You know we've been praying for another 15,000 stuffed animals for our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Well, I'm leaping with joy that God provided 1,381 just since Wednesday. And that doesn't count a few hundred that were found by friends and haven't made their way to me yet.
Look at this picture of someone's frog collection that was donated. Believe me, it was no plague to find 31 pristine frogs waiting for me in the church office today.
Yesterday my entire living room was loaded with stuffed animals being sorted--over 1000 of them all at one time. I just now finished vacuuming and you can see the floor again. There are still a few more loads of animals that needed a little bath and 1100 got hauled to the storage container today.
Sometimes I get weary of the work of it, but late last night I started thinking of our recent sermon about the "great cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12. I imagined that Noah heard my mental complaining and said, "Well, at least you don't have to feed, care for, and share your home with LIVE animals like I did." And as I grumbled about the gas my car used as I trekked around on safari yesterday I imagined Paul would say, "How could you complain? You have a CAR!"
Truly, I'm blessed with all these blessings and so grateful that we have 6,250 animals tucked away in the 'ark' already. Another team member has 250 stored in her home and I have a couple hundred in process here. And that doesn't count the 600 or so teeny animals that I can use two-to-a-box.
So I'm guessing we only need to pray for 13,000 more.
Oh, by the way--check out these adorable doll babies God gave us for our boxes this week. I'm praying the little girls who receive them will know Jesus loves them.
Stuffed animals and dolls are my favorite thing to include--something to love. You certainly got more than the 800 per week needed this week. I was sorting stuffed animals this weekend, too, only mine only totaled a little over 100. I am enjoying watching your ark fill!
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