Operation Christmas Child, Part 3: More Than Toys

Yesterday I was able to speak with the Northwest Louisiana Operation Christmas Child Coordinator and she had lots of information for me about OCC and its impact around the world and in our community.  While I know that OCC is about more than shoeboxes filled with goodies I wanted to make sure you know!  She had a great term for the shoeboxes - G.O. Boxes, where GO means Gospel Opportunity.  All the children who are given boxes are also given Christian literature in their own language and invited to take part in classes to learn more about the love of Jesus.  Meeting their short-term need for a gift is opening up the door for long-term salvation!

She told me the story of Lejla Allison from war-torn Bosnia and how she had to wear her brother's too-big shoes that her dad wired the toe together because they were falling apart and how her mother put plastic bags over them to ward off the melting snow from her feet.  Lejla had given up hope but one morning she went to school and recieved an OCC shoebox and when she opened it - she found shoes! Brand new shoes that didn't need plastic bags or wire!  God's love for her became tangible and He had arranged just the box for her.  You can find her story on their website under Graphic Resources.

So today my mission was shoes! And I found them!  I found 4 pair of shoes for $3/pair!! I got 4 pair of shoes for $12!!  Then I found flannel shirts for $1/each!  So a shirt and shoes for one child only cost $4! Below you can see what $15 will buy - 3 shirts, 4 pair of shoes!

My next steal was an 8-pack of activity pads for $0.75 - do the math - I got three packages so 24 activity pads for $0.75/each - $2.25 total or appx. $0.09 per book! Index cards $0.64; scissors $0.74; magnetic dry erase circles $1.50; 2-pack mittens $0.50/pack or $0.25/pair; hairbands $3.00; 4-pack bouncy balls, 4-pack rings, 4-pack heart shaped braclets, and 4-pack slinky $0.75/pack, and a 12-pack of stencils $0.75/pack.

I'm excited to be going with my sister this weekend to the OCC Countdown Event at First Baptist Bossier, Saturday at 1:30 - everyone should come! 

I'm finding all the deals and I know now how easy it is to fill a box for under $10/box; therefore there really aren't any good excuses for not helping out! Some child somewhere needs love and basic essentials and we can provide!