428.

3,000/7 = 428

God continues to show me that He can do exceedingly and abundantly more than I can even imagine or fathom to ask.

Year 1 of Operation Christmas Child for me was 1 box sent by my family and dropped off at a local Lifeway store. I had heard about the ministry on K-Love and thought it sounded neat. The next year I received a Special Report magazine in the mail that told about OCC and its far reaching effects and the pictures and stories really rocked my world!

That began Year 2, as I spoke to my pastor and asked if we could do OCC at Fellowship Community Church. He said yes and told me to "GO BIG!" We were still a very small church and big to me was a goal of 100 boxes. Not only was I very concerned that 100 boxes was way over our reaches as a congregation I had serious doubts that we could ever receive enough donations for 100 box PLUS the $700 we'd need to ship those boxes. I was quite shocked when we packed 143 shoeboxes! And received a donation fo $700 to cover the shipping! It didn't even register that I now I needed more money when we packed 43 additional boxes . . . until someone came with her checkbook and paid it without me ever having to ask!

Year 3 was 2012 and we doubled our goal to 200 shoeboxes. And God said "I'll raise you that" and provided 358 shoeboxes and the $2,500 we needed for shipping. In the end I only had to go before the church and ask for $35 and we received that sevenfold within about 10 minutes.

2013 has been a very busy year for me and I've been behind on OCC. We kicked off OCC without a goal for the first time ever. But God continues to show me that He has big plans for this ministry and that He can do more even when I feel like I have less to offer. I received word that $3,000.00 has been given to the OCC fund and has been earmarked for shipping. So $3,000 shipping/$7 shipping per box = 428 BOXES! I received a message just last week to ask our goal and someone else has stepped up to purchase 428 plastic shoeboxes.

So God has made a way for 428 children in Togo or Republic of Georgia or Ukraine or India or all over the world to know what a GIFT is and now it is up to us to FILL UP THOSE BOXES!!

We need pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, paper, soap, crayons, deordorant, chap stick, toys, candy, balls, shoes, socks, shirts, wash cloths, tooth brushes & toothpaste, gloves, hats, batteries, calculators, hair bows, sewing kits, books, stuffed animals, etc., etc, etc. If it can fit in a shoebox for a child ages 2-14 - WE NEED IT!!

Stay tuned for more to come on these 428 angels who will receive these gifts!