Samaritan's Purse

                 

Jan and I went shopping at the beginning of the week. We wanted to fill a couple of boxes for Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child. It's an annual event designed to send boxes overseas to various countries to children who normally would never celebrate Christmas. It's an opportunity to share some of the blessings that we've enjoyed because we were fortunate enough to be born in this country. There is a list of suggested items to send, and there are also labels designating the gender of the child and the general age group. I chose the ten to fourteen year old group because I think they have a tendency to be neglected. I believe a lot of people want to buy something for the little kids, which is great also, but regardless of your age, it's nice to be remembered. We bought everything we needed at Wal-Mart. They have pretty good prices and a decent selection. We both bought an assortment of school supplies, colored pencils, crayons, pencil sharpeners and scissors, ect. There were also some small toys- yo-yo's, a doll, some toy cars, playing cards and tennis balls. There was also some clothing items, socks and a t-shirt. It's amazing how much stuff you can fit into one of those shoe boxes. There is a suggested donation of ten dollars a box also to cover the shipping. As you can imagine, shipping, like the cost of everything else has gone through the roof. I believe you can download a shipping label from Samaritan's Purse that will let you know where the box goes.  I know that there are plenty of people in this country that could use a hand as well, between the hurricane in Florida or the tornado in Kentucky and probably a dozen or more other disasters throughout the states. We can still support them, but this lets us give a little more personal touch, rather than just sending a check somewhere. If you're interested in getting involved, you can probably check with Samaritan's Purse to find  a church in your area that is participating. I think it needs to happen soon though, because they need to collect all the boxes and get them on the way. I like to remember the scripture- to whom much is given, much is required. God also says, He will repay those who lend to the poor. It's a win-win situation.