Parishioners show good things come in small packages
Cookie Wagter, a volunteer for Operation Christmas Child, has learned that the joy of giving can inspire her most when she bestows a present to people she has never met.
"I've seen some of the stories of those who received gifts and it can change people's lives, so I decided it's the right thing to do."
Wagter is a member of Morningside Southern Baptist Church who volunteers for Operation Christmas Child. Its goal is to provide a gift for every child who has not received a gift before, she said.
Operation Christmas Child is an international Christian group started by Franklin Graham, son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham. The project is operated under the auspices of Samaritan's Purse, an international relief nonprofit providing aid to victims of war, disaster, disease and poverty.
Every October, Operation Christmas Child collects gift-filled shoeboxes to distribute across the globe. Gifts include toys, pencils, writing tablets, school supplies and hard candies. Donors are asked not to include chocolate, liquids, glass or breakable items, Wagter cautioned.
"Last year we collected nearly 2,000 boxes. We want to exceed that this year with 3,000 boxes."
The missionaries working with Graham inform him of the places most in need and make sure the shoebox gifts are sent to
different children each year, Wagter said.
In a newsletter published on Samaritans' Purse Web page, http://www.samaritanspurse.org/, Graham said he thinks God has given the organization a special ministry to children who are the most vulnerable to suffering yet the most receptive to the Gospel. Currently his staff is preparing to distribute 8 million shoe box gifts to children in more than 100 countries.
Wagter said she was moved to pack shoebox gifts after seeing an Operation Christmas Child video in her former home in Dallas. She recalled a Bosnian girl got a shoebox gift of a brand-new pair of shoes that were a perfect fit.
"That box went clear across the world and the sender had no idea what her shoe size was. That was divine intervention where the right box went to the right child. That's one of the stories that really hit home with me."
Wagter added that people in the U.S. have so much and it does not take much to fill a shoebox with some heartfelt gifts. She also said that whenever she sees a retail sale, she packs up a shoebox gift. Often she includes a picture of herself and her dogs, since she works at Humane Society of Yuma, as well as a personal note.
"I usually let them know I'm praying for them and hope the gifts bring them some joy. And it's through the love of Jesus Christ they're receiving the gifts. I haven't got a reply but I know God has promised someday I'll see them."
Some American children have saved their allowance all year long to contribute a shoebox gift, Wagter noted. The shoebox gifts are a good way to bring families together by going out to select a gift together. It teaches Yuma children the joy of giving, especially when a parent asks their own child to pick out a gift for a less-fortunate peer.
The Mount Zion Church is also organizing shoebox gift collections. Mount Zion is a dropoff center that will take the shoebox gifts to distribution center so they may be then sent abroad. Collection week is scheduled for Nov. 16- 23. For more information, go online to: www.mzchurchyuma.com.
"It's a great cause and mission," Wagter said.
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William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.
