Our church and my MOPS group are both collecting for Operation Christmas Child. I linked to the official web site so if you've never heard of it you can see more about it. A short summary of it is people fill a shoe box with toys, school supplies, hygine items, and anything else they can fit it. The box goes to children who would not get a present for Christmas. If you have heard of it, and don't know of a church or organization that is collecting boxes, you can go to the website and find a collection spot in your area.

For the last 4 years we have tried to do a box for a boy Will's age. This year was the first year he really understood what we were going to do. He and I had a special "Mommy & Will Time" yesterday where we went out to buy a plastic shoe box (so it can be reused by the child) and things to fill it. Will was patient for the boring parts (hygine) and was very happy to get to the toys.

As we started filling up the box with various toy items, I knew we would have to find a car or two to put in the box. We walked down the car aisle (yes, there is a whole aisle devoted to "cars and trucks and things that go") Will saw something he KNEW must go in the box. A big yellow digger. One that would take up most of the box & cost $15 just for it. I do want to be generous, but I also know that we could get $15 dollar items and I think the Little Boy getting our box would enjoy the variety more. I tried to distract Will and find other things to put in the box. Will would not be deterred. He was in tears, saying "Mommy, we HAVE to get him a digger!" Then, after insisting that a few times he added "And something to put the dirt in." We ended up finding a box of 5 smaller construction vehicles for a bit less. Will held that box the rest of the time in the store. I kept reminding him these were not for HIM to play with. Once we got home he was very excited to make the box look nice (we put colorful Christmas wrapping paper inside) and open all the boxes of the things we got to put in the box. He wistfully made each vehicles do "what it does" (making the dump truck dump, or the digger dig), and then put them in the box. He was quite excited about the box for the Little Boy.

We are praying this box will go to a little boy who loves that equipment as much as Will does (as well as praying this Little Boy will be able to learn more about Christ with the box–the more important thing, I know).