The Greatest Journey - More Stories I Can Tell From Ecuador

I had absolutely no idea what receiving a shoe box could do for a child.

We think, as we pack shoe boxes here in America, that we put some trinkets and useful items in a box and it will bless a child in another country for a short amount of time. 

What could possibly be so special about a shoe box that it could CHANGE A CHILD'S LIFE FOREVER?

Let me share some more images and stories from Ecuador with you, then you will know. 

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The Story I Can Finally Tell

   

I haven't been able to write this story... until now.

To be honest, I didn't think I could tell the story and do it justice.  

Have you ever experienced something so intensely emotional that you knew there wasn't a way to share it with others and have them possibly understand?

This has been my problem.

This moment left me tearful and hollow. It left me full of hope. It left me with a huge ache inside. I recently shared it with my husband, and have yet to share it with even my closest friends.

Even now I don't think I can accurately express this event, but I will try, because it's a story that needs to be told.

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The Perfect Gift for Mom

Mother's Day can evoke so many different emotions.

It might be a sweet, first mother's day for one person, while for another it may be the first Mother's Day that has passed without their mother. Still for others it may a day that reminds them of a strained relationship with their mother.

The gift of a dedicated, loving mother is one of God's greatest treasures. I am blessed to have such a treasure in my life.

My mother, who is also my best friend, has had a very difficult year. She has battled breast cancer. It hasn't been an easy year for her, but she has been an example of grace, faithfulness, and selflesness. When people joke about opening their mouths and their mother coming out - that is the ultimate compliment for me. I strive to be half the mother that my mother is to me. 

My mom had her first surgery last December, when I was in Ecuador delivering boxes for Operation Christmas Child. That day was one of the single most defining days in my faith walk.  I felt that we were both conquering fears that day, and I also had the overhwhelming peace of knowing that our God was walking with each of us. 

The Perfect Gift For Mom

On Mother's Day material things are so insignificant. Yes, it's sweet to show our mother we love her with flowers, a special lunch after church, and fun cards and trinkets.

The most important thing we can do, however, is live our lives reflecting God's love for us - reflecting a love that our mothers show us unconditionally throughout our entire lives.

This is why I have packed an Operation Christmas Child shoebox in honor of my mom, Jane. It's easy. Just visit Operation Christmas Child's virtual shoebox packing site and design your very own box. Give it in honor or memory of your mother, or someone who has been like a mother in your life. 

I know firsthand ; a shoebox can change a life. I have seen the joy these boxes bring and believe me - packing a box MATTERS.  These boxes will be sent to sensitive areas of the world - areas where it might be dangerous to be a Christian, and where special sensitivity must be used when selecting the contents of a box.

What better way to honor our mothers than to care for others, just as our mothers care for us?  

Happy Mother's Day! 

*I am honored to represent Operation Christmas Child. I am in no way compensated for my time or posts. This is a ministry I believe in and support whole heartedly.