Operation Christmas Child with Grace Duddleston

When you talk to Grace Duddleston 

from Calvary Lutheran Church

in Charleston, South Carolina, 

it doesn't take long to hear her heart's passion.

 Operation Christmas Child.

 In a well-planned manner,

 many hands work to create a multitude of supplies

 for this project.

Here is an interview with Grace

 to learn more about this project.

How long to you prepare for Operation Christmas Child?  

This is our second year of hand made crafts for shoeboxes.  We begin the first Thursday of February and end the 2nd Thursday of November.  We gather ideas mainly from Pinterest and start gathering supplies as early as January. We ask the congregation to donate needed materials. Last year all of our supplies were donated. This year Calvary included $300 in the budget for the purchase of supplies so we are able to do larger projects like the 200 hand puppets. A local shoe store saves large size shoe boxes for us. With the larger boxes we are able to pack boxes for older boys, ages 10-14 with small hand tools.  Samaritan's Purse suggests doing the tools because this will help older boys learn much needed skills. For the older girls we include a large piece of material and a sewing kit with tape measure, needles, pins, thread, scissors and a handmade pouch to keep them in.  We include school supplies in each box. Once again we asked Calvary members to take advantage of back to school sales when things like crayons are only 25 cents a package. Also make fishing kits for older boys.

 How many people participate in this project? 
Over the course of the project time our numbers vary.  Some weeks it is 4, other weeks 10.  We have some ladies who craft things at home, like crochet wash cloths and sewing pouches.  One of our "very senior" members wraps all the plastic shoe boxes and the cardboard ones from the shoe store.  Last year several men from the congregation supplied us with nails and screws for the older boys. 

Where do you get your supplies?
Corks for our fishing kits come from the "wine drinkers" at Calvary! Ribbon was donated by a lady who had a bow making business and when she went out of business she donated all of her supplies to us.  Fabric for sewing kits come from members who have remnants from their sewing projects, empty pill bottles that we decorate for sewing things and fishing kits come from members who take medicine.(We had to stop taking them for a while because we had too many.) Small bars of soap come from people who travel and save the unused soap. A local resort also donates new "fancy soaps". Rule of thumb is don't throw anything away until you check to see if Christmas Child Crafters can use it.

What is the deadline to have things finished? 
Our "packing party" usually takes place the second week of November. After all the boxes are filled and labeled, they are placed in the sanctuary and prayed over during a Sunday service. 

Where do you send them?

 After the blessing, they are taken to a local drop off location where they are boxed in cartons and sent to the central packing warehouse in Charlotte, North Carolina.  From there they are sorted and sent, literally, around the world.  We purchase a special shipping label for our boxes.  Some time in January we will get an email telling us the countries are shoe boxes were shipped to.   

 What have you have learned in doing this service project? 

We have learned that we don't have to be "highly skilled" crafters.  Just willing vessels for the Lord to use in a small way to spread His gospel.  Since we are not limited, we can include "religious" items and themes in our crafts.  

L to R- Jack Martin retired Navy Captain and Calvary treasurer

Grace Duddleston 

and Rev. Bob Duddleston- Emeritus Pastor - 

Calvary Lutheran Church, Charleston, SC

What has been the blessing? 
Oh where do I start, this project is not about making gifts.  It is about sharing Jesus. Not just with the things we make, but with each other.  It's a wonderful time of sharing the Lord in praise reports, prayer requests, etc.  I think back to the days when ladies would have quilting bees, I now know the joy of working with my hands and getting to know my sisters in Christ.  It is wonderful to hear the ladies encourage each other and rejoice with each other over their "creations".  We have no idea who will open our boxes, but a lot of tender- loving care goes into each thing that is created.  It is fun to watch the ladies search for just the right button for a shirt embellishment, or just the right color felt to create a hand puppet.

Thanks to Grace Duddleston for sharing 

this "report from the field" for Journeys of Faith.

Photo credit to Grace.