Six weeks.
Forty-six days.
One thousand, one hundred and four hours.
When we were kids, this is how we counted down to Christmas. We’d make our paper chains, smuggle home our construction-paper-and-glitter creations, and start writing our lists to Santa. In those days, it seemed Christmas couldn’t come fast enough.
In college, the countdown still continues—only this time our paper chains all point towards finals. By the time Thanksgiving break arrives, we feel like we might just drown of homework before we ever reach the end. In case you were wondering, there are only thirty-five days, or approximately eight hundred and forty hours left.
But take heart Corban—Christmas is coming a bit earlier this year! November 13, to be exact. And the festivities will be taking place in the library lobby here on campus.
For the past three years, TrueNorth has been bringing Christmas to Corban through the ministry of Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a Christian relief and support agency coordinated by Samaritan’s Purse. This year they are planning an OCC night event that will bring the Corban community together as well as meet the needs of children across the globe.
Packed shoeboxes will be sent to an OCC distribution center, where they will be shipped to third-world countries across the globe and handed out to children in poverty. Samaritan’s Purse workers also give each child a booklet explaining the gospel in their native language. So this Tuesday, put on that Jingle Bell Rock that’s driving your roommate crazy, get in the Christmas spirit, and come pack a shoebox! Not only will you be spending time with your brother-sister dormmates, but you’ll be specifically blessing a child in need.
Items to include in a shoebox:
Toys (Small stuffed animals, matchbox cars, jump ropes, etc.)
School supplies (Hint—If you’re sending pencils, don’t forget a pencil sharpener!)
Hygiene Items (toothbrush/toothpaste, combs, hair clips, deodorant)
Candy (must be melt-proof)
Other items such as hats, sunglasses, socks, or flashlights and batteries
Items Not Allowed:
Used or damaged items
War or violence-related items (toy guns/soldiers, knives, etc)
Chocolate or meltable candy
Liquids (such as shampoo or lotion)
Medication
Aerosol cans
Breakable items
Snakes
For more information on where the shoeboxes go and to hear stories of the children who received them, visit here
Photo found here