and the number of churches.  Just a few months in to their new lives, a church lady invited Dania to go with her to Charlotte to help process shoe boxes.  When she entered the processing center, she was struck by how huge it was, filled with people, Christmas trees and Christmas boxes.  In a daze, she thought perhaps this was Santa’s workshop and these were Santa’s elves.  It didn’t take her long to realize this was where her shoebox had come from, all those years ago.  Dania looked upon the workers with so much love and respect.  They took time out of their lives to come and work, to “…do all that just so I could receive a box.”  She told me it was truly what she feels Christianity is about- working to help strangers, never knowing how you impact their lives but doing it anyway.

Dania now works as a Speakers Bureau Associate at Samaritan’s Purse and shares her amazing story with others as a representative of Operation Christmas Child.  Her home village no longer exists, as it was taken over by terrorists and the people who called it home were either killed or fled.  When I asked Dania what she would like to say to those who make shoeboxes or who are considering it, she told me this-  “I want to be the voice of these children, to say we are thankful.  [Receiving a shoebox] was the happiest moment of my childhood.  I had never seen the kindness of strangers, I had never owned anything.  This is truly a  tangible way to say to these children you love them.  The power of a simple gift, it means the world to me.  You are making an impact, even if you don’t see it.  Everything you put in to the ministry, God will take and make beautiful.  Without you, nothing would be possible.”

Click here if you are interested in learning more about Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.  Check out how you can coupon your way to putting together more boxes for less money here.

I love putting together Operation Christmas Child Boxes.  This is a sweet ministry that sends boxes of goodies to children across the world, while bringing to them the message of Jesus Christ.  I’ve talked with with people who received a box as a child, living in a war torn country in poverty, and it touches my heart to hear how much something we take for granted- soap, pencils, a few toys, becomes a cherished memory.  It’s a little box of hope and love.

Shoebox gifts are given to children regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or faith. We seek to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way through each shoebox gift. Children do not have to do or say anything to receive the gifts. We work in and through local Christians in each country who understand the context in their area. Simple gifts—packed with love in Jesus’ Name—deliver hope and joy to children all around the world, regardless of their faith or religious background.

To participate, you simply fill a traditional sized shoe box or a plastic shoe box storage container with items appropriate for a child in one of the following age groups:

• 2-4 Girl
• 2-4 Boy
• 5-9 Girl
• 5-9 Boy
• 10-14 Girl
• 10-14 Boy

I love to use plastic shoe boxes, because the box itself becomes another gift, and it’s a way to keep their special gifts clean and together!   We usually go to the Dollar Tree and select items that they would like, or keep our eyes out for deals on small items that will bring a smile to the faces of the children for whom we pack boxes.

Here are a few ideas:

• Crayons or markers
• Coloring book
• Stickers
• Small toys
• Doll
• Stuffed Animal
• Balls
• Jacks

Be sure to keep an eye on the blog for affordable deals that would go perfectly in a shoebox!

Once you have assembled your box, you can visit the Samaritans Purse website to download and print your label for your box. You will need to include a check for $9 to cover the shipping for the box. You can also give your donation online using the Follow Your Box Donation method. This will enable you to track your boxes and know where in the world it ends up!

Samaritan’s Purse will be collecting gift-filled shoe boxes at more than 2,900 drop-off sites in all 50 states and Puerto Rico during National Collection Week, Nov. 18th – 25th, 2019. To find the nearest drop-off location, call (800) 353-5949 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

It’s time to pack those boxes!

Now I know we’ve talked about doing deals throughout the year, but sometimes that just doesn’t happen.  We all know how life gets in the way of our plans sometimes.

Today I set out to pack a box and I decided to do most of my shopping in a store that may not pop to mind immediately when you think of shoe boxes…a craft store!  Not just any craft store though, I went to Hobby Lobby, who partners with Samaritan’s Purse!  I do love spending my money in places that I know give back.

