Back in February, Walter and I were invited along with other Sunday School leaders and teachers in Cusco to attend a two day session to involve teaching strategies and materials. We found out later that it was to be put on by Samaritan's Purse, and involved two days filled with children's attention-attaining and prayer ideas, songs and a detailed program for carrying out the actual event and post-program of delivering the Samaritan's Purse Christmas boxes (we had previously signed our children up for in November).
I have packed those boxes in years previous in Canada, but had no idea the amount of work involved in delivering the boxes and the gospel focus to their program. The S.P. team actually puts a heavy emphasis on keeping the news of the boxes from reaching the children before they actually receive them, and a detailed list of procedures must precede and follow the special Sunday School event where the boxes are actually revealed.
In the two day 'course' they shared some very heart-touching stories from past years in which the boxes were given out:
True Stories
A couple of years ago, the Christmas boxes were delivered to a group of children in a poor community near Puno, Peru, where they had previously been asked, if you could receive any gift, what would you want?
Each one said: a pair of shoes.
Well, the workers with S.P. knew that the likelihood of each child receiving a pair of shoes in just their size, would be near impossible, yet they prayed over these simple and humble requests, and some weeks later when the boxes arrived with the grand reveal to this group of children- guess what each child found in their box?
A pair of shoes.
Each exactly the correct size.
Another story involved a girl (I believe they said from Romania) who had also been asked previously, and with no knowledge of the S.P. Christmas box suprise-to-come, what kind of gift would she like if she could have anything. She was an orphan, living in an orphanage, and her answer was: a mom and dad.
Well, the Samaritan's Purse workers knew that this was not an answer that they could fulfill, but prayed nevertheless, and hoped that whatever she received it would be something special.
When the Christmas boxes arrived, the little girl recieved some of the normal gifts of hygiene items, paper, stickers and crayons, and a personal note with a photo of the giver.
Some months later, the woman who had packed that box arranged to visit the orphanage where the little girl lived. Having just been married, she and her husband desired to adopt. They met that little girl and bonded with her, and some time later started the adoption process, eventually bringing her home as a child of their own.
What a powerful reminder: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Matthew 19:26
Our Class Receive Their Boxes
The older children from our class in Wimpillay were strongly encouraged for a few days before, to invite 1-2 friends with them to a very special class to be scheduled that Sunday, consequently Easter Sunday. When our Special Party got underway, we ended up with 30 children- exactly the number of boxes that Samaritan's Purse had sent. We were short one for a girl age 7-10, but gave her the remaining boy's box for age 7-10 (the S.P. representative quickly and discreetly ripped off the label). We were all happy, and admittedly a little relieved, to see that when she opened her box, the things inside were not gender-specific, and she was as happy as the rest to receive her gifts!
All of the kids were given their boxes at the same time and instructed not to open them until the 'O.K.'. They then all opened their boxes together.
I watched one little boy, SO excited, open his box, look at the things inside, then close his box, then open it to see what was inside, then close it, then open it, then close it. He was SO excited, giggling the whole time. It was an inopportune time for my camera to fail me, but I captured one fuzzy photo of his extreme excitement (see below).
Some of the kids had never received a wrapped gift before in their lives. Our Sunday School regulars said that the last gift they had received were the ones we had given them before Christmas (not much more than brown paper bags filled with fun bouncy-balls, stickers and candy).
But, as fun as the actual gifts are, S.P. makes a big emphasis on the TRUE GIFT. We put on a special visual lesson, and had children come to the front to unwrap large fancy boxes enlettered with some of the special gifts that God gives (peace, love, joy, forgiveness, eternal life, etc.). The kids receive a special story in each of their boxes, and those age 7-11 an invitation to a 12 week discipleship program with gifts of Bibles to be given at the end.
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| Walter teaching |
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| What gifts does God offer? (The regular Sunday School Teacher) |
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| "PAZ"- One of God's special gifts to us (Peace) |
We are a little sad that our time with the Wimpillay class has come to an end. Some friends of the regular Sunday School leader have offered to help her out regularly. But, we are happy that she will have the help from her friends, and pray that she will continue with energy and motivation with this growing class, and for their understanding of the special gifts God has to offer each one.
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