Hello from CO

Hi everyone!

I am going to start writing consistently again! I seem to have a lot to write about, now that I started my new job. For those of you who don't know, I moved to Denver (well, Aurora), Colorado a week ago! I am the new Operation Christmas Child media intern for the Northwest and Southwest Regions of the U.S.. This basically means that I send press releases to hundreds of media outlets in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska, and then call them to follow-up with the release. I try to convince them to publish something about our wonderful project in their newspaper or broadcast something on their radio or TV station.

I guess I should explain the project...

Operation Christmas Child, started by Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse, is the largest Christmas Project ever created. People in the U.S. (and other 1st world countries) pack items in shoe boxes that can be sent around the world to kids who would otherwise would not receive a Christmas gift. Some items that I always put in the boxes I send are socks, hard candy, matchbox cars, stuffed animals, paper, pens, crayons, glue, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other small toys. After a shoe box is packed, it is taken to a collection site, and then brought to a processing center where the box is checked and loaded for transportation to another country. The boxes are taken to 130 different countries; many are transported via boat, airplane, or truck, but some are brought to the countries by camel or elephant! Once the boxes are in the countries, they are handed out by members of the local churches to as many children as there are boxes. The best part about the whole project is that whoever receives a box is guaranteed to hear the gospel as well. They are given a copy of the gospel in their language, and told repeatedly that Jesus loves them. Our goal is to send 8.2 million shoe boxes this year... 8.2 million children will be smiling!

As most of you know, I got back from Spain this past May after a semester studying abroad. I used this blog to write about my adventures there. Now I am transforming it into a blog about Operation Christmas Child (OCC). I am going to update it with stories, pictures, and amazing things that happen with OCC, and the occasional story about what I am doing in Colorado. I will also post specific things you can pray for. I hope that you all enjoy it, and I pray that this will inspire every reader to GO PACK A SHOEBOX!

Sarah