Shoebox Stories (2/2)

Here are more great stories for this year's shoebox collection!

• A lady came by the OCC kiosk at church and asked how she could help. I explained the needs and she wrote a check. She then reiterated her desire to help with anything - she had time because she had recently been laid off and was now pouring her energy on various ministries. When I looked at the check later, I saw that she made a very generous donation.
• Three ladies who had just run the Race for the Cure came straight to church to drop off their packed shoeboxes.
• The elementary school at our church chose Operation Christmas Child as one of their service projects.
  
• The entire 6th grader Sunday School class packed a bunch of boxes. 
• A lady told her family, neighbors, co-workers and friends about OCC, and she brought to church 29 packed shoeboxes!
• Our Girls in Action packed shoeboxes. The leaders' goal was 8 boxes. The girls packed 15 in about 30 minutes!
• The Acteens packed over 30 boxes. They wanted to do it after hearing a former shoebox recipient from Russia speak over the summer and being deeply touched by her testimony.
  
• A lady packed her boxes and also dropped off a big bag of stuffed animals for other boxes!
• Remember the 36 empty boxes I gave our middle school teacher? She and her students packed over 170 boxes! And two of the girls raised funds to pack - coincidentally - 36 of them just by themselves!

I was - and still am - utterly amazed!

Shoeboxes Stories (1/2)

I hope you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas!

It's been a very long time since my last post, so I am making a final push before we welcome the new year. :) But the real motivation is to share with you some of the many wonderful things that happened during the weeks before Thanksgiving when we were collecting shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). Enjoy!

• Our church was very supportive of Operation Christmas Child and did a great deal of promotion! 
• Since early Fall, I was collecting empty shoeboxes and a friend was wrapping them with Christmas paper. We hoped to have a steady supply of wrapped shoeboxes for our church members to take and fill. All was well until shortly before the packing party in early November, when I was having trouble getting shoeboxes. My contact at a local store who had been collecting empty shoeboxes for me told me her boss began tossing the boxes without explanation and would not allow her to save any shoeboxes (thankfully, she was not in any trouble with her job). Just as I was running out of boxes, and three days before the packing party, a couple of Sunday School teachers donated 80 shoeboxes to the packing party! 
• From our church, a lady who is blind packed 12 boxes. She started packing after last Christmas!
• I collected empty shoeboxes at work, and the response was wonderful! My colleagues dropped off boxes; one even made a monetary donation on the spot as soon as I told him why I was collecting shoeboxes.
• My friend who owns a salon collected a box full of donations from her customers.
• The packing party was well-attended. We had young children, singles, newlyweds, expectant parents, parents and grandparents!
• We did not have enough donations to pack all 80 boxes at the packing party, and at the end, we had about 36 boxes left. But the next day, a teacher from our church's middle school told me they were once again going to pack 150 shoeboxes and needed as many shoeboxes as possible. I gave her all 36 boxes. 
• On the same day, the Sunday School teachers who donated the 80 boxes led their very excited 4th Grade Sunday School class downstairs to the OCC kiosk to drop off their packed shoeboxes. Seeing the excited children coming with their boxes in their hands brought tears to my eyes. I could just see how excited the children receiving these shoeboxes would be.

More stories to come!

Shoeboxes!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! So sorry, it's been a long time since my last post. This semester has been quite busy, but there is much for which to be thankful!

Before Thanksgiving, as usual, Hubby and I dropped off Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. This year, with the effort of many from our church, middle school, and friends, neighbors and co-workers, we dropped off 520 packed boxes on Sunday!

This is the most we have collected so far! I can't express with words how thankful I am to you for packing a box or donating your time, money, filler items etc. Your response has been amazing!

I have told Hubby and several friends that I was secretly praying for 500 packed shoeboxes this year so that 500 children would receive gifts and hear the Gospel this Christmas season. For a while, it was an unrealistic goal. But God never took this number away, and I saw before my eyes how He accomplished this goal by raising up His people to get involved. With God, all things are possible!

Thank you once again for being a big part of Operation Christmas Child. There are many great stories to tell and I hope to share some of them with you soon!

Remembering in Hope

Since the early 1990s, I have been "traveling" to New York City every year for the US Open through TV. The US Open takes place at the National Tennis Center in Queens during the two weeks that straddle the Labor Day weekend. I remember quite fondly that when I was still in Hong Kong, because of the time difference, I would get up extra early on the second Monday morning after the Labor Day weekend to catch the men's single's final as much as I could before school.

