I'm So Blessed!

I am so excited to tell everyone this story that I don't know where to begin. First I suppose I should say that for the past few years I have been participating in Operation Christmas Child Samaritan's Purse through Billy Graham Ministries. I did a post about it HERE. This year they had an option where if you paid for the shipping online you could get a bar code to put on your box. When your box arrives in a particular country they would scan in your bar code and send you an email letting you know where your shoe boxes went. I found that very appealing to me so I did just that because I really wanted to know where my boxes went. Shortly after Christmas I received an email from Operation Christmas Child letting me know that my boxes went to Ecuador! That alone was such a blessing just in itself to know where my boxes went. I really prayed that the children liked what I sent them.

My blessing continues from there! Last night I stopped at the post office to get our mail. When I got home I was looking through my mail and discovered a letter with a foreign return address and my address in my own handwriting! Wow! One of the children actually wrote me a letter! You have no idea how much this means to me! I've always wanted to know where my shoe boxes went and I've always hoped that one would write me back! I'm so blessed!

I'm going to share that sweet letter that has blessed me so much in hopes that you will be blessed by it as well. First is the letter transcribed by me which was written in Spanish from them.

Senores: des saludo desde el Ecuador la Familia Ramos. Los deseamos que seencuentren my bien on todo sentido de la palabra. Mi hijo Jostin Zamir reubio la cajasamaritana lleno de sorpresos pero se alegro mucho mas al encontrar el sobre con su direcion y, yo tambien reubimos el sabado 12 do marzo a las 7 pm y. Estoy meyagradecido por los coeas que le enuiaran que. Dios les pague. Las postales estatanhermosas
Atentomente Angeles Ramos
nota: espero su contestacion hasta muy pronto
Hola: Soy Jostin Vivanco Ramos estoy feliz tengo 7 anos gracios

And now for the translation!

Gentlemen: des greetings from Ecuador Ramos Family. The hope you are well on my every sense of the word. My son Jostin Zamir relocation Samaritan box full of surprises but much more glad to find the envelope with your address and I also do reuben on Saturday March 12 at 7 pm y. I am grateful for the coeas mey you enuiaran that. God paid. The beautiful estate postcards
Sincerely Angeles Ramos
note: I hope your reply very soon
*NOTE: The following was written by the 7 year old boy.Hi, I'm happy Jostin Ramos Vivanco I have 7 years thanks
If anyone out there knows Spanish and can translate the words that the translator either got wrong or didn't get at all I would greatly appreciate your assistance!

Just a few thought here: This year I included envelopes in the boxes with our address on them. Perhaps that is what made it easier for them to send me a letter. I always send beautiful postcards that I buy while on vacation. Mostly I send postcards with the animals of West Virginia and the flowers of West Virginia on them. I also send a postcard of Blackwater Falls. I believe that since they enjoyed the postcards I sent them so much that they sent me a small picture of the town of Tungurahua with an active volcano exploding with the date of Oct. 99. On the back they wrote this: Nuestro querido Ambato: Saludos The translator tells me that it says: Our dear Ambato: Greetings. Yet another blessing from them! Not only did they write me a letter but they sent a little postcard that they have had for many years that possibly was a Treasure of theirs. It wasn't something they went to the store and bought. It was straight from their hearts. I LOVE it! They really do sound like a very gracious and friendly family. I hope to have further correspondence with them in the future!

Listen

Read phonetically

Blessings!
Angela

Shoe Boxes ~ Get R Done Friday

It's Friday! It's Get R Done Friday over at ClassyChassy's Expressly Corgi. ClassyChassy is our gracious host of this weekly event. If you have a project that you are working on or have just finished, please go over to ClassyChassy's and join in on the fun!



My project this week is getting my shoe boxes done for Operation Christmas Child Samaritan's Purse. I have been gathering up goodies to put in my shoe boxes since January. I like to try to find good quality items on sale to put in the shoe boxes that my family donates to Operation Christmas Child Samaritan's Purse. I found the flip flops on sale in January for $1.00 and one pair was $3.00. I found the beach balls in September on clearance for .35! I also bought the crayons and colored pencils before school started when the stores have those items at affordable prices. A quarter for the crayons!

Pictured above is most of the items that I gathered up over the past few months to put in the boxes. I found some assorted Nerf type balls, small baby dolls, medium sized baby doll, 3 pairs of flip flops, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, combs, rubber bands for hair, beach balls, stencils, note pads, stickers, farm animals and compressed washcloths.

I divided the things up between 3 shoe boxes. One for a boy and two for girls. The picture above is for the boy's shoe box that my 5yob is going to take to his preschool for their collection that they are doing. This box will go to a boy in the age group of 5 - 9. I tried to find things that boys love to play with. There is a matchbox car, balls, farm animals and a panda bear that I got in a Happy Meal. I always like to include a postcard of my favorite place to visit in West Virginia! lol Blackwater Falls of course!

As you can see from the picture above, it is really hard to fit all of that into the shoe box that his school provided. I also added some suckers.

This box will be for a younger girl in the 5 - 9 age group. I tried to find lots of girly things for the girls boxes. I thought it would be nice to give this girl a big doll and a small doll too along with a bunny that I got in a Happy Meal.

As you can see, all of the items did not fit into this box. Sigh....... I suppose I'll leave out the ball and use it for another box next year.

This box will go to a girl in the 5 - 9 age group. This girl will get lots of girly things! I've included 2 of the small dolls, Little Pony from a Happy Meal, rubber bands, farm animals, journal book, rabbit, a few balls and a pair of pink flip flops.

I'm pleased to say that everything fit in this box! It's a tight squeeze though but I did it!

The shoe box going to my Little Man's preschool will be collected on Friday, November 6th. It's not to late for you to get a shoe box ready for Operation Christmas Child as their National Collection Week is November 16 - 23, 2009.

Angela