THE BATTLEFORDS — What an amazing week I had in Costa Rica celebrating Christmas in July. I had the privilege of joining Samaritan’s Purse & Operation Christmas Child in delivering Christmas shoebox gifts to children. Many in the Battlefords and area join in packing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes every holiday season and I am pleased to share the final leg of the journey as these gifts reached their destinations.
I arrived in Costa Rica on July 28 and immediately felt the humidity and temperature of Costa Rica in July. Not a -40 C Christmas. I was joined by team members from Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Labrador and for the next six days we took part in four Operation Christmas Child shoebox distributions. What a delight it was to see the joy and excitement on the children’s faces as they welcomed the visitors from Canada who came with gifts for each of them. We handed out a total of 219 shoeboxes, a very small portion of the eight containers and 84,000 shoeboxes Costa Rica received for distribution in 2023 from Canada.
Our tasks at each distribution were simple: play with the children. We had various stations for them to take part in including bubbles, nail polish, face painting, colouring, soccer and even a parachute. You couldn’t help but join in the excited laughter and smiles of the children as they took part in all of the activities. Following the time of activities there is a presentation and then the great unveiling of the shoeboxes. Children are grouped by age, the gifts are handed out and there is great anticipation and drum rolls before the boxes are opened.
The excitement of Christmas morning filled the rooms as the children opened their boxes and discovered what was inside. Some eagerly pull each item out and reach the bottom of their box, others take one item out and are happy with it alone. Still others open it up, peek inside and then quickly close the box to savour the excitement (and to make sure they don’t lose anything) for later.
The first distribution was at a community centre and the little girl’s eyes lit up with excitement as I showed her there were more items to see inside the pencil case. One team member was opening a box with a young boy who was needing extra help with his school work and his box was full of school items and flashcards to help him learn. We did two distributions in different churches and the girls were so excited pulling out dolls and toys and showing each other their gifts. I sat on the cement floor and dug through a shoebox with a young boy who was pleased to see a set of paints and markers, along with a new shirt, stickers and squishy smiley-faced balls in his box. He was so happy as we tucked it all back in the box and he headed out.
The final distribution was at a daycare with mostly the two- to four-year-old age group. What an adorable distribution that was. Those little ones were so happy and excited and when you’re two to four years old, a stuffie is always a hit. The little girl opened up her box, took out the stuffed rabbit and the rest didn’t matter.
What a privilege to share the joy and laughter of the Christmas season this summer and to see that the shoeboxes that we so carefully pack full of school supplies, toiletries and toys are eagerly received and deeply appreciated. As members of the distribution trip, we were able to pack a special shoebox and give it to a child of our choosing during the week. What an honour to be able to do, and to see the smiles on their faces. I choose a ten- to 14-year-old girl to pack a box for and included a picture of myself with it. She smiled shyly as I gave it, explaining it was from me and she carefully looked at the picture that was showing. She did not dig through the box there, but she and her friends packed them up to open for later and savour the fun. I could understand that and trust that she appreciated the gift that was given just for her.
Thank you for packing shoeboxes each holiday season with Samaritan’s Purse & Operation Christmas Child. I can now tell you firsthand, that the gifts truly do make a difference in the life of a child, their family and their community. I hope you will consider packing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes once again this holiday season, and challenge you to pack one more than the year before. There are over 118,000 children under 14 years in Costa Rica and I know they would love to receive a once-in-a-lifetime gift from Canada and yourself.
If you would like more information on Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child, go to samaritanspurse.ca or contact Life Church, North Battleford, 306-445-7777. They would be happy to provide more information and help you start packing a shoebox for this Christmas season. National Collection Week is Nov. 13 – 19.
