Christmas Doesn't Always Come in December

I always find it interesting when I hear about someone's mission trip or time away from home in a different country. I haven't had the opportunity to go overseas for a mission trip but I definitely have plans to do so. However, finding opportunities to volunteer and make a difference can be found right in your backyard.

One organization that I have had the opportunity to be involved with, and is close to home, is Operation Christmas Child, which is technically based in Boone, NC but has distribution centers across the Southeastern US. I have had the opportunity to work in the Charlotte, NC Distribution center and it has been an amazing experience.

(WBTV.com)

The above picture is just a small portion of the boxes that come into the Charlotte processing center. As a volunteer, I have had the opportunity to check boxes, tape boxes and make sure boxes are packaged for transport and easy access for those who are handing out the boxes to the children across the world.

Other than working in the processing/distribution center, you can also pack a box for a child. I usually do one every year and last year I had the opportunity to follow where my two boxes went. OCC sends has a barcode scanner that can keep track of where you box travels, mine happened to land in Cameroon (Fun Fact: Cameroon won the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal for Soccer) and I sincerely hope that the little boy and girl that received my boxes are doing well and are safe from anything.

There are so many different things and reason that I hold OCC so close to my heart. One of those being the idea that something so small like a shoebox full of small toys and toiletries can change a child's life. OCC is a great way for a child to experience the love of a friend without having to expect something in return other than a loving relationship with God.

(Samaritan's Purse)

I hope that you have or find an organization that you can hold close to your heart. It could be a religious based organization or it could just be a cause based one with only a focus on cause. No matter what I hope that you know that you are making a difference with any type of mission work that you do. A person, a community, or even the world can change with just a little bit of help.