My church participates in Operation Christmas Child (OCC) every year and we are a designated shoebox drop-off site….meaning we receive shoeboxes from many locations such as church, scouting groups and individuals. We then pack all of the donated filled shoeboxes and put them in large cartons that hold about 50 shoeboxes. We then place these cartons onto a semi-truck bed which will transport them to the one of the Operation Christmas Child sorting centers around the country. Check out their website at the link above to learn more about this incredible process and to watch videos of children all over the world receive their shoeboxes…it will warm your heart and bring a tear to your eye.
The last few years I have not been able to participate very much due to family illnesses that always seem to crop up during collection week. This year my husband decided we should just donate empty shoeboxes and pay the cost of shipping but let volunteers pack them for us. Then, two days before the end of collection week, the Lord spoke to my heart and prompted me to pack a single box. Never before had I so prayerfully and intentionally packed a OCC shoebox. I felt led to pack a box for a girl in the 10-14 year old range and I prayerfully picked out items that I thought she would enjoy.
The OCC website talks about placing one “wow” item, a really special gift, in your box along with practical items like toiletries and smaller fun items. I decided to make my “wow” item a bracelet that I crocheted. I made two identical bracelets…one for her and one for myself. I included a photo of myself wearing my bracelet and holding up the second one. 
As I was praying for the “girl who would receive my shoebox” I thought that it was too impersonal to pray that way so I asked the Lord to lead me to a name that I could call her during my prayers and I believe He led me to the name Ailish…which is pronounced Aye-lish and is an old Irish name which means “God is my oath”. I wrote her a letter and told her that I am praying for her by “name” and that even though I do not know her real name, God in Heaven does know her name and that she is so precious to God that He even knows the number of hairs on her head!
A few weeks later, as I was praying for Ailish and wondering if the gifts that I had packed would really amount to any real meaning in her life God reminded me of a Bible study that I had just finished participating in with my women’s group at church. It was on Gideon and the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that just as “Gideon’s army used the uncommon weapons of trumpets, torches and empty clay pots to bring victory over the Midianite army so will I use the simple gifts in a shoebox as an uncommon weapon in the life of Ailish. They will be weapons against loneliness, against insignificance, against darkness & despair and through them I bring joy, hope and love.”
A really wonderful option with the OCC shoebox is that you can print a special label that will allow you to track your shoebox as it gets sorted; you will be able to know what country your shoebox is shipped to! My shoebox was shipped on November 30th to the West African country of Togo! Now I can learn more about the country where Ailish lives and be able to pray not only for her but for the needs of her country too! What a great & mighty God I serve!
Thank you LORD for the amazing things You can do with an obedient heart and a shoebox! Thank You for all of the “uncommon weapons” in all of the shoeboxes that have been delivered this year!
The Wallace Adventure! 
Hey Trish it’s Max of 23 in a carton not 50 and that is the to go boxes
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Thanks Alice….I was trying to picture the number written on those boxes from 3 years ago….guess my memory isn’t that good! ha ha….thanks for keeping it honest! Hugs!
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Hi Trish, just read your comment on OCC and God prompting your heart. It’s wonderful that you are obedient and he is so good to be patient with us in our understanding and not understanding. Thanks for sharing. J
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Begin forwarded message:
> From: Colette Simkins > Date: May 6, 2020 at 7:39:53 AM EDT > To: Janet Gleichauf , Janice Gardner , Bob Gleichauf , Robert Reeder , Joe Morabito , Mary Pouget , Barb Robak , Bill and Yvonne Fisher , Alice Waldron , Sandra Nader , Mary , Peni Kulik , Sue Owen > Subject: Fwd: THIS WEEK – Get Dennis on the Ballot PLEASE HELP > > > > ———- Forwarded message ——— > From: Patti Cousino > Date: Tue, May 5, 2020, 5:03 PM > Subject: Fwd: THIS WEEK – Get Dennis on the Ballot PLEASE HELP > To: Colette Simkins > > > Dear Colette, and Eric and other voters in your vicinity, > > I am forwarding you this message from my friends, Cathy and Dennis Donahue. Please pass it along to other voters in Wayne County. I have known Cathy and Dennis and even more, their son Ian, through my homeschool connections. After you read this, you can decide whether to sign the petition or not, but I would recommend Dennis. > > Patti > > ———- Forwarded message ——— > From: > Date: Mon, May 4, 2020 at 9:31 PM > Subject: THIS WEEK – Get Dennis on the Ballot PLEASE HELP > To: CDCEquineEstate@aol.com > > > Hey Everyone, so sorry to pester. If you have already helped with signatures, thank you so much!!! Its quicker to resend to the whole group then go thru individually. And QUICK is super important. We ONLY HAVE THIS WEEK. If you haven’t already done so and you’re a Wayne County voter, please print, fill in & sign and, sign as circulator and then, email or text the attached petition back to us ASAP. Its super easy and fast! Anyone you can “pester” to do the same would be greatly appreciated!! We need a big push and fast What’s below is just the same email we sent previously if you need more detail. Thanks a million and God bless you all, Donahues > > Hey All, > > I’m hoping many of you can take a few minutes and help get this word out quickly. My husband Dennis is running for Wayne County Circuit Court Judge. (If you don’t know him directly, a little of his work history is below.) With the “stay at home” Order we had to stop gathering the needed signatures to get his name on the August 4th primary ballot. However, we are hopeful again because we can now gather them electronically; details below. We obtained 1000+ in the 7-10 days we were gathering before the “stay at home” Order. We need a total of 2000 solid signatures now. So we’re trying to gather 1500 more to have a cushion in case any of them can’t be counted. The petition must be filled in “and witnessed” correctly, hence the attached instruction sheet with the petition. > > If you are a Wayne County registered voter, please sign according to the instructions, get it back to us asap AND, circulate to everyone you can think of who can also sign or send to others who can sign. Please do not hesitate to call Dennis or myself with any questions you might have. Below is the email he wrote. It basically says; print, sign, return, forward to othersThanks a million for your support in providing your signature, circulating the petition and your prayers. Blessings to you and yours, Cathy Donahue > > >
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