I want to start this post off by saying “Thank You” to everyone who has ever sent a box with the Samaritan Purse for Operation Christmas Child. I grew up packing shoeboxes with my parents every year near Christmas time. I never thought much of it or who was going to get it, I simply packed a cute box. However, we had the opportunity to have a new perspective on this amazing organization’s project. We actually had the privilege of handing out boxes sent from America to children this year. And i can’t even begin to explain how much of an honor it was to pass out these shoeboxes that I didn’t even pack to these beautiful children gratefully awaiting their gift.
First off, I have never been more proud to be an American ever in my entire life than on that day. Seeing the amount of boxes sent from my home was the most beautiful thing. Not only was it the closest I’ve been to America in the past 5 months, but it was also the most grateful I’ve ever been for my home. It’s crazy to think about how many children were helped just simply by packing some boxes of things we forget about in America. Seeing boxes full of simple things like toothpaste, things we overlook at home, created the biggest and most grateful smiles.
We individually passed out 200 boxes to these wide-eyes children. Honestly their reaction was the thing that surprised me most. In Africa, honor and respect is very big, especially in comparison to how it is in America. Now nothing against America or the children, but I think we all know how American children react to gifts- they get in the “gimme, gimme, gimme” mode and God forbid they don’t like it because there will most likely be a tantrum coming. Now I am saying this mainly because while I was that growing up- nothing was ever big enough or good enough for me to fully appreciate it. I can only imagine getting handed a small shoebox as my Christmas present at 8 years old what my reaction would be. I would probably give it back to my parents to try again. But not these children. Each of them approached us with a smile and a bow. They literally knelt to the ground and bowed at us to receive their gift. I wasn’t even the one who packaged these gifts and yet they are bowing down to me??! I felt so unworthy of the respect and honor they were giving to me. But it was beautiful. It was simply tear-jerkingly beautiful. The grace that they received their gifts wrecked me and convicted me of the ungratefulness I have walked in for so long. It was the most precious event I have ever had the opportunity to be apart of and I will forever be grateful of, not only the opportunity, but of the children and the people back at home. So thank you to everyone who packs those boxes, please keep packing those shoeboxes, because there is a face behind every box that is going to receive that gift and be blessed immensely because of it.
I read this post the other day with the caption: “that moment when you forget that you are volunteering to help change lives because it is changing yours”. I have never related with a caption more than from this experience. I signed up for this trip to help others and to try to change the world, but it turns out that these lives I have touched, have ultimately changed mine.
Please keep sending boxes! I cannot express that enough! Below is a list of items that we believe are best to include in these boxes. And although they have ages and genders on them remember to keep them unisex and applicable to all ages as they are, unfortunately, not always handed out accordingly:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Baby shampoo & baby conditioners
Vaseline
First aid kit
Hair ties
A Lifestraw
A small ball
A clean, new t shirt
Pencils
Paper
Pencil sharpener
Crayons
Coloring book
Thank you so much to everyone at home for the relief and support you do for the rest of the world. Even if you don’t get to see the result, remember that there is one and that it is worth it because one small thing might just change a kid’s life.
XOXO,
Skyler
