We brought lollipops to reward the kids for using their Children’s Church activity time to fill shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. No game. No craft. We had a service project in front of us.

The Bible story we shared that morning featured the boy who offered his lunch to Jesus, who then used the fish and small loaves to feed thousands. We do our best for Him, and trust Him to use it in miraculous ways.

Can you guess what happened?

The lollipops went into the shoeboxes. The children didn’t ask us about it. They understood: We give him our best and trust him. The kids were listening!

And, yes, we know that the OCC people no longer accept candy in the shoeboxes.

Grace found and removed the lollipops as she spent more than an hour re-packing the shoeboxes. The children were not listening when I said the lids to every box need to fit. They stuffed each box beyond capacity and handed them to Grace, who is gifted with much patience and the ability to cram notebooks and crayons and slippers and sunglasses and balls and dolls and dinosaurs neatly into small spaces.

Jade, Bella, Gideon, Jordyn, Amelie, Christian, Emma, Roger, and Evan spent their Sunday hour filling boxes, and four of them returned after the service to fill more boxes.

This is our 11th year of filling OCC shoe boxes, and each year brings a new Light into the process. This year, He shined the light on the youngest among us and their willingness to serve and share and do their best for Him. While the boxes are intended to share His Love and Light with children around the world who would not have anything for Christmas, and may not know Jesus, they also serve to shape the hearts of our children.

Thank you, from the Fellowship of the Cross, to everyone who contributed. For the 10th consecutive year, we have filled at least 100 shoeboxes. We have contributed more than 1,100 boxes, reaching Africa, South America, Central America, Caribbean nations, and Ukraine.

Thank you to those who contributed shoeboxes and wrapping paper, and thank you to Kara and her daughters, Elliett and Evarett, for again wrapping 100 boxes for our project.

Thank you to everyone who contributed gifts to fill the boxes. Every box was blessed with an array of school supplies, a tooth brush, a washcloth, sunglasses, socks, a stuffed animal, a ball, adhesive bandages, tissues and “wow” gifts from a menu that included t-shirts, flip-flops, ball caps, bandanas, dolls, hair accessories, flashlights, water bottles, cups, and toys.

Thank you to everyone who contributed financially.

Thank you to the Pumpkin Patch team and the Sale for Missions team for supporting our project in multiple ways.

Thank you, Pastor Hannah, for your support and for the Christmas in July idea that accelerated our gathering. Thank you, Pam H. for your energy in so many areas. Thank you, Martha, for all you have done for us since we launched in 2011.

We haven’t talked about next year yet, but I know of nine children who want to help, and I recently found a bag of pencils and glue sticks in our collection box outside the church office. We accept donations year-round, and we never have too much. Grace will make it fit! But we cannot pack lollipops!

The Fellowship of the Cross
Pamela Mayo
Grace Rogansky
Bill Utterback