How To Pack An Awesome Shoebox

Chances are, you’ve heard of Operation Christmas Child.  You’ve probably made the shoe boxes with your kiddos, perhaps even as a kid yourself decades ago. Maybe you’ve even seen the trendy new video with Uncle Si making a box.

But don’t go running! I guarantee you will learn something NEW about Operation Christmas Child today. I’m gonna share:

• the makings of awesome shoebox
• the story of a young man I met whose life was changed by his shoebox
• original ways to get your friends packing (not “packing” like my NRA-hubby says, but literally, packing. A box.)

See, here’s the thing. I thought I knew about Operation Christmas Child.

Until I met Alex.

I met this amazing young man at the life-changing conference I attended last weekend: Allume, where shared his remarkable story with all of us bloggers.

This precious human being, smile wide as his face, donning a uniform sweater and starchly ironed khakis, was once running for his life across Rwanda. As a youngster he saw his uncle and grandmother (the two people he loved most) slaughtered before his eyes during the genocide. Somehow, he escaped, and was left orphaned in a children’s home.

He wondered why he’d survived.

He wished he hadn’t.

And then, he got a shoebox. If it sounds overly dramatic, keep in mind that before this day, fifty kids in the orphanage shared one soccer ball. Then these orphaned, refugee children line up a line, hear they are loved and special, hear that God has a plan for them, and they receive their very own gift. All theirs. Alex still remembers everything in his box, the Smartties he thought were medicine, the ball, the letter from strangers…

Alex says that little shoebox planted a seed of hope that kept growing. He knew he mattered. Years later, he’ll tell you that box led Him to Jesus. It kept him hanging on, knowing that no matter how awful his life had been, God was still there, and hadn’t forgotten about him.

Here’s the amazing part – his faith in Jesus eventually led him to seek out the man who murdered his family members. He sought this man out in prison, and passed on the forgiveness and love He’d received. *You can see videos of Alex here!

See, I guess I didn’t think these boxes mattered that much. I didn’t think they were that powerful.

They are.

These boxes are prayed for over a dozen times before they arrive in a child’s hands.

At times, they have almost-miraculous stories of providential purpose – boxes of duplicate items going to a twin – other twin sick at home. Sensory, soft items going to a blind child. And on and on…It’s like God uses these things. Really, really uses them.

And the Gospel is preached every time the boxes are handed out. It’s not just a token “spirit-of-Christmas” kind of thing. It’s the real deal, every time. Kids hearing that the grue gift is The Giver, and He loves them, and he sent Jesus. These boxes are Gospel arms and legs.

For me, it’s a no-brainer to do one of these, or two. Operation Christmas Child is making it even easier this year…If you can’t get out, you can pack a box online for $30, a box that will be sent to the most sensitive of countries.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I recently found this awesome article on an insider’s view of packing a shoebox. Use this list as a guide!! It’s awesome!!

For a really great shoebox, I think you need something from each of these categories:

• school supplies – crayons, stickers, coloring pages, solar-powered calculator, eraser and pencil

• toiletries – toothbrush, soap, washcloth
• clothing and accessories: T-shirt, flip-flops, ball cap, hair accessories, watch
• toys: musical toys, cars, balls, dolls, flashlight with extra batteries, jump rope

• letter from you: Did you know if you include your address on the back, your child might write back? It’s true!
• Also, it’s great to use a plastic reusable box so they have a box as a toy, too! We all know how kids are obsessed with containers. 🙂

This year’s collection week is November 18-25. You can find a drop-off center here.

Join me in spreading the word about Operation Christmas Child!

• host a packing party for a playgroup or
• do it with your church lifegroup or women’s Bible study
• do it as a family on a Saturday
• collect donations for a cookie swap or holiday party
• make an announcement at your church or have it put in the bulletin
• share a pic of your box on instagram or facebook to spread the word
• if you’re a blogger, blog about the box

Have you packed a shoe box with your family? What do you put in it?

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