Operation Christmas Child 2014

This year Operation Christmas Child has grown even bigger here at our home. Once again Robert was the key person of our church's Shoeboxes. Once again the congregation was very generous with their resources and between our Kids Klub packing party and the shoeboxes brought in by individuals we had 218 shoeboxes this year.

The Kids Klub after packing shoeboxes

Robert with part of our shoeboxes at our church

But Robert had set a goal of wanting to go to a distribution center and working there this year. I had thought about it but wasn't sure how that was going to happen. I didn't know how to make the arrangements. But God works in mysterious ways. The night before the registration began, Robert's friend's mother called and invited him (and his parents) to go to the Baltimore Distribution Center with their Church the First Baptist Church of Clarion. Without hesitation Robert said yes (even though it would fall over the first weekend of hunting season!)

Well we just returned this evening from serving at the Baltimore Distribution Center. And what a blessing. We worked checking boxes that they only had appropriate items in them and then taping them shut and boxing them into cartons both Friday and Saturday nights from 5pm- 10pm. We received training upon arrival on Friday night and then went straight to work. The goal for Friday was to check and box at least 40,000 shoeboxes. Well by being the last group of the day we had the privilege of knowing if we had reached the goal- when the packed number was announced we had helped pack 41,954! In one day!!!! When we went back in on Saturday night, we heard that the goal for Saturday was 50,000 shoeboxes. Well once again we were there til the end and when the time came it was announced that we had helped pack 50,116 shoeboxes on Saturday.

Robert entering Distribution Center

Checking boxes for appropriate items

Work station #16

Taping the boxes shut! Ready for cartons

Part of the other work stations

A few more work stations

The young woman from Honduras who had received a shoebox

 This just seemed amazing, but the neat part was hearing from a woman who had received a shoebox when she lived in an orphanage. She was so excited to have her own toothbrush so she didn't have to share with 25 other children and she received a package of 10 pencils. She thought she was rich because the orphanage usually allotted 1 pencil and 1 tablet per child per year. But she had received 10 pencils!!! She was so protective of her pencils that she hid them in the ceiling so no one else would find them and she would always have an extra if she needed it.

Packed cartons ready to load on semi's

Robert and his friend Caleb

The Schick's at
Operation Christmas Child Distribution Center - Baltimore

This just seemed amazing, but the neat part was hearing from a woman who had received a shoebox when she lived in an orphanage. She was so excited to have her own toothbrush so she didn't have to share with 25 other children and she received a package of 10 pencils. She thought she was rich because the orphanage usually allotted 1 pencil and 1 tablet per child per year. But she had received 10 pencils!!! She was so protective of her pencils that she hid them in the ceiling so no one else would find them and she would always have an extra if she needed it.

It's so hard to understand that a simple shoebox with life's basics, that we take for granted, soap, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, schools supplies, can be the tool that will bring salvation to the life of a child and in some cases completely change their lives, from something so simple - as a SHOEBOX!  We were very blessed and humbled this weekend. And once again I am reminded that in the Bible (somewhere I never remember where) it says "and a child shall lead them" and once again Robert has led us on yet another adventure in serving the Lord.