Screwy

This week has been really screwy.  Each day I had a loose plan in place for what I would do that got completely turned around.  The days were productive, but not in the ways I'd planned.

Today's Operation Christmas Child stuffed animal safari started in the rain, but as the hours passed the weather improved.  The rain stopped and the sun peeked out.  Only 200 animals found their way into my car (151 from my safari and 49 from another team member) but, true to the rest of the unplanned week, there were some unexpected blessings.

We've been praying for God to bring us 26 new churches this year to participate in Operation Christmas Child for the first time.  Today I stopped at a new church plant that's only a mile from my house.  They were having a yard sale so I stopped to buy some stuffed animals and pulled out my OCC brochure.

Well, it just so happens that the churchplanting pastor and his wife came from Ohio where their church had been a relay center for OCC.  They asked if we needed a new relay center!  Too bad they're located just a couple miles from our collection center but they're definitely interested in launching OCC at their church.  Unexpected blessing and answer to prayer for sure.

Another church rummage sale's "bag sale" netted only 15 stuffed animals but I got a bag full of yarn for a team member who crochets stuffed animals for the packing party.

Also unexpected were the five pairs of brand new shoes I picked up at a yard sale for $2.00 each.

It was 2:30 pm before I returned from the hunt and the late afternoon was filled  with sorting and washing animals, removing screwdrivers from their packaging so they'll take up less room in the storage container, and, as an afterthought, making dinner.

What's next?