I’m so excited to be sending my very first Operation Christmas Child box this year! I read on Amy’s blog that the 10 – 14 year old age range is the group with the least number of recipients within Operation Christmas Child, especially the boys (Amy is my 2nd cousin by marriage…check out her blog and tell her cousin Whitney says hey!). With that knowledge, my decision of what age to make the box suit was done!
The next step was to go shopping for all the goodies to fill my box! I didn’t have brothers, I don’t have children, and I’ve never visited a foreign country…so I was clueless as to what a 10-14 year old boy would find enjoyable! Another 2nd cousin of mine spent over 10 years as a missionary in Bolivia, primarily working with children. I sent her a quick text and she replied with some great suggestions for my box! Who knew 2nd cousins could be so full of OCC information? 🙂
I headed out to Target and quickly filled my cart with some great stuff. Being a couponer, I’ll be on the lookout during the coming year for great deals on things to use next Christmas. But for now, I ignored my inner need for a 40% discount plus coupons and just picked up whatever caught my eye!
Here’s what I’m sending in my box:
- A package of colored pencils
- A package of #2 pencils (that transform into hockey sticks!)
- A package of blue ink pens
- A lego set
- A soccer ball (deflated, so it will fit in the box…it was MIA when I took the pic, sorry!)
- A ball pump (for the child to inflate the pump)
- Toothpaste
- A toothbrush
- A comb
- Two bars of mild soap, in ziploc bags for travel
- Hand sanitizer
If you are planning to pack a box for OCC, you still have some time. National Collection Week is November 18-25, although I have to turn mine in at our church this Sunday. If you missed your church’s collection date, head to OCC’s website for other drop-off locations. Duck Dynasty is even getting in on the fun this year!
The best part of packing an OCC box is the follow-up discipleship program used by Operation Christmas Child to help children become faithful followers of Jesus Christ. It’s truly a blessing to be a small part of the process!
Come Home For Comfort 