Shoeboxes are a really, really, really (a bazillion times really) awesome!

I always have trouble coming up with a clever title for blog posts, so Nate titled this one for me. Our family and our friends, the Dellingers, have been busy preparing our OCC Go Boxes for the past few weeks. It has been such a fun time!

Packing a shoebox is really the best way for us to share Jesus's love with people around the world at this point in our lives. We hope that there will be opportunities for our families to actually go to the ends of the earth to share Jesus, but that isn't quite feasible yet. So, how's a mama to teach her kids to impact nations? Shoeboxes! Here's our shoebox journey....

We knew we needed some money to buy stuff to go in the shoeboxes so we had yard sale and bake sale. Nate, Sarah, Dyson, and Delaney went through their rooms and found lots of toys to sell. Then we made yummy homemade desserts to sell. The sale was a success! Rooms were cleaned out, money was raised, and we had a good time!

These kids are the fastest shoppers I have ever seen! It only took them twenty minutes to fill two buggies with marbles, dolls, balls, hairbows, matchbox cars, and all kinds of other toys.

Dyson was so sweet with Sarah!  :)

Sister swap! Nate and Delaney were on a mission.

 

 

 

We were so excited about all of our shoebox treasures that we didn't notice the 20 items or less sign. Oops!

 

 

 

With all our shopping finished, we set a date to get together and pack our boxes. We chose a Friday night and called it an Eat, Pack, and Pray Party. It was hard to tell who was more excited--the mamas or the kids.

 





Dyson and Nate typed a letter to all the boys and girls who would receive one of our boxes. It said,

 

Dear Friend,

           God loves you!      We hope you like your present.    Did you know if you believe in Christ you will go to Heaven?      Jesus died for your sins.                      

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

We are praying for you. Please write us back if you can.

                                         Love,

                                         Dyson & Delaney 

                                         Nate & Sarah

 

 

We had some supper, and then we started packing.

 

 

 

We were so glad that Mrs. Mischia came to help us pack boxes!

 

Delaney was such a trooper--she packed boxes for hours!

 

 

 

After the packing was finished, it was time to pray for the boys and girls who will receive our shoeboxes. It is so cool to know that our kids touched the items in these boxes last night and in a few months boys and girls across the world will treasure those same items.

 

 

 

 

All finished! All smiles!

 

 

I have been a little obsessed with shoeboxes lately. One of the things that I love about shoeboxes is this. Samaritan's Purse says that on average 9 people hear about Jesus's love as a result of one shoebox. That means that about 900 people will hear the good news of Jesus's love as a result of last night's packing party. There's nothing extraordinary about us. It is God who gave us this opportunity and we are so grateful. He blesses us not for us, but so that we might make Him known.

 

As we put the rubberbands around the last boxes, Dawn and I began to plan for next year's boxes. It was crazy chaotic at times, but it was so worth it to be able to work alongside our kids doing something that has lasting impact.