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As a family with young kids, we constantly strive to instill thankfulness, throughout the year but specifically around Thanksgiving.

The good news for you, and my family, is that I married a brilliant lady, a teacher by trade and fun person by lifestyle. Years ago she found the book, “Thanksgiving, A Time to Remember”, and set up a lesson plan around it.  Each night of Thanksgiving week, we read a section, followed by acting it out.  The lesson finishes on Thanksgiving, with a final reading and an activity centered on thankfulness, or gratitude.

This great book teaches about the history of the settlers, their faith, and their rocky start with the native people. It is even arranged for different age groups, so you can read/teach older kids or younger or both. The book ends with a Thanksgiving feast, food of all kinds and types; breads, vegetables, meat and desserts! 

The gratitude activity is actually based on remembering the year before; the faith to succeed and the scarcity of resources. 

Food was so scarce the year before, that in order to make it through the cold winter, settlers were each rationed a few kernels of corn daily. Daily. In remembrance of that tough winter, each of the settlers takes 5 kernels of corn and shares what they are grateful for.

We mimic this activity in our family. 

Wherever we are and whoever we are with, we each get five kernels and a fancy sheet of paper. Everyone then writes down and shares five things that they are thankful for. We share our gratitude for what God had done for us and our love for each other. There is also the random mention of Star Wars or Pokémon, but Jesus is well represented. A cup is passed around; as you share your items, you put in your kernels one at a time. 

In a time of celebration, our family is reminded that the pies, the food, the football and the naps are not the most important part of this holiday.  Rather, these things are an intentional celebration of those things we are thankful for throughout the year.

Your family may have its own traditions that focus on gratitude and thankfulness.  Or maybe you don’t and it’s time to start one.  Either way, make time to be intentional with your family, and create opportunities to share what is important, what this season is about. This is a great lesson to start the holiday season. They may blow you off at the beginning, but they will see the benefits.  May you and yours be gratefully blessed this Thanksgiving season!

Paul (aka Mr. Brouse to kids at MCC) is MCC's Children's Ministry leader, husband to Mindy Brouse and the father of 7. 

I learned about Operation Christmas Child 15 years ago. I was at McDonald’s with my cousin’s wife, Lisa. Our boys were playing on the red and yellow plastic slides and she took the Happy Meal doll and said she was going to put it in the box for “her” girl.

Knowing she had three busy boys (at that time 7, 6, & 4) I asked her what she meant and she explained the idea behind the Samaritan’s Purse ministry, Operation Christmas Child. I loved the idea! What a great thing for Gabriel and I to do together – buying small toys and sending them to a child who would otherwise have nothing to open! Including a Gospel tract in their language!

For several years Gabriel and I packed shoeboxes for children we’d never meet, in countries we had never been to, praying these small gifts would bring them joy and into a relationship with their Savior. Later, as I worked with teen girls, we included them on shopping and packing expeditions too. At the time I saw it as a fun project that hopefully introduced children to Jesus. 

Then I was invited to hear a guest speaker at the Operation Christmas Child “Kick-Off”… and it changed the way I viewed the ministry completely! The speaker's name was Nadia, and she was from Russia. She described life in the Russian orphanage as bleak, lonely, and at times horrific. The workers, she said, would force the children to fight each other and place wages on who would win. She was unloved, uncared for, and saw no future for herself.

But then one day, a woman showed up with shoeboxes filled with gifts! Nadia couldn’t believe it! Pencils, hair clips, toys, all for her? But what was most important to her was a toothbrush. She finally had her own toothbrush, one she didn’t have to share! After the woman left, the workers took the nicer things from the children, but Nadia hid her toothbrush.

Even more importantly, the workers couldn’t take from her the realization that there was someone on this planet who actually cared about her.

Why would someone care about her? Nadia was perplexed.

And it was at that time that she read the Gospel and learned about the Savior that loved her and that His love was so overpowering that it changed everything!

Like her, He had been beaten, abused, and abandoned. But He forgave and she needed to forgive, and the Holy Spirit brought life to her!

We all were weeping by the time she finished.

I wept for the neglect and pain; I wept for a glorious God who intervened.

After hearing Nadia I wanted to be a part of this in a way that I never had before. This was no longer just a fun, teachable moment; there is a real Gospel opportunity here.

Now, I don’t know about you, but a toothbrush is a really easy thing for me to come by. I have one to clean jewelry, one to scrub tile, and seem to acquire them. The practical thing that changed about my shoeboxes was that now every single one of them has a toothbrush, and when I have packing parties, every shoebox has to have one. It’s an iron-clad rule.

But even more so, now we pray before we shop. We pray as we pack. I pray throughout the year for who may have received the box. We include notes in the box – notes of love, hope, encouragement, and of course, Scripture.

It seems so small – just a shoebox filled with small toys and sent with a prayer - we may not know on this side of eternity whose hands He places them in – but I know He hears prayer and I know He is able to take a toothbrush and transform lives.

Click here to learn more about Operation Christmas Child. MCC will have shoeboxes available the next two Sunday's in-between services! Pick one up, fill it, pray over it and return it to the church by Sunday, November 5th and we will deliver it to a dropoff location!

Three years ago, I met cousins Robert (8)* and Phillip (5)* while participating in the Juntos tutoring program.  Robert and Phillip had a special relationship, relying on each other for support and encouragement.  Over the course of time, I would learn why. 