In 2001, the men's championship match took place on September 9. By that point, I was studying in the United States so I watched the match on TV that Sunday night. Two days later, on the morning of September 11, I was home alone (my roommates were at work). I remember that morning as a beautiful, sunny day with clear blue sky. The TV and the computer were not on, so I was completely oblivious to the tragedy unfolding in New York City, Washington DC and Shanksville, until my friends and family called and I turned on the TV.

Like many, I was shocked, saddened and unsure of what was happening. I had just "come back" from New York City after the US Open. I still remember shots of the beautiful New York City skyline during the tennis programming. That evening, my roommates, friends and I gathered at home to support each other and to make sense of what had happened while wondering what would come next, knowing quite well that life would not be the same.

Just before the fifth anniversary of 9/11, I had a chance to travel to New York and I visited the World Trade Center site. It was a large wound. Life went on, but the site served as a reminder of what had happened. Since then, I had become an American citizen and 9/11 became more meaningful to me. Most of those who died in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and on Flight 93 were my fellow citizens. So were the first responders who risked their own lives to save others, and the military who had gone on to fight for freedom since then.

This year, as usual, I have "come back" to New York for the US Open. The skyline is not the same as the one I saw ten years ago, and in many ways, our lives have not been the same. However, God is still the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. As we remember 9/11, the victims and their families, we can remember in hope, knowing that while we experienced much sadness ten years ago (and even now), we can hold on to the eternal hope that comes through Jesus Christ alone.

Fighting Facebook?

There is a lot more to write about our vacation, and Hubby has posted pictures on Facebook (check them out!). But speaking of Facebook, I have been wondering about something.

After many invites from friends, I joined the Facebook nation two years ago. As soon as I signed up, it opened up a whole new world. Friends who invited me immediately "became" my friends (as if we were not already); within hours, Facebook connected me to many friends from around the country and friends from back home, some of whom I have been in touch all along, some of whom I have not. It was wonderful to share lives with them despite the physical distance.

I have really appreciated this connection; but on the other hand, I have also been wondering about what I should post.

Should I post day-to-day happenings? But is it important for others to know what I had for lunch? 

Should I post my whereabouts?

Should I post my thoughts (random or not)? My questions? Pictures?

Nothing is wrong about these postings because this is part of sharing life. But in this Facebook nation that promotes connections, this is an extremely self-centered world. It is all about "me." I might be posting updates and letting all my friends know how I am doing, but these updates are not really directed to one person or a group of people. It is different from calling a particular family member or friend on the phone, or emailing them, or, for that matter, seeing that person face to face.

Some of my friends have recently closed their Facebook accounts because of it.

I have also been thinking about something else: how do I balance between posting my daily happenings and what is going on in my friends' lives and around the world?

One night, I was about to post something happy only to see that two different friends both lost a parent on the same evening. I could not bring myself to share my happy news when my friends were grieving.

A few days ago, I was going to post about dinner plan with my friends to celebrate a birthday before learning about what happened in Norway.

Then, I was going to post about the great weekend I had, but I could not do that in the midst of the terrible train accident in China.

There are many sufferings around us, whether it is in the news or not. But I know I can do better about my postings. One of my guiding principles for Facebook postings has been to post something that involves not only me, but also others (Hubby, family, friends etc.), and this has helped me think twice before posting.

I am still thinking and wondering about my Facebook citizenship. It is a wonderful way to connect with family and friends, but it is also an easy trap for self-centeredness, of which I hope I am not too guilty.

Shoes

I got new shoes on sale last week.

The pair of black shoes I wore most often to work was wearing out quite badly. It did not help at all that the shoes were not the right fit (they were wide, instead of regular) so they were loose. But at that point, I had been having a lot of trouble finding black dress shoes for a while, so I bought them anyway. As soon as I tried on the new shoes which were the right size and fit and were better made, I could tell the difference. My feet have been much, much happier.

Nonetheless, many people around the world do not have shoes. They do not have the luxury to buy what we consider necessity.

There are so many stories about children who cannot go to school, not only because their families cannot afford tuition, or they have to help in the farm, but also because they do not have a single pair of shoes that they absolutely need to walk the many miles to school. One way.

