by Debbie Vanaman
The month of November, as busy as it is with election day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, is also the culmination of a year-long effort for Operation Christmas Child. We’ve been collecting items all year long and this month the youth and children of our church will gather and pack shoeboxes for children all around the world who most likely have never heard the name of Jesus.
Collection week this year is November 14th through 18th and your help and prayers will be necessary to once again pull off this huge effort. Last year we received over 3,000 shoeboxes from area churches and organizations, a record for the 15 years we’ve been a collection center. Saturday, November 19th, will be the day we will be loading the truck with what hopefully will be a huge number of cartons filled with shoeboxes. Time for this day will be announced. Don’t wait to be asked to help – contact me and say “What can I do to help.”
On a more personal note, let me take a moment to say that I will truly miss one of my best friends, Sharon Meador, who ran the office during collection week which allowed me to work alongside the collection center workers. Sharon, you will be missed.
Last but certainly not least, please keep Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child in your prayers year round as they spread the gospel of Jesus to children around the world ONE SHOEBOX AT A TIME.