Operation Christmas Child - Family Day!

Normally you have to be at least 13 to volunteer at the Operation Christmas Child distribution center. Monday however, was family day.

John got home early and we trekked out to the warehouse to volunteer. The kids learn about the kids that receive the shoe boxes. Theirs are going to be sent to Mexico.They fill out a coloring page that talks about who they are. I love a couple things about Jarod's. First, he wrote that his favorite color is pink! Second, when it asks why he loves Jesus, he answers, because he died for you and me! We didn't even have to tell him that. He knew it all on his own. And he knew it'd be good to put the other person first. I love my little fella!
The kids all stood in line to "deliver" their shoe boxes.

They each got a sticker for bringing one in.
Next, they played relay games. Seeing which line could fill a shoebox with all the necessary items. Plus, take out the ones that weren't allowed. It was a blast!

Last was "church in Kenya". They set up this makeshift church to show the kids how the children in other countries felt when they received their shoe boxes. The woman standing up in back is Oksana. She was an orphan in Russia when she received a shoebox at 8 years old! Soon after she was adopted from an American family in Texas. She talked about what a blessing it was to receive her shoebox. Being an orphan, it was the first thing she received that was hers and hers alone. She had a cute Texan accent too!It was a great family day!