Are you familiar with Operation Christmas Child? It is a project of Samaritan's Purse which is run by Franklin Graham, Billy's son. It began back in 1993 and provides school supplies, toys, personal care items, treats etc. for children living in difficult circumstances ages 2-14, all of which are packed and delivered in a wrapped shoebox. You can also send along a picture of your family and a letter which is then translated. In most cases, a Bible and literature about Jesus is also added to the box before delivery. Most of the boxes are sent overseas although many stay right here in the U.S.
Lily and I began filling boxes when she was about three and the tradition continues. Today, we shopped for our items. Lily chose to shop for a girl 10-14 years old and Gracie chose to buy for a 5-9 year old girl. Lily did a fine job choosing appropriate items...she's had a lot of experience...and I worked hard to guide Gracie through her decisions. The picture above shows the girls with the items on display and was taken just before they tried to pack it all into each shoebox. I'm not sure how, but Gracie managed to pack hers in record time and everything fit although it was a rather "hodgepodge" packing job. Lily, who is more like me...packed and repacked several times aiming to find just the right spot for each item. The boxes need to be turned in to collection points sometime next week so it's not too late to pack one. Check out the website if you'd like more information.

www.samaritanspurse.org.