OCU Small Group Ministry Packs Shoeboxes for Children

Let’s take a moment to leave our white Christmas behind and picture ourselves on the firm warm dirt of India. Just imagine the many eager hands reaching out, wide smiles, bright expectant eyes, and laughter filling the humid air. This is where Natasha Hudnell (pictured below), a Junior and Intercultural Ministries major at OCU, bore witness to a surprise delivery of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. She told of how one young teenage boy pored tears of joy with a tightly clasped first raised holding a small sucker. It was the first candy he had ever received.Many of us think “bigger & better” with our American Christmas traditions. More is fine, but the simplicity of a sucker is often long lost in our jumble of lights and ribbons. Although a small box of socks, toothpaste, markers, and hard candy might not appeal to the vast majority of our children, to the isolated villagers they are the most precious of belongings.That is why the OCU Small Group Ministry collected, purchased, gathered, and packaged 100 bright red and green boxes. Not for need of more, but for the joy of the gift.  Each of our boxes included the items mentioned above along with some soap, play-doh, toys, coloring book, and the story of Jesus. We hope in the years to come to fill more villages with laughter and bright red boxes, but most of all we hope to fill them with the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Hope you are inspired to do so as well this day and always.With much joy in Him this Christmas season,Anastasia Beavers, Small Group Ministry Coordinator