I've had maybe 8 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours. Momma is tired. I was hoping for a little rest this afternoon, but Ellie reminded me as soon as I picked them up at Sequitur today that I'd promised we'd pack our shoeboxes this afternoon. She was so excited and looking forward to it so that's what we did after everyone finished school work.
We had a big packing party at church on Sunday night.
The girls and I went shopping last week for our shoeboxes. They had the best time picking out their gifts. They put a lot of thought into colors and patterns and things. It's obviously impossible to know who will receive the boxes, what their likes and dislikes will be, their favorite color, but we always talk and dream about that. Try as I might, I can't imagine the looks on their faces or the thoughts in their heads. Tonight we prayed for the children who will receive these boxes. I didn't tell the children what to pray, only to pray. Mason prayed that they would hear about Jesus. Hannah Kate prayed that they would come to know Jesus. I want them to know that they are thought about and loved.
We've been tracking our boxes since 2013. Before we packed this afternoon, I called out each country our boxes were delivered to over the years and asked the kids to identify the continent each one in located in and then find it on the globe.
The kids have definitely become master shoebox packers.
I'm just so grateful. So very grateful that we have this opportunity to be a part of bringing joy and the best news ever - Jesus! - to children around the globe. Operation Christmas Child is one of my most favorite ministries because it is a very tangible way to meet physical and spiritual needs and be involved in something that makes a global impact. It's such an easy way to involve my children in missions and have mission-minded conversations.
We sat down tonight before the children went to bed and looked at pictures of our little home packing parties from all the years past. One of the very first things I noticed was just how much Mason and Hannah Kate have changed and "grown up" in the past year. The differences in last year's picture and this year's picture is astonishing to me.
I can't wait to find out where our boxes go this year! Getting that email that they've been delivered is like Christmas morning all over again.
Looking back . . .
2013 - Honduras and Peru
2014 - Ghana and Togo
2015 - Philippines, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali
2016 - Philippines and Chad
2017 - Mexico
2018 - Panama and Ecuador
2019 - It just blows my mind that the Lord already knows where the boxes will go that are currently sitting on my table, who will open them. He knows exactly who needs them. God knows.