The black shoes I got were already half off; and with the sale going on in the store, I got another pair of shoes on the clearance rack for an even deeper discount. With the shoes, I got two shoeboxes.

What is the best way to use the shoeboxes? Fill them up with school supplies, hygiene items and toys! Operation Christmas Child collects shoeboxes filled with gifts for children around the world who might otherwise not receive a gift this Christmas.

I remember a story: one year, a child received a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child. Inside was a pair of shoes about which she had been praying. Overwhelmed with joy, she could now go to school, knowing that someone somewhere loved and cared about her; and so did God.

Plan

[Hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July celebration!]

A few months ago, I applied for a summer position on campus to help coordinate a study abroad program to Hong Kong. The students were going to take classes at my alma mater and I thought I could contribute to the program with my background of growing up and attending college there. And it would certainly be nice to visit with family and friends.

I did not get the job.

I think part of it was that they were not sure if I could take extended time off from work. It would have been a six-week vacation.

It was a little disappointing at first, but this week - the week I would have been coming home - I realized that had I been selected for the position, I would have missed the following events:

Extended time with my sister-in-law visiting from California

Weekend with other family members, including our fast-growing nieces and nephews

Fun day with my aunt and cousins at the local theme park

Time with my friends here

Fourth of July celebration

Wimbledon and local tennis events

Spanish (The summer Spanish class I was taking ended up being canceled, but I was studying on my own, nonetheless :)

When I thought it made perfect sense for me to apply for the summer position (and even go) a few months ago, God already knew otherwise. I would still love to go home, but I am glad I was here, spending time with my family here (including Hubby!).

We might not always see it right away, but God's plan is always the best.

Directions

A little detour from vacation postings.


I am not good at directions; and it does not help that I am married to someone who could give directions (by pointing) before he could speak. :)

Over the weekend, Hubby was trimming our trees on the roof. He asked me to go to the north side of the house to help him get some tools up, and I had no idea which side was north! I ended up walking to the opposite side before I asked him.

Imagine me in a much bigger place, namely the big campus where I work and study. Fairly regularly, during the 15-minute walk from my car to my office, I see new people holding a map or looking at the maps mounted around campus. Sometimes they ask me where a certain building is (they probably figure I work here when they see my lunch box), sometimes I offer to help. A few mornings ago, I walked up to two people on my way to the office. They were looking for two different buildings on opposite sides of campus. I knew exactly where these buildings were, but because I didn't go to these buildings often and not usually from where we were, I was not confident enough to show them right away which direction to go. I looked at the map to orient myself before telling them how to get to where they needed to be.

But they were grateful.

Some people who ask me for directions would even say thank-you more than once. You can tell they are really lost, and are both relieved and happy someone show them which way to go. Although I don't know every building on campus, I know enough to help others who might have never been on this campus.

Sometimes, we don't have to know everything to show others where to go. Being willing is what it takes to help someone who can't find their way, not only physically but also spiritually.

I don't know my Bible inside and out and I can always memorize more Scriptures, but I know it well enough to know the Truth, the Way and the Life. I am not the most well-versed in creationism, eschatology or apologetics, and I might not know Aramaic or Greek, but I know the Bible well enough to point others to the right way, the eternal way. 

The question is, am I doing it enough? 

Road Trip!

Hubby and I just took a wonderful road trip to California and the Grand Canyon. :)

The vacation itself was an interesting story. I had requested the time off for my brother's wedding, but my Grandmother passed away three months ago and my brother postponed the wedding out of respect to the deceased (a Chinese tradition). I was going to cancel the time off, but Hubby wanted to go to an air show near where my sister-in-law lived in California the weekend before my scheduled time off. So we made it into a vacation. Hubby would drive out to California first for his air show and time with sister, before I finished up the semester at work and joined in for the rest of the trip.

So 6,000 miles, five states, 8,000-feet elevation, over 40-degree difference in temperatures, 1,000+ photos, about a dozen patches (Hubby collects those) and 50 postcards (I collect those) later, we have had a fantastic time exploring places between the Pacific coast and the heart of Texas. As we go through the photos, here are some of the many wonderful memories from the trip, chronologically:

Coming in sister-in-law's place to Hubby's hello message made of coke cans

Visiting with family and friends (and their children and pets), sleeping on their floor/couch/air mattress and getting fed by their wonderful cooking

Having dinner at the Santa Monica Pier

Cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway and looking out to the gorgeous Pacific Ocean

Eating authentic Chinese food in the San Francisco Chinatown

Enjoying ice-cream while strolling along small-town Sausalito (just outside of San Francisco)

Straddling the Nevada and Arizona state lines at the Hoover Dam

Seeing the rainbow at the Yosemite National Park

Hiking on a sea of snow at Yosemite

Watching the sun set at the Grand Canyon

Looking up to a clear sky full of stars at the Grand Canyon

Camping at Yosemite and the Grand Canyon

Pictures to come!

