Month of Thanksgiving: Day 8

Today I am very thankful for my church and for being able to be a part of the Ladies Ministry Team.

One of the events we host each year at the beginning of November is called "Holiday House".  Different people offer to decorate tables.  For the past three years, Cecily (my oldest) has been involved in putting together the Kid's table.  Here she is doing that this on Saturday evening...

She always does a very nice job and it is a joy to be able to serve with her in this way!

The ministry team invites the ladies of our church to join us for a nice dinner.  I was so pleased at the crowd we had this year.  Many of our ladies invited friends to come with them and we had a nice crowd of our own ladies and their visitors.

I thought the tables were beautiful as they always are and the fellowship was so sweet.

As amazing as that all is, the most fun each year at Holiday House is packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  Each person attending brings a shoe box and items in which to pack the box.  It thrilles my heart each year to see our youth girls join us "older" ladies in this ministry and be excited about it!

I can't quite put into words the excitement in the room as everyone gets up from the tables and begins the process of selecting items and packing their shoe boxes.  Such joy is expressed on each face.

Everyone has so much fun!  I really can't think of a better way to spend an evening than involved in a ministry like Operation Christmas Child.  I'm thankful to share this event with such sweet ladies.

So sweet to see two sisters packing shoe boxes together...

With some of the other things I was doing that evening, I only got to pack one box for a little boy age 5 to 9...

I'm praying that the LORD will be pleased to delight the little boy who receives the box I packed with such joy this year and that it would possibly be the very thing the LORD would use in that little boy's life to draw him to saving faith in Him!  I'm asking LORD that it would impact the little boy's whole family!

One of the new features that was sent with the promotional materials this year for OCC was information sheets you could include with the items in your box.  Many of our youth girls filled these out and put them in their boxes.  They were able to show where they lived and tell a little about themselves so that the child receiving the box would know a little about who had sent them this gift.  They could also include their address so that the child receiving their box could correspond with them.  Here is Cecily writing her letter...

I always come away from Holiday House feeling like God has smiled upon what we've done.  I pray it pleases Him and the boxes will glorify Him as love is shared with each of the children receiving this small gift this year...

Visit Rebecca's place and see what others are thankful for today!
Blessings,