operation christmas child

if you have time and money, please consider doing operation christmas child this year. you pack up a shoebox with some necessities like a toothbrush, toothpaste, and socks, as well as some fun toys, stuffed animals and school supplies. then write a letter to the child who will receive your shoe box for christmas. its easy and its a great learning experience for you and your children.

i remember doing operation christmas child as far back as junior high. our youth group used to volunteer at one of the processing sites. its an awesome opportunity to share God's love with millions of children across the world who don't know wat it's like to receive christmas gifts. please, if you would, consider doing operation christmas child this christmas.

on a related note, God's really been pressing upon my heart to do something life-changing. This is hard for me to say, but im 28 and I haven’t gone on a missions trip before. johan and I have always been firm believers that you can do ministry in your everyday life. But I’ve always had the desire to go on a missions trip...

Andy Stanley challenged us to go on a trip IF we’re feeling called. Benefits?
- Your faith will grow.
- You’ll pray harder.
- You’ll rely on God more.

I don’t believe that every single person should go on a missions trip. But I do believe that if God is calling and urging you to go, it’s a good sign for you to pray about it. Andy Stanley shared how he took his family to Africa and his two boys were playing soccer with a local African boy. After playing for a few hours together, they said goodbye to each other and they all started crying. When they got back to the U.S., his family prayed every night for that boy and his son's lives were touched forever.

That story really touched my heart. We’re all so similar as human beings. We eat, sleep, play sports [soccer], love our families and laugh till our stomachs hurt with good friends. And yet our lives are so different from each other on so many levels. We can learn so much from each other.

Johan and I sponsor a boy named Sergio from the dominican republic through compassion. i've been sponsoring him since after college. compassion usually does annual group tours to visit the children people sponsor. Maybe we can visit him and his family for our missions trip! that would be an amazing experience!

whatever the case, i know God is really calling me out of the ordinary. wat i'd really like to do is save up money and go on a trip next summer. im looking for a way to make a difference and to be challenged beyond the vicinity of the twin cities.

i'm yearning to see God move.

move in me.

so that i can be a better steward.