Operation Christmas Child 5/26/13

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to pass out Operation Christmas Child boxes to the children at a local church.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Operation Christmas Child, it’s a project run by Samaritan’s Purse.  People (many in America) take shoeboxes and pack them with toys and basic needs.  Then, for $7, Samaritan’s Purse will ship the box to another country with children in need.  It is a project my church and other churches I know in America have participated in for several years.  I believe the boxes we distributed came from a North Carolina warehouse.

 

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Melanie talking to some of the children on stage. 

Boxes ready to be given to the kids.

 I went with several for Christ (YFC) staff, Nadia, and her friend Melanie who was visiting from Canada, to a church to help distribute the boxes.  YFC is responsible for delivering the boxes in my town for Samaritan's Purse.  We have had the container of boxes for awhile, and I have been anxiously waiting to see what would happen.  YFC has been planning when and how to distribute the boxes.

The church we handed the boxes out at is one of the largest churches I have seen since I've been here.  I have questions about the building's structural integrity and wondered how the building was standing, but I guess it works!

Children lined up outside the main door.



Kids outside looking in the church windows.

YFC gave the church Sunday School teachers sign up lists for the boxes.   But...kids not on the lists came to the church.  We didn't have enough boxes for the extra kids.  YFC had a meeting, and decided to take all the kids outside the church, then let the kids in that were on the original lists.  I felt sad at first, but then I remembered...this is Burundi!  Kids share, lose things, and sometimes steal.  So, chances are the items in the boxes will end up benefiting the neighborhoods they go to.

As kids slowly trickled in the church, I walked around and took pictures of the kids, and showed them the pictures.  There aren’t many mirrors here, especially big ones.  Mirrors, cameras and pictures here are a luxury, not a need.  I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the kids don’t know what they look like.



Girls waiting to receive the boxes.

The boy in orange followed me and sat so he could have more than one picture taken.

We passed out the boxes, cut the tape on the boxes, then a YFC volunteer talked to the kids.  They stood up and cheered, then opened their boxes.  I came across one boy that was sitting with his box, while the other kids were opening their boxes.  Someone forgot to cut the tape, but even when the boxes were open, some of the younger kids weren’t really sure what to do with them.  It was cute, but probably a sign that these are children in need, and children that haven’t received many gifts like the shoe boxes. 

Once the boxes were opened, it was pretty chaotic, but that was expected.  I've been in similar situations, and one of the things I try to do is teach people how to play with the toys.  I tried to show someone how to play with a slinky, and you put it down stairs.  I showed a couple mothers how to use a wind up toy car, and that one ball lights up when you bounce it.  I told three people that play dough isn’t for eating, and either Nadia or Melanie had to tell someone play dough also wasn’t facial cream.  Many girls here don’t have hair, so unfortunately hair clips, hair bands, and brushes probably won’t be used for hair.  Dolls and balls were big hits, and I’m sure the coloring books and crayons will be used.
  

Thank you to my friends, family and church for supporting Operation Christmas Child, and for this opportunity!