TV

About a month ago, our 10-plus-year-old TV stopped working. It went out for the first time last Summer and Hubby had it fixed. But this time, we got a new TV. We had moved from a tube (that would take two strong guys to move) to one of those fancy flat screen, HDTVs. We had jumped from a 27-inch TV to a 40-inch TV.

I must say it is very nice to have a much lighter TV and the quality is quite an upgrade. I will also admit that I look forward to watching tennis on it later this month. :) 

However, I was actually not as excited about the new TV as I thought I would be. I had watched tennis matches or movies on those fancy screens at other peoples' homes before; and occasionally, I had thought that it might be cool for Hubby and me to have a TV just like that. But our TV was fine so we had no justification for the purchase. Now that we have such a TV sitting in our house, I have been fairly calm about this. In fact, I have not used the TV in the past four days (Hubby's been out of town).

This TV experience reminded me of the time we bought our house. A few years before we bought our house, we had considered buying a house in our previous town, so we looked at some model homes, which gave me ideas. In my head, I had a list of things that I thought would be nice to have in our future home, including a library, rounded corners and a flat glass stove top. When we bought our house, these features happened to be part of the house. I must say I was - and still am - exited about the loft which we use as a library, but I also realized that I would have no problem living in a house without the loft, the rounded corners or a flat glass stove top. 

Perhaps this is God's sense of humor, or it is simply His way of teaching me to be a good steward of the things that He gives me so generously. If I keep wanting things, maybe He will just withhold them until I learn not to be preoccupied with, or even controlled by, those things - whether it be a house, a vehicle, electronics, or whatever that might be, tangible or otherwise.

I still have my silly wants, like a smart phone, but I also understand the monetary costs that come with owning such a phone. Do I really need a smart phone? No. It would be something nice to have (I can text faster, I can get online faster, I can have more storage space for photos, whatever the rationale might be), but, a few occasional glitches aside, my current phone is working just fine. I have not completely gotten rid of my want for a smart phone, but I have lately become much more appreciative of my phone.

I read this somewhere not too long ago -

Contentment is not having what you want, it is wanting what you have.

 The Apostle Paul also said in the book of Philippians -

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. - Philippians 4: 12

 Well said.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my mother-in-law and all the moms!

Thank you for nurturing us while we were in your womb, for enduring birth pains, for feeding us, changing our diapers, picking up after us, taking us to school, picking us up from school, teaching us, guiding us, developing us, disciplining us, helping us pursue God's plans for us, sharing our ups and downs, being there for us, and loving us with the kind of love only mothers can give.

Enjoy your special day!

Happy Easter!

Jesus, the perfect God and the perfect man, was crucified on the cross - for my sins and for yours, so we did not have to pay the price for our actions. That was how much He loved us.

But death was not the end of the story. 

When the women visited the tomb where Jesus's body was, they got a message from the angel:

Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. - Matthew 28: 5-6

The tomb is empty! He is risen! 

Happy Easter!

The cross in front of our church

The Sun, The Son

Before daylight savings time took effect two weeks ago, the sun would have had risen and there would be daylight by the time I left for work. But as we were now an hour "ahead", the sun did not rise until later.

A couple of days into the new time, I was driving west towards campus, as usual. Morning gradually broke and I could see the rising sun from my rear window. As I glanced at the sun, I was happy that the sun was there.

Then it dawned on me.

Despite what we have been taught as children about the sun rising from the east and setting on the west, the sun does not move. It is the earth that does. The sun has always been where it is. It does not matter that we change our clock every six months, the sun always shines where it is. We don't see it because the parts of the earth moves facing away from it every day.

It is the same with the Son. We see darkness around us not because God is not there. He does not "show up"; He has always been where He is. We don't see Him because we move away from Him, not because He moves away from us.

May we always move towards Him and bask in His glorious Light.

