I became a Full Circle speaker for Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan's Purse International project, in 2018. Their mission, as stated on their website, is "to show God's love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ." They do this with a shoebox.
Being a Full Circle speaker meant I traveled across the UK, encouraging people to fill shoeboxes with toys to send to children worldwide. I got to do this because I received one of those boxes when I was a kid. The circle closed when, years later, a former recipient of this gift began to pack boxes to send to children around the world.
Sans my facial expressions, hand gestures, and shaky words, here is the story that started The Christmas Box Project:
I was born and raised in Bluefields, the capital city of the South Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, home to several ethnic groups and the heart of the Creole culture in Nicaragua.
Growing up, everyone in my family believed in God, but we weren't spiritual. My brothers and I occasionally went to church with friends and cousins, mainly for special occasions such as Easter, Christmas, New Year, or Children's Day. We were those people. On one of these special occasions, my neighbor (and Sunday school teacher) encouraged me to attend church. She said there would be a "big surprise" for the kids. And that's all she needed to say to convince me to go to Sunday school.
On this particular Sunday, the church was fuller than usual. The dresses were brighter than usual, the shoes cleaner than usual, and we were all on our best behavior. We all knew that we would be getting something at the end of service, so we obliged and behaved.
When Sunday school finally ended, the teachers asked us to form two lines–boys on one side and girls on the other. We all jumped to our feet and got in line PROMPTLY. We were beyond excited! We stood in front of something covered by white fabric–we knew this was the surprise. We could not stop grinning. The excitement was at a peak. Finally, the teachers pulled the thin material away to uncover loads of shoeboxes wrapped in Christmas paper–there was a loud cheer!
As the kids in front of the line were getting boxes, the ones in the back were pushing to get to the front, afraid they would be left out. But, very quickly, all the boxes had an owner, and we explored, played, and traded toys.
I remember the moment I opened my shoebox. As I took off the box's lid, I was met with a distinct smell that I now associate with the US. Thinking back on that moment (and that smell) always makes me smile.
I received many gifts. Among my presents were some fruit-scented markers with regular felt-tip pens on one side and stamps on the other. I remember them because I tried them out on my friends' arms and faces. I also remember the walk back home after we received our gifts–we all carried them under our arms or on our heads, smiling from ear to ear, still comparing toys.
Even then, at such a young age, I could not believe that a group of strangers were willing to buy toys and send them to another country for children they didn't know and would never meet. This was the first act of generosity I ever recognized.
This day, and this act of kindness and generosity, impacted my friends and me. It was the BEST day at church that I can think of, and I still talk fondly about it with my friends.
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This year, I wanted to do what someone had done for me when I was younger. I wanted to give a gift that would impact lives and remind children of their beauty and worth. A gift that was not only filled with toys but with prayers and encouragement, too.
This year, I set out to pack 100 boxes for children in Bluefields and Corn Island and invited friends and family to help me accomplish this endeavor. Within hours of asking my friends on my social media for help with the project, 60 kids had sponsors. After seeing that quick response, 40 more children were added to the list. And again, a few hours later, they had sponsors, too. I was so shocked and moved. I kept adding kids to the list.
From 2019 to 2020, The Christmas Box Project has grown 275 percent. Last year, we gave out 50 boxes in one location. This year, we reached about 150 kids in four locations: Santa Rosa (Bluefields), Pointeen (Bluefields), Woula Point (Corn Island), and South End (Corn Island).
2020 has been challenging for most of us. But even in the most challenging times, we came together to bless others.
To the former recipients of the shoeboxes who donated and became FULL CIRCLE, thank you.
To friends who trusted that I would use your money wisely, thank you.
To friends who went out and bought toys and brought a wrapped box to me, thank you.
To my family (my mom, my aunt, and my sister Nae), who helped me look for boxes, shop for toys, transport everything to Bluefields and Corn Island, and then helped give them out, thank you.
I could not have done this without you.
