Calvary Chapel Women's Retreat CRAFTING for the SHOEBOXES

Oh I was SO blessed a week ago when the women of Calvary Chapel, Klamath Falls, helped make items for the shoeboxes at their retreat! On the second day of the retreat, some women went on a hike, and others stayed to fellowship and craft. There were many crafts available.. including 2 for the shoeboxes.

Praise be to God, 22 bracelets with a cross charm, and 20 hair clips were made for girls. As they were made, the women enjoyed fellowship and prayed for the children who would receive them. We hope that they will feel the love in which they were made.. and feel like the beautiful daughters of God they are, whenever they wear them!!

Crafting with others.. FOR others.. is a true joy! If you have a women's group, a retreat, a bible study, or time of fellowship.... making crafts for children to receive in a shoebox is a truly wonderful way to spend some time!

Operation Christmas Child ~ Church to Church

I love this video! What an amazing ministry Operation Christmas Child is! From our churches to other churches... impacting the world for Christ! One shoebox at a time!!

Friendship Bracelets

I love the idea of involving our kids in making gifts for the shoeboxes!

One idea I have shared before is that tweens and teens can easily make friendship bracelets. Perhaps the child can make 2 matching ones.. one for the child, and one for themselves and when they wear their bracelet they can remember to pray for the shoebox recipient!

It would be fun to take a picture of your child wearing one of them, and holding the other, so that the child will see that they have matching bracelets.

There are so many different styles of friendship bracelets out there... kits to buy... and many styles. If you have never made them there are GREAT instructions with pictures for one type of friendship bracelet at http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Friendship-Bracelet#

21,106 Shoeboxes

WOW WOW WOW!!! If you follow Life Inside the Box, the OCC blog linked in my sidebar, then you have been seeing the progress of Kathy and her wonderful team in Pennsylvania as they work, with God's help, to do a HUGE PACKING PARTY every year. I just read this update on FB. "Praise God and to God be the glory--21,106 Operation Christmas Child boxes packed today at our Operation Christmas Child Community-Wide Packing Party!!" Oh how I rejoice.. they have exceeded their goal... and 21,106 children will receive a gift packed with love and prayer and shared with the Gospel message from this packing party. Truly.. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Greatest Journey Mongolia

From here on the west coast of the US, our shoeboxes cross the Pacific.... they go to Pacific Isles like the Philippines... and they go to areas of Asia... and many go to Mongolia....

And so I wanted to share this beautiful video that tells a bit about how God is working MIGHTILY through Operation Christmas Child and the Greatest Journey in Mongolia. Watch, be moved, be amazed, and be blessed.

Area KICK OFF EVENTS START TONIGHT!!

If you are in southern Oregon... the OCC Kick off events are underway!!! I will be at the one in Central Point... but there are several in the area.

Area Kick Off Events!!!

If you can make one, you will be inspired and motivated!

Community Bible Church
500 N. 10th Street
Central Point, OR
Friday, Sept 28th at 7:00 pm

Roseburg Christian Fellowship
(Fellowship Hall)
1376 NE Walnut Street
Roseburg, OR
Saturday, Sept 29th at 10:00 am

Skyline Baptist Church
3451 Liberty Street
North Bend, OR
Sunday, Sept 30th at 3:30 pm

More Shoeboxes = more Gospel opportunities!!

Scouts and Operation Christmas Child

This is our friend Israel. He's leading the way in our new partnership with Boy Scouts of America by setting a goal to pack 200 shoe boxes with his Cub Scouts troop! His mom said: "Lofty goal, I felt, but he said 'Mom.....we can do it!'"
You can order OCC patches for your scout by visiting our website: http://spsocial.org/jq8

If your Scouting group would like to get involved in Operation Christmas Child, NOW is the time. This is a wonderful service project! And it is short term and as big or small as you want it to be.

Come to me all who are weary

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 

Matthew 11:28

Isn't this soooo precious??? The above picture is from Operation Christmas Child, Canada, facebook page. Just makes my heart melt. May each child feel the love of Christ and the comfort of the Father within their shoebox gift.

2012 Operation Christmas Child video

GO BOXES ARE IN

Go boxes are pre-printed boxes, that come in flat, are super simple to assemble, and mean no finding or wrapping shoeboxes! They are SO convenient!! And cute!

Through a generous donation, Klamath Area OCC has received a shipment of GO BOXES. If you would like some for yourself or your church or organization to pack for OCC, please contact me at lambofhisflock @ gmail . com and I will be glad to give you some as long as supplies last.

If you are NOT in the Klamath area you can order Go boxes as well. They are available for ordering in lots of 100 at the website at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/GO_Box_LandingPage/ If you order your own, there is a cost for production and shipping.

I am SO excited to see how God fills each one of these boxes! With YOUR help. One shoebox at a time we are changing lives and communities.. showing these precious children a tangible expression of Christ's love.. and yours!

(Note: the above picture is from Operation Christmas Child, Canada)