Grandparents

The first time I lost a grandparent, I did not know to grief. I was not yet fearfully and wonderfully made.

The second time I lost a grandparent, I was a young 18-year-old, facing death suddenly and unexpectedly for the first time. My heart broke.

The third time I lost a grandparent, a few years ago, I was blessed enough to know the Gospel had been presented to my Grandma. I was there when she drew her last breath on earth and I saw how beautiful and peaceful she was. My sorrowful heart had a reason to rejoice.

The fourth and last time I lost a grandparent, a week ago, I was sad again. Yet, in the midst of grief, God put a song in my heart -

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Snow!

Even though this blog is not about snow, I am happy to present to you these photos - of snow - from a couple of weeks ago when these little white flurries came along!

Outside

Front Yard

The sun came out and Hubby having fun on sidewalk while snow was melting

Commemorating the special occasions. :)

And Happy Chinese New Year!

Oh, and happy belated Valentine's Day too!

New Year's Resolution: Confidence

My third (and last, but certainly not least) resolution of the year is somewhat difficult to explain, but hopefully it makes sense.

I had never had confidence issue. In fact, I had the opposite issue - too much confidence, or so I thought. Being an independent and perfectionisic soul, I had a lot of pride, always trying to do things on my own without asking for help (I really stunk at asking for help).  I never liked to boast about anything, but this independence, this drive to do well made me rely on myself way too much, and I always took matters into my own hands. Because I was constantly planning and trying to be in control, I got a lot of things done; but at the same time, I worried a lot as I always thought about many different scenarios.

A few years ago, Hubby and I were apart for a school year, because of his job transfer and my school. We were sure that it was God's plan for us to take the offer even after I had been given a TAship, meaning I could not move just yet. Because I was now by myself most of the time, I developed this insecurity about locks - I checked my front door lock multiple times at night; and I checked my car door more than once every time I parked. I got much better since Hubby and I were under the same roof again; but I was still checking my locks multiple times. My confidence did not bring down my insecurity about locks. Around New Year's, I realized all of a sudden that far from being a confident self, I needed more confidence.

A different kind of confidence.

I used to be confident in my own self, but I was not confident enough in the Lord. Through Beth Moore's So Long, Insecurity book and simulcast, I realized I was in bondage of my perfectionism. My confidence in myself was simply a facade to cover up my insecurity of perfectionism. I finally understood I did not need confidence in my flesh or my "abilities" but confidence in the Lord. Rather, I needed to trust Him with all of me and receive the true confidence that comes only from God.

So this is really not a new year's resolution; it's part of my walk with God. Confidence in myself had been such a burden (I thought and worried a lot, did I say that already? :) In just the past few weeks, I have come to experience such new freedom in God because He is the one and only true source of confidence. I have subscribed to human confidence far too long and I am glad to bid it farewell.

Writing about these three New Year's resolutions had, surprisingly, been a very natural task for me. As I wrote, I was amazed by how easily and freely I talked about these three things, particularly the last two. A year ago, I would not have been able to share these, because I was still trusting in myself and focusing on myself way too much. If by reading these blog posts, you see anything that causes you to amaze at God, give Him praise and give Him thanks, for He is the wonderful Heavenly Father who never gives up on His children, you and me included.

New Year's Resolution: Punctuality

Being on time is not my strong suit.

I have always tried to get one more thing done. So when I have a few minutes to spare before having to leave home or go do the next thing, I would fill up the next few minutes by finding something to do - put away one more thing, finish one more housework, read one more page of a book, send one more text, reply to one more email......

Nothing might seem wrong with it, but by trying to get one more thing done, I often run later than expected, and as a result, instead of having a few minutes to spare, I need to rush for the next thing. While this has not been much of an issue with work or school, Hubby can tell you that he has waited for me more times than he wants, and I have been late to appointments.

And I finally realized that this tendency to get one more thing done goes deeper than having a bad habit, or wanting to cross off another item on my to-do list, so to speak. It has a lot to do with being still, being at rest, being less perfectionist; or the opposite of it.

These past few weeks, I have become more aware of this trying-to-get-one-more-thing-done habit. I tell myself that it is okay to do this "one thing" later and that I need to focus on what I need to do right now, on the task at hand. Whatever this "one thing" is, it will still be there waiting for me.

