Operation Christmas Child

This year I asked for the help of work colleagues at DNS Arrow's Harrogate office, old co-workers from Capita Surveys and Research office and my family to put together some gift boxes for children less fortunate than ourselves through the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child.


We managed to put together a total of 12 boxes filled with goodies for boys and girls of various ages.  My son and I had a lovely family night shopping for gifts, wrapping a shoe box and filling it with gifts.  It was great fun wandering around the supermarket trying to find little bits n bobs that would fit into a shoe box.  In a way I think we may have failed miserably - there was a gorgeous teddy which pretty much filled the box in its own right without all the other bits and bobs I wanted to include!  Still, I was determined to fit it in...


I'm a stickler for gifts not only being fun but also having some educational value and practical use.  We bought a variety of gifts which probably only totalled about £20 but would hopefully bring a smile to a little boy's face somewhere in the world.  

From our little activity I gained a sense of making a difference - granted, filling a shoe box full of goodies isn't exactly a miracle cure for disease or going to end wars across the world, but I'm still satisfied that if I can make 1 person happy if only for a moment, it's worth doing!  I also learned that my gift wrapping skills totally suck and I need a great deal more practice before Christmas!  Having said that, if I'd chosen a shoe box with detachable lid, that may well have made life a lot easier... (note to self for next year's box wrapping - Timberland boot box pain in the butt to wrap and is really not suitable for Operation Christmas Child).  


My son imagined that the gift box we put together would go to a little boy he named George who lived in Africa.  He made up a story about George not having much money for nice things like toys and books, and really got into the spirit of giving.  He really wanted the little boy to have a happy Christmas and said that the teddy could keep him company and keep him safe at bed time.  My son also decided to say a prayer over the box (without any prompting from me at all which stunned me a little!) asking God to make sure the box travelled safely and would make George happy.  It was so sweet - we really felt the true spirit of Christmas in our household that night.