Shoebox of Joy
Usually at this time of the year, people are thinking about what gifts to buy for each other for Christmas. However, Koinonia members (as well as USF Koinonia and SF Praxis members) were given the opportunity focus outside of ourselves. On November 19th, about 25 SFSU Koinonia members were gathered at Arballo House to go shopping for the cause of Operation Christmas Child, which is a ministry that gives Christmas gifts presented in a wrapped “shoebox” to needy children around the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
At 7pm, we were off to Target where many of us roamed up and down the aisles for useful items for our kids, such as toothbrushes, gloves, HotWheels and new outfits. After shopping, we gathered together back at Arballo House not only to wrap our shoeboxes, but also to show-off to one another the goodies we were able to find for our kids! The living room in Arballo House was filled with joy and laughter as we decorated our shoeboxes and neatly arranged the toys in the boxes. Many of us were able to write cards and draw pictures for the kids to enjoy.
Looking back, this was a memory-making moment where we were able to see first of all, how blessed we are to live in the US, where we have all of our physical needs met. Instead of spending money on ourselves, we were able to spend money for a cause outside of ourselves, that would not only brighten up the faces of little boys and girls, but more importantly, give them an opportunity to hear about Jesus’ love for them. There was a lot of joy in knowing that we were making an impact in this world with the simple act of giving unto others, while doing it together.