While I have been late a few times, I find myself more at ease and more calm. I finally understand that I don't have to fill my every waking moment with things to do. It is perfectly fine to have a spare moment, to be still and not get every single thing done right away, because I don't have to be in the driver's seat and everything will still be alright.

Pink Candle

A few weeks ago, as I was doing some cleaning for the new year, I finally started burning the candle I had received as a bridal shower favor. It smelled good in the house!

While enjoying the candle, somehow I remembered joking with a newlywed couple about the wife moving in and "decorating" the house with pink, smelly and girly stuff. It then occurred to me that maybe I should ask Hubby what he thought about the candle - it was pink, and the scent was pineapple.

So below was our conversation, re-created from my memory -

Me: Babe, can I burn the candle in the living room? (I actually had started burning the candle already)

Hubby: Yes.

Me: But it's pink and it smells like pineapple.

Hubby: That's fine.

He did not mind! But wait, something was missing.

Me: So you don't have a problem with it?

Hubby: Yes, it is being left unattended in the living room.

Oh, right. We were in the TV room. But that's my Hubby! :)

New Year's Resolution: Giving

Since it is still January, it is not too late to talk about new year's resolutions. :)

For as long as I could remember, I would make a list on New Year's Eve of things I would like to accomplish in the new year. For this year, however, instead of a list of things to accomplish, I have three goals for the year that are less things to do but more like life-long projects. The first one is giving.

A couple of years ago, I had a thought of giving something to someone every day. It could be things tangible or otherwise. Most of the time, I found myself giving the same thing - letting a car from the parking lot or the side road pull in front of me while I was driving. This was good, but it was certainly not the only way to give. Soon, the thought of giving became less and less prominent and I was less and less diligent about it. But last Christmas, as I was re-reading Matthew West's Give This Christmas Away, in which he gives 101 ideas of giving, I thought of extending this to a year-long project for 2011 and God confirmed the idea.

A few weeks into the year, I am happy to report that this has been a great start! Most of the things I have given are little things - time, friendships, little gifts, car rides, donations, and yes, occasionally, letting a car pull in front of me - but they have been giving me a lot of joy. There is nothing in me that can give any of these things, but I know it is God enabling me to pay more attention to others and He is guiding me in my giving. In the process, I find me thinking of myself less, which is a great benefit!

How about you? What can you give someone today?

Shoebox Recap

I hope your new year has been going well! Before the year goes by too quickly, it is time to do some recap - on Operation Christmas Child!

My last update was in October, when we were in the middle of it. There are many great stories to tell, and below are some highlights -

•  We had a booth at church and many took interest in packing shoeboxes or making individual donations. Many involved their families, friends and Sunday School classes. Almost 1,000 brochures were distributed in six weeks!
• When a mother-daughter duo dropped off two boxes, they told me that one of them was packed by their non-believer friend who insisted on packing a shoebox for a child!
• At our packing party, we processed and packed a few dozen boxes (not to mention we had a lot of fun!).
• Our church middle school kids packed over a hundred shoeboxes in just a couple of weeks!
• Our church tennis league did a tournament to benefit Operation Christmas Child. In a very short amount of time, we put together the details for the tournament. It was great fun that day and we raised over $600 and collected over 12 packed boxes and many donations that helped pack a few more dozen shoeboxes!
• Our AWANA kids packed over 40 boxes! 
• My friend from my Bible study class got her high school students involved and they packed over 60 boxes!
• At the drop-off location, we were even able to help raise funds for a summer missions trips for college students by dropping off our boxes. For each box they were to collect, a dollar was donated towards the missions trip funds.

I remember a week before collection deadline, as I walked to the booth, I saw piles and piles of packed shoeboxes that had been dropped off. What a sight to behold!

And remember the number 300 (see last update)? Merely a week before collection deadline, we had about half the number. Just as I was wondering how the goal would be reached, it was when the teacher called me to tell me about the 100+ boxes from our middle school kids.

By the end of collection, 379 packed shoeboxes were dropped off and over $1,900 was raised through church and the tennis tournament. It amazes me to look at these numbers!

I am very thankful to everyone who participated in Operation Christmas Child. Because of you, many children around the world got to know someone overseas cared for them, and that God loved them. This was not at all about me setting goals, but I cannot tell you how much I was blessed throughout those few weeks. It was such a privilege and joy to be a part of this, to see God's hand move and to see God's people give generously and willingly.