Last year we participated in Operation Christmas Child through the Chapel on base. It's a program where you fill a shoebox with gifts then it is sent off to a third world country and distributed. Last year I'm afraid I forgot I'd commited to doing two boxes till a few days before the cut off. Carina and I scurried over to the Dollar Store where I filled our two boxes with trinkets, tucked in a quick note and whipped them over to the Chapel. Good deed box checked I pretty much forgot about it. In July Patrick and I got the strangest letter. It was written on half a piece of low quality notebook paper and went something like this "Dear Sir and Madame, Holy Father bless. She ask me to write English not good and we am very poor. Great and Good Jesus Christ look after your family. God is so great to bless us with Sir and Madame. Your picture she keeps in house. God bless Sir and Madame many time. We pray for you."
Huh?
It wasn't till a few months later that it dawned on my that I had invited our recipients to write if they could. Here it seemed that our girl had asked the one person in the village that knew enough English to scrap together a thank you note for us. I was still a little confused but my heart warmed at the idea of someone actually receiving our box and cherishing the items inside. Then as we drove to the Hospital in September we stopped by the mailbox to grab the mail. Among the bills and junk there was a letter from Hong Kong. Once settled in the Labor and Delivery room we opened the letter and found it was a letter from the Aunt of our second recipient. The Aunt spoke English and had visited "Lorna" this last fall. Here's an exert from her letter....
"She got your Christmas Card with your photo last Dec 2007 and she kept it safe until when I went home for vacation and visit. Then Lorna told me to please respond...Lora want to than thanks a million to both of you ma'am Clair and sir Patrick for giving her Christmas and card and she thank first of all to Almighty father Jesus Christ that he sent angels like both of you and be her inspiration in her study."
Whoaaa...
This time I starting feeling ashamed. Here where two little girls on the other side of the world who were so thankfull for these little boxes of Dollar Store trinkets. Something I just threw together with no great expense to my budget or my time. Two little girls who were praying for ME and my family. Did I pray over the boxes before I sent them like suggested? I can't remember. Did I put them together with a sense of social obligation or with a willing heart and spirit? They are both poor and have limited resources, these boxes were full of treasures in their eyes and they felt blessed by God to have received them. Blessed to own a box of water paints, soap and barrettes. Thanking Jesus for US! Whew.. eye opener. When was the last time I thanked God so passionately for the things in my life? He's given me so much, so many things above and beyond a plastic necklace and a container to carry water in. It was time to reevaluate my life and take time to reflect on my own blessings! Thanks to two unexpected, labored over letters my relationship with God has had really shiney moments and I'm so appreciative!
This year I'm doing it right. I've put more effort into gathering the items and I've prayed for the children who will recive them. Each time something has gone in the boxes I've reflected on a blessing in my own life. Then have been plesently surprised that even as the box fills I'm never at a loss for things to be thankfull for! Life is pretty cool....
Girl Box Contents: 2 Beach Balls, Pair of Shorts, Groovy Girl Doll, First Aid Kit in reuseable box, Bag of Holloween Candy, Flip Flops, Playdough, Disney Princess Lunch/Cooler bag, Bar of Soap, Lip Balm, Oreo Single Packs and heartfelt prayers!
Boy Box: Pretty much the same but Marbles and Polo shirt in place of dolls and lunch bag.
