Uncle Si joins OCC

As Si Robertson might say, “Take a sip o’ tea, mow a little grass” and get ready to pack shoeboxes! The beloved uncle of the family that makes the famous Duck Commander duck calls has teamed up with Operation Christmas Child to get the word out about sharing the Gospel through a shoebox gift.

National Collection Week is coming November 18-25. Along with Si, you can be a part of sending love and joy to children around the world.

Watch this brand new video to find out what Si wanted to pack in his shoebox—and what actually made the final cut. You'll also find exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from Si’s video shoot, and some great ideas for packing your own shoeboxes.

FOLLOW YOUR BOX

Discover the destination of your shoebox by making your $7 per box shipping donation online. Samaritan's Purse will send an email telling you the destination of your gift, along with information about Operation Christmas Child in that country.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS

Remember to drop off your shoeboxes November 18-25. It’s easy to find the nearest collection site with our online locator. You can also build a shoebox online with our fun, interactive website.

37 cent batteries (if you have the coupons) at Walmart

Do you ever include items that require batteries in your shoeboxes? They sure can be fun, but consider sending extra batteries as they can be costly and difficult to get for many of our recipients. So it is great to get a great deal. I found this on krazycouponlady... YAY.

Batteries at Walmart as low as 37 cents! Do you ever include items in your shoeboxes that take batteries? Remember to include extras.
Buy 2 Energizer Max AA or AAA, 8 ct $6.37, regular price
Buy 2, Submit for $10.00 Walmart Gift Card Rebate
Use two $1.00/1 Energizer Batteries or Flashlight from SS 10/27 (exp 12/7)
Pay $10.74, Submit for $10.00 Walmart Gift Card
Final Price: $0.37 each, when you buy 2

Printable BULK LABELS for your shoebox packing party

So excited that Clip With Purpose (an awesome OCC blog) shared this printable... when you are doing a LOT of shoeboxes, printing them a couple per page is wasteful and so is cutting apart all of the brochures... of course, we all COULD do this ourselves... but I did not. So THANKS.

Clip with Purpose posted: "Are you printing out your labels and needs LOTS of them? Our friend Ray helped us out and made printable sheets for us! There are 12 to a page. Some sheets have no age checked, but if you need to save time....print out the ones that are! (Boys first, then keep scrolling to find the Girls.) Just select which page you want to print when your printer screen prompt comes up!"

http://www.clipwithpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/OCC-Labels-All-Ages.pdf

MyFaithRadio interview worth a listen

From My Faith Radio:

We’ve heard of the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. We’ve maybe even packed a few shoeboxes full of goodies, but where do these shoeboxes go? More importantly, who gets these shoeboxes? Ted and PK were joined in studio with Vladimir “Ted” Foreman. He was a Russian orphan after the Cold War, and his story is very moving.

http://myfaithradio.com/2013/operation-christmas-child-changed-my-life/

Get some tissues, and then sit down and listen....

Free Toothpaste and Soap and 24 cent toothbrushes at RiteAid starting Sunday

$3+UP wyb Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste 6 oz., $3.50 Limit 2
Use $0.50/1 Colgate toothpaste, 4 oz + exp. 10/26/13 (SS 10/13/13)
Or $0.75/1 Colgate Toothpaste printable
FINAL PRICE: FREE after $3 up reward

Dove or Caress Bar Soap, 2 Pack or Body Wash 12 oz., 2/$6
Use $2/1 Caress bar soap 6 pk. + or body wash 12 oz + exp. 11/10/13 (RP 10/13/13)
Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion 10 oz., 2/$6
Or $1/1 Dove Body Wash, exp. 10/27/13 (RP 09/29/13 R)
FINAL PRICE: FREE wyb (2) Caress Bodywash after +UP

$2+UP wyb Reach Manual Toothbrush 1 ct., Colgate Total Advanced Floss-Tip or Sensitive ProRelief Manual Toothbrush 1 ct., $2.99 Limit 2
Use $0.75/1 Reach Toothbrush printable
Or $0.75/1 Reach Toothbrush, exp. 11/2/13 (SS 08/25/13)
FINAL PRICE: 24¢ each after +ups

Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog is Here

  Learn more

 

Dear Friends,

I meet people around the world who long for the peace the angels announced two thousand years ago, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14, ESV).
Through the worldwide work of Samaritan’s Purse, the Lord gives us opportunities to share the true meaning of Christmas and the Good News of salvation with millions who are living in despair. You can be involved in what God is doing by giving to the projects we have featured below.
Thank you for your prayers and for making it possible for us to earn a hearing for the Gospel. May God bless you.

