Around Christmas each year, many people look for ways to give to those less fortunate than us. Operation Christmas Child is a great way to do just that! The non-profit, International Relief program, Samaritan's Purse, gathers shoe boxes filled with small toys, hygiene items and a lot of love and ships them around the world to children who are in need. I love Operation Christmas Child because it is a great hands on way for kids to get involved. Last week we planned our homeschool day on Friday around our shoe boxes. We watched a few of the videos posted on the Operation Christmas Child web site (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/). This gave the kids a visual of what their gifts would be doing. Then we went shopping for items to put inside of each shoe box. Gabe chose to fill a box for a little boy his age and Selah chose to build a box for a little girl her age. We then came home and packed and labeled our boxes. On Sunday morning the kids proudly carried their full boxes into church to the collection site.
If you have missed the deadline to participate in Operation Christmas Child and are looking for some way to give this Christmas season, Samaritan's Purse also has a gift catalog with gift options from $2.00 on up and for anything from purchasing livestock to Christmas goodies. You can find that here: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Giving/gift_catalog/
Compassion International also has a gift catalog for needs of those suffering from starvation and poverty that you can find here: http://www.compassion.com/catalog/catalog-view-all-gifts.htm
‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
Matthew 25:44-45
For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
2 Corinthians 8:3
