….OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD THAT IS.
Every year around October I believe my church starts putting boxes together for Operation Christmas Child. Every year I try to do one. However, this year is a little different for me. I'm sure my church has filled many boxes this year, but I did not. I'm not home for Christmas this year. I left back in October for this little thing called the world race. God has blessed us so much this month with where we are staying and with who our contact this month. We live Escazu which is the richest suburb of San Jose, Costa Rica. Christmas is everywhere, well minus the Christmas carols, warm weather, and no snow. I actually wrote a little song about it. I didn't get far, but let me give you a taste:
It's beginning to look a lot like Chirstmas
NO! IT"S REALLY NOT
'cause there's no snow on the ground
and it's unseasonably warm out
and santa's sleigh won't can't come this way because….
And that is as far as I got. Okay it's not the most joyous of holiday songs, but it is definitely true about the no snow and warm weather at least. Anyways even with all these incredible blessings we have it's still hard not to miss the traditions we have and do at home. God sent me one this year just in a different form. Instead of making a box for Operation Christmas Child I got to help pass them out to the children and feed them lunch. These children live in one of the poorest and most dangerous barrios aka slums of Alejuelita. Alejuelita is the poorest suburb of San Jose and just so happens to be located right next to Escazu. I absolutely lovede it! Their smiles were so big and they were overjoyed to recieve even the smallest of toys. A girl with chicken pox even came out of her house so she wouldn't miss a good meal and the chance to recieve just one gift. At one point we didn't know if we would have enough boxes to give out, but God really does provide. Every child including the infants got a box and we ended up having a couple boxes extra that the church will probably give to a family with kids around that age.
If you have ever made a box for a child and wondered how it looks to deliver them, wonder no more. Here are some photos of the event and a video made by my team leader Mac Mitchell. Thank you so much for putting a box together. It really does make a difference to that one child!
eating lunch
eagerly waiting for presents
He finally gets his gift!
even babies got gifts
with their boxes they also recieved little books called "The Best Gift"
checking out the gifts (look at those smiles)
Barbie dolls!
digging through the box