I entered the store on a mission, ready to fill my box with goodies.  Something Dania said in her interview has really stuck with me.  It was her joy over seeing a decorated pencil.  She marveled at the idea that someone took the time to take something as basic and simple as a pencil, and make it beautiful.  I know that every simple gift will show the child who gets my box that someone out there loves them and cares.   I grabbed a box for size reference (I had left mine at home, oops!) and threw myself in to my joyful task.  I decided to shop for a girl, aged 10-14.

The first place I suggest shopping is Clearance!  Hobby Lobby had three separate Clearance sections and there were so many beautiful, amazing items there!  I was enamored with many of the crafting kits, but sadly they were too large to fit in my box.  If you do decide to go with something in a kit, make sure everything necessary is included.  It isn’t very helpful to send a ball of yarn and nothing else.  I also tried to stick to very easy things.  Crochet is not a skill everyone has and without knowing where a box is going, it is impossible to include directions in the correct language for the child!  My biggest score in Clearance was a beautiful journal! This paper will be perfect for writing or drawing.

I love to send school supplies.  An education is one of the most important gifts we can give children, and with schools supplies it opens up the child to being able to go to school!   A pencil sharpener and pencils will always appear in my gift!

I spent a lot of time browsing the art aisle! I loved that these items were marked with signs declaring them “Great for Shoebox Gifts!” Ultimately I added in crayons and colored pencils.  In one of the 40% off Christmas aisles I found a 24 pack of color your own puzzles and I grabbed a small booklet of intricate coloring book designs as well. The puzzles will be fun to color and allow my child to give her own gifts if she chooses!

I also grabbed a pretty canvas tote bag and a pack of fancy hair ties.  They can either pull her hair back, be used as a headband, or she can wear them as bracelets around her wrist.  At $4.99, this was my most expensive item, but I popped on to Hobby Lobby’s app and used a 40% off coupon!

When actually packing my box, I play a very important game of Tetris! Every item must fit perfectly with the others, with no wasted space.  After all, everything must fit inside this shoebox and if there is room for an extra item, I want to take advantage of it!

Now, you can’t get everything at Hobby Lobby.  I stopped by Walmart for soap, a toothbrush and a washcloth.  My box also includes a box of floss and a nail file.   Dania mentioned how even now, years and years after getting her box, she can walk down a soap aisle and be transported back to that memory.

The Slinky even has items packed inside of it! Nothing that could damage it, but I also don’t want that space sitting empty!  Anything I can take out of the package, I do.  I remove hang tags from the store so they don’t take up valuable space in the box.  It really is a labor of love, packing a shoebox, and I have been known to redo it multiple times to squeeze that last inch of space out.

When your box is done, don’t forget to include your $9 to help with shipping and processing.  In those moments after closing the box, I take a moment to pray for the child who will receive my box.  Never underestimate the power of your prayers.

Click here for amazing ideas of what to include in your own Operation Christmas Child Box!

National Collection Week is November 12-19.  If you are doing the boxes on your own or you miss your collection date for your organization, grab the OCC app! It will help you find a drop off location near you, among some other really cool features.

I really had the opportunity to talk to the (now grown) recipient of an Operation Christmas Child Box and I’m so excited to share her incredible story with you.

Humble beginnings

Dania is from a country in the Middle East that can not be identified for safety reasons.  In her country and the two others she lived in, less than 2% of the population were Christians and those that identified as Christians were “in name only”, they were born to Christian parents, but had no idea about the religion.  When she was 5 years old, her family moved to another Middle Eastern country in search of a better life.  Unfortunately her father had a hard time finding a job as an immigrant and they lived in extreme poverty.  On nights when they were able to eat, the meal was likely to be bread and a raw onion, not so much a meal as simply food items to fill their bellies.  There were nights they had no food at all.  They had no beds, they had no furniture.  Her parents heard of a church that was giving aid, especially to immigrants.  The Pastor spoke with them and shared his love of Jesus.  The kindness they were shown in that church made them want to learn more about Jesus Christ and his love.  They joined the church and though their circumstances were still bad, they prayed.