New Operation Christmas Child Blogger

Well, I always love to see more blogs about Operation Christmas Child... whether a blogger who blogs year round on other topics but posts about OCC at this time of year OR someone like me who blogs year round about Operation Christmas Child. There are so many wonderful bloggers out there.... like Clip With Purpose or Life Inside the Shoebox... but each one offers its own perspective... so the more the merrier.

Without further ado....

LOVE PRAYERS AND MORE SHOEBOXES!

A Story of Redemption and Forgiveness ~ Alex

Go now, do not wait, and read the story of an amazing young man and how God reached down and worked powerfully in his life.

Here is the accompanying video:

A Wonderful New Book now on the Shelves and More Announcements by Samaritan's Purse

Operation Christmas Child: A Story of Simple Gifts has just landed on shelves and already it is generating a lot of excitement. Now available in stores across the country, Franklin Graham’s newest book weaves the God-saturated story of the ministry’s beginning with some of the Christ-exalting stories of lives that have been forever changed by the power of a simple gift. It’s a moving tribute that has been two decades in the making, as Operation Christmas Child celebrates 20 years of delivering more than 100 million gift-filled shoeboxes to the remotest parts of the world and into the outstretched arms of boys and girls who need to know God's saving love. Order your copy of Operation Christmas Child: A Story of Simple Gifts today. It's a wonderful way to commemorate and celebrate as we approach National Collection Week, November 18-25. FINDING FORGIVENESS IN RWANDA A Story of Simple Gifts includes the remarkable tale of Alex Nsengimana, a survivor of the brutal genocide in Rwanda. God used a simple, gift-filled shoebox to put Alex on a journey to faith that led him to forgive the man who murdered his grandmother and uncle. Watch Alex’s story on Oct. 7 BALLOONS ADD SOME POP Operation Christmas Child has been sharing God’s Greatest Gift with children around the world for 20 years. Brighten up your packing party or event with green, white, and red commemorative balloons .

Shoeboxes ~ Instruments of God

“We are but the instruments or assistants, by whom God works.” -Martin Luther

I love this reality. Such a simple thing, packing a shoebox. And yet, over and over again I read stories about the amazing things God is doing through these simple gifts. I am awestruck and so I share a few with you.....

Macedonia:  At our Celebration meeting there was a girl, age 21, that I saw for a first time. She came along with a pastor from Veles. We talked about the project, and a pastor’s wife mentioned that they were distributing gifts this year to street children in Skopje. After the meeting the girl came to me and asked: “Is this the organization that gives gifts to children, even in the orphnage in Skopje?” I answered “yes” and she told me that 7 years ago, she lived in the orphanage and received a gift there, as well as correspondence course and a booklet. She received Chrisst as her savior, and, when she was 18, she had to leave the orphanage and went to live with relatives in Veles. She found a church there, and later, when she was 19, went for a year in Bible school in Serbia. I introduced her to Rule, pastor’s wife that was distributing the boxes in the orphanage at that time, and it was a wonderful meeting.

Dominican Republic:  “I have three little brothers and my parents died in an accident and there was a Pastor who came to invite us to his church where they would give us some gifts. But as my youngest brother was sick, the lady who takes care of us said that we wouldn’t go because of my little brother’s illness; there was nobody else to take care of us if we went. I went outside and sat in front of the house crying, and suddenly I saw someone approaching the home and bringing some gifts. That made cry again but this time of happiness because God sent that person to us with the OCC gifts and also with the book the Greatest Gift. Later they invited us to study at their Bible club and the lady who takes care of us also goes with us to church. Although we don’t have our mom and dad anymore we feel good because through those gifts we got to meet God Who never leaves us and also we have a family at church and many other children there whom we can call brothers, now we are happy.” Amauras Vargas, 12 yrs old 

Tajikistan: Madina, “River Of Life” church member
We took the OCC presents to the children in the Cancer Department of City Hopsital, Dushanbe. We have had the wonderful opportunity to tell those children about Jesus and to give them gifts. So much joy, and the hope returned to them – someone remembers us, someone cares…After this we have got the opportunity to pray for them. One girl from Kulob, 13 years old, has lost her sight and hearing because of cancer, and she was swollen. After some days we came back to visit her – and what a miracle! The hearing was restored, she was able to read, and swollenness disappeared.

Philippines: Hannah Ruth, is a lovely two-year old girl. I spotter her cheerfully cuddling her new baby doll from the shoebox. Then her mother told me that one day, along the street, Hannah found a ragged doll with a broken head in a garbage bag. She brought it home and used to place it beside her when she sleeps. And how happy she was when she received a brand new baby doll that just looks like the same with her old doll. Her whole family was amazed at how God answered that little desire of Hannah's heart. With this incident, they were reminded once again that truly God answers prayers. God can hear every word, thought, and desire. Even the slightest whisper of a child, He can decipher.