BY DIANE MICHEL
Operation Christmas Child
On October 5, during the Sunday School hour, children at Trinity Baptist Church packed 200 shoeboxes for needy girls and boys around the world.
Children from the Lake Region congregation filled each carton with school supplies, hygiene items and toys, and the shoeboxes will be the first gift ever received by many of the children.
The project is part of Operation Christmas Child, an evangelistic ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. The ministry has delivered more than 232 million shoeboxes in over 170 countries since 1993.
The room was abuzz with excitement as each child packed several boxes in one hour. The girls packed 100 shoeboxes for girls ages 5-9 and 10-14. The boys packed 100 shoeboxes for boys in the same age groups.
Trinity Baptist Church has participated in this ministry since 2006. Each year, the goal is to reach 200 children by distributing 200 boxes, sharing the tangible love of God.
Trinity Baptist Church will again serve as the central drop-off location for the Lake Region, where other churches and organizations can deliver their shoeboxes for worldwide distribution.
National Collection Week is November 17-24. The church will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to accept the packed shoeboxes.
Contact Team Leader Diane Michel at 352-283-4761 for questions or to find out how to get involved.