One Sunday, in Sunday School, Dania’s teacher announced they would all be going to the sanctuary and be given shoeboxes.  The excitement was overwhelming to Dania, a child of 5 years old.  She had never received a gift.  There were no trees at Christmas.  Almost as soon as the excitement set in, so did the worries.  Was her name on the list? Would she really get a gift, or was this all a mistake?

The church was decorated beautifully.  There were bible verse read, music was played and everywhere were beautiful, colorful boxes in stacks!  It was real!  Even as she stood in the back of the line, she began to shake, butterflies in her stomach and the largest smile on her face.   Even now, many years later, Dania can still remember how she felt when her name was called- she felt valued, she felt loved.  She received her box and clutched it, hugging this beautiful gift to her chest.  Her mother made Dania and her older brother wait until they returned to their bare home to open the gifts.  Dania spent her trip trying to sneak a hand in to her box to feel what was there.  Was it hard? Was it soft?

Opening the Box

At long last they arrived to home and the boxes were placed in the center of their empty home.  Finally, she could open her box.  She was overwhelmed by how beautiful, how neat, how clean, how NEW everything was.  There were items she couldn’t identify, things that weren’t in her country, but everything in that box belonged to her.  These items, the first she had ever owned, gave her such an incredible sense of value.   There was a beanie baby, notebooks, school supplies- decorated pencils.  It was the first time in her life she had seen a decorated pencil.  Her favorite gift were the activity books.  She would carefully fill them out in pencil, then erase all the marks so she could wait and use them again when she had forgotten all the answers.  The slinky she received was a small piece of magic.  She and her family would gather in the stairwell and watch it “climb” down the stairs.   She and her brother played with the marbles he received, and after every game he would lovingly clean each one before putting it away.

When she received her box, it was the moment she felt her prayers had been answered by God.  She had prayed to own a toy, the simple prayer of a small child, and now she owned a box full of things!  Her life was full and happy, she forgot her family’s poverty and the troubles they faced.  It was the best day of her childhood.  Even now after having spent years in North Carolina, her family accepted in to the United States as refugees, she walks down the soap aisle, the smell brings back the beautiful memory of her Christmas Child Box.

It Comes Fulls Circle

Dania’s story is incredible.  Her family became missionaries, returning to her home village where they faced persecution on a daily basis.  Angry villagers frequently attempted to burn her father’s shop to the ground because he tried to share the message of Jesus and held services in their home.  After nearly a decade, her country was embroiled in war and after much prayer they felt it was time to flee.  They applied as refugees, knowing the wait was usually 2-5 years.  In just 14 months they were accepted by the United States.  They settled in North Carolina and  Dania was amazed by the freedom of worship and the number of churches.  Just a few months in to their new lives, a church lady invited Dania to go with her to Charlotte to help process shoe boxes.  When she entered the processing center, she was struck by how huge it was, filled with people, Christmas trees and Christmas boxes.  In a daze, she thought perhaps this was Santa’s workshop and these were Santa’s elves.  It didn’t take her long to realize this was where her shoebox had come from, all those years ago.  Dania looked upon the workers with so much love and respect.  They took time out of their lives to come and work, to “…do all that just so I could receive a box.”  She told me it was truly what she feels Christianity is about- working to help strangers, never knowing how you impact their lives but doing it anyway.

Dania now works as a Speakers Bureau Associate at Samaritan’s Purse and shares her amazing story with others as a representative of Operation Christmas Child.  Her home village no longer exists, as it was taken over by terrorists and the people who called it home were either killed or fled.  When I asked Dania what she would like to say to those who make shoeboxes or who are considering it, she told me this-  “I want to be the voice of these children, to say we are thankful.  [Receiving a shoebox] was the happiest moment of my childhood.  I had never seen the kindness of strangers, I had never owned anything.  This is truly a  tangible way to say to these children you love them.  The power of a simple gift, it means the world to me.  You are making an impact, even if you don’t see it.  Everything you put in to the ministry, God will take and make beautiful.  Without you, nothing would be possible.”

Click here if you are interested in learning more about Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.  Check out how you can coupon your way to putting together more boxes for less money here.