Operation Christmas Child

Our holiday season has officially been kicked off. The first thing we do each year is pack shoeboxes for Samaritans Purse.

Every year I help each of my kids pack a box for a boy or girl their age. It's been an invaluable experience for us. While we bless kids all around the world, I am able to teach my kids about giving and gratitude in a way that nothing else we do as a family has taught them. 

When the kids were younger, the day we did the packing was difficult. Teaching a 3 and 4 year old that the toys they picked out were for someone else wasn't always fun. Right in the middle of the "wish list making" time of year these toys they held in their hands were being packed away for some other kid. But those lessons have had the best impact on them. It has helped to grow the giving spirit in all three of them. 

Now we are just waiting for Thanksgiving so we can put up our decorations...

Mrs. Troyer