Have you ever gotten to begin something at one point in your life then continue it for years and years and then finally get to see the end goal of what you’ve been working towards? Maybe in your life this was earning a masters degree. Or it could be the birth of the grandchild you’d been dreaming of for years or even seeing a friendship that you’ve been so dedicatedly pursuing turn into something more. Maybe it was sponsoring a child from Honduras for 10 years and finally seeing that they have graduated. For me, this moment happened when I got to deliver the Samaritan’s Purse shoe boxes to a couple hundred smiling children in Africa.
Ever since I was a young child, my family has put together shoe boxes to send all over the world at Christmas time. I know many of you reading this have done the same thing through our churches. I remember being allowed to pick out what went in the boxes as a five year old. Matching a little car to a 4 year old boy’s box or a cute comb and ribbons for a girl of 11 years was something I looked forward to every Christmas. At around the age of twelve, I began wanting to buy the items for the box myself. I felt like that made the gift mean even more to me since it was my money I was spending. I wanted to make these little children so happy with every pencil, toothbrush, and peppermint. When I was about 15, I began to understand how important just a soccer ball and pump was in the boxes to almost every child of every age. Throughout the years of my childhood, this has been a family and church tradition which I very much looked forward to. It has always been a dream of mine to be not just a packer of the boxes but also the deliverer of them. Honestly, I never really thought that would happen, but here I am in Malawi, Africa handing out shoe boxes to children.
My team was picked to begin a church plant where we are staying. This shoe box distribution was to help promote the church and gather many people in the area to come and hear the Word of God. These boxes had even been saved for this specific purpose and not handed out the year before. We helped count, package, and transport each box to the village. As we arrived, the children started flooding into the small school yard eagerly awaiting their present. Before we handed out the goodies, we got to act out the story of Zacchaeus emphasizing that the Lord sees each and every person. Afterwards one of our hosts asked if anyone would like to be saved having Jesus as his/her friend, and so many hands in the crowd shot up. Hearing so many of them repeat the words of the prayer was heartwarming and just encouraging. Then came the time to make so many young children’s day.
They all were so eager and had to practice patience as each one of their names was called until we ran out of boxes. The first little girl walked up to me and knelt down to receive this gift with a soft smile on her face. It really did make me want to cry to see how much joy she carried and how thankful she was in just the look on her face. This continued to happen for the next two hours. Each one of us was passing out boxes like they were little nuggets of gold. Then off on the other side of the courtyard school area, we could all hear the screams and shouts of joy after they were opening their boxes and figuring out all of the little goodies in each box. It was such a sweet time to witness the love of Christ that was encompassed in a small shoe box sent from across the world.
Unfortunately, since these were saved boxes and the next shipment wouldn’t come until February, we ended up running out of boxes still having about a hundred children left. This part was terribly heartbreaking. We promised that each child on our list who didn’t get a box would be receiving one in February when the next round of boxes arrived. Even though these promises will turn out true, to a small child without a box surrounded by their friends with so many new toys, it’s hard to grasp that idea and trust that it will come. However difficult and upset the children were, the Lord’s hand was completely over the situation. I know He sent His protection with us and peace for the hearts of the children and their parents.
Even though it was hard to leave some of the children empty handed, it was one of the most beautiful, encouraging, joyous, and bright moments I’ve had on the race. The Lord gave me an opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams. I am able to see His hand at work throughout the whole process from packaging and praying over these shoe boxes in America to handing out and telling them “Jesus loves you” in Malawi. I hope this is encouraging to hear a first hand experience of seeing the fruit of all those shoe boxes that people send. It was so fulfilling to be the one giving and getting to actually see the impact we all make by sending these shoe boxes. Each year when the time rolls around to make them, just remember who you are doing it for and why you are. The children really do get to see the face of Christ in each box and get to touch His hands in each person who gives them out. I pray that one day you will get to have the same experience I got to have, but until then try to picture all the smiling faces and cheers I got to witness.
Thank you for your constant prayers for me, my team, and my squad. If you would continue praying for the church plant we have started in the area that would be so greatly appreciated. There is a lot of ancestor worship in the area where we have planted this church, so pray for open, soft hearts and a new wave of understanding. Also, I am not allowed to post detailed pictures from this distribution. This is a rule for Samaritan’s purse for the safety of the children and organization. But when I get home, I would be more than happy to show everyone so you can get a sneak peak of what happened and what it actually looked like.
