Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Challenge, Giveaway, and Sale!



Have you heard of Operation Christmas Child? I'm sure most of you have, but if not, you can find out more information HERE. Basically, you get a shoebox (or the plastic shoebox sized tubs that you can get at Walmart or the Dollar Tree for $1) and you can choose the gender and age range (of 2-4, 5-9, 10-14). Then you go and shop for items to fill up the box. Items like small toys, candy, socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste and other toiletry items, and school supplies. If you go to the website it has a list of the types of items you can and cannot include. It's an absolutely amazing thing to do with your kids! It helps them to think of others during this time of year. We do it every year as a family and the kids pack boxes for their own age range and gender. They have a great time and love to pray over their boxes! This year, Michael and I are also doing one each for the age range of 10-14. I have a great friend who actually works for Operation Christmas Child and she was saying that this is the age range that they normally don't get enough boxes for. So if you can, try to do an extra box for that age range! Their goal is to get 5.8 MILLION boxes total here in the United States! Lets help them meet this goal!! They're collecting this week. You can find out where you can drop of the boxes by going HERE.

My challenge to you is to pack at least 1 shoebox! It's so easy to do and you can make a difference in a child's life just by doing this. Here's a quote from the Operation Christmas Child Facebook Page:

"When local volunteers asked Betty why she was crying after the shoe box distribution, she said she just couldn't believe that all the items in the box belonged to her, and shared a story of how she missed school for a week because she didn't have a pencil to use. Thanks to the shoe box gift, she received a pencil for school!"


We take things for granted SO much in America! This little girl couldn't go to school because she didn't have a pencil!!! See how simple it is to help and what a difference you can make?!

To encourage you to do this, I am giving away a HOPE tshirt (child's S-L or Adult M-XL) or a cookbook to one person who pledges to do a shoebox this week (go to the "current fundraisers" tab up at the top for more info on what the shirt/cookbook is)! If you want to be entered in this "giveaway", please comment below with your name and your pledge (or if you've already done one, say that!). I will draw a name from all who enter this Sunday! I'm trusting that those who enter will really do a shoebox! Please spread the word and get all your family and friends to do one, too!



*Also, speaking of tshirts and cookbooks! They are now on sale! We had a lot more cookbooks than expected so we still have about 60 left! We still have several HOPE shirts left as well and so we thought with Christmas sales coming up, we'd have one too! :) Please go to "Current Fundraisers" up above to get more details! :)

3 comments:

  1. I have been participating in Operation Christmas Child for 6 years now and love it. Actually TONIGHT I packed at least 4 shoeboxes, one for each of my children plus some. We have the kids fill out the "about me" coloring sheet and so forth and usually they get toys that they would love to have and stick them in the box. It's not just about the toys, the testimony of one girl who got a pair of shoes and how she came to Christ because of it---gets me every time. Thanks Amanda!!!! Love-Amber Strickland (tee.time4me@yahoo.com) ---

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  2. Our church does this every year! We did one for each of the boys! Wish I would have knew about the 10-12 age group- next year for sure we will do boxes for that range!

    Christine Madrigal

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  3. We did 2 shoe boxes this year; one for a boy, and one for a girl. Next year we will be doing one for each child! :)

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