During the “get-acquainted” portion of the program, Robert told me that he lived with his mom and some men whose names he didn't know.  At this time, Robert was very much on edge and obviously nervous about almost everything.  My heart broke for him.

Over the next several months, during weekly study-halls, I found that simply keeping Robert's focus on anything nondestructive was a success.  He was constantly acting up, misbehaving, and being destructive. Eventually, I learned that both boys were routinely pulled out of their home in the middle of the night by child protective services.  Yet, I would see them the next day and they would act as if nothing had happened.  One foster family told me how the boys would sleep with the lights on, their dog at their sides, their lives filled with fear and uncertainty.

But my time with them was special.  I would play ball with them, read to them, and help out with Phillip’s art interests.  Tutoring of school subjects became secondary to building a trusting, healthy relationship.  In reality, I may have been the only adult male they knew who treated them with respect, love, and encouragement.

Eventually, we began to discuss things of significance: like what they might do with their lives and how to deal with hard times, like when an older school friend was killed on the street.  The weight of the issues these children deal with is staggering!  Robert, though, still had challenges.  He was kicked out of one school for fighting.  Still, I always tried to let them know they were loved. 

It was often with the simplest gestures that real relationship was formed. When I brought his favorite pineapple-and-bacon pizza to our meeting, Phillip was amazed that I had listened to what he told me.

Fast forward three years.  Robert and Phillip are still involved with Juntos.  There have been some improvements in their family life, but times are still tough.  After a recent meeting, though, I reflected on the remarkable transformation in their lives.  Robert is more controlled, shows less anger, and seems like a genuinely happy soul.  Phillip, always a smiler, now has a focus to his activities and is excited to be learning and growing.  I believe the love and care these boys received at Juntos changed the paths of their lives.  They still have hard times ahead (as do we all), but they can take heart in the promise of Jesus: that through Him we can overcome this world.

How can you be part of this miracle-making program?   You can volunteer your time and show a child he or she really is loved.   And, after 12 years of stories like this, Juntos is finally able to work toward purchasing a permanent facility in the target neighborhood!  With suitable buildings becoming available, the funding needs are significant, but certainly achievable.  A new facility negates costly van transportation and increases access.  Click here to donate to the building fund.

(Individual photo taken by Jasmine Mostrom)

Nicole Barker has been a part of MCC's Vacation Bible School for 10 years. She's seen the best of VBS and been challenged by VBS. She's seen awesome teachers, awesome children and an awesome God who always provides and who is constantly reaching out and drawing near to those who love Him, seek Him and many times to those who are hearing His name for the very first time! This is her end of year review after VBS 2013.  

The theme of VBS 2013 for me personally has been GOD’s Provision. God has been providing every step of the way. In the beginning we needed to put a team of VBS workers together, and God kept bringing people to us wanting to help with VBS. Our biggest ‘hole’ was a Preschool Leader – a very BIG job!

I was ready to take Preschool out of VBS, but Val suggested we wait to see what God would do. Sure enough, a perfect Preschool Leader volunteered, and worked hard to get her plans together in a week.

GOD gave our workers fabulous ideas! Registration became a ‘Ticket Counter’ to ‘purchase’ tickets for “Joe’s Time Travel Adventures”! A ‘silly idea’ about drawing pictures became a week long art class creating a Keepsake book that shares the Gospel for each child to take home.

We needed a helper to ‘shadow’ a specific child. We had a young lady attend MCC the morning that we announced the need for VBS workers, and she volunteered.

At one of our meetings, we shared the need for a ‘shadow’ helper. She called me a couple of days later saying that she could not stop thinking about the little boy. She talked with the mother, and a Match was made! The little boy related to her in a very special way. They will continue their friendship even after VBS is over.

The week leading up to VBS we had a guest at our planning meeting, and she said, “I can do that!” to all of our last minute needs! What a burden she took off of us!

The day before VBS started our last ‘holes’ were filled: a couple of Tour Guide Assistants and other helpers. Every day we had a small ‘hole’, but I was never worried; I just waited to see who God would bring. On Thursday a dad came to VBS. He had taken the day off of work to be at VBS to observe and to fill in wherever he was needed. We needed some awnings put up quickly because it looked like rain; he was there to get them up. Then a Tour Guide Leader had to leave early because her child became ill. The dad took her group and carried on beautifully! WHY would a dad be at VBS ‘just because’? Because GOD was providing!

I needed a substitute for the Tour Guide Leader for Friday. I asked someone and she was unavailable, but she suggested someone else. That person agreed – and is the mother of the Tour Guide Assistant for that group – one of my last minute Assistants! GOD put mother and son into the same group from the very beginning.

We had a last minute idea to purchase t-shirts for all of the children. GOD provided the screen-printer AND volunteers to coordinate the tie-dying. The bill for the shirts was over $800, and only half of the money had come in. The t-shirt coordinator was worried about the difference. What do you suppose God did? Yep, He brought in all but $40 to cover the bill. The t-shirt coordinator was ready to write a check for the difference, but I challenged her to wait and see what God would do.

And that does not include the small things: someone had acetaminophen for a worker who was getting a migraine; someone else had a thermometer to check the temperature of a little one; teens cleaned up trash after a bear visited the dumpster – more than once! (and I didn’t hear a single complaint!) Tour-Guides were patient and flexible when things didn’t go exactly as planned; Children attended who had never heard the name Jesus except as a curse word; they had never heard of Noah’s ark or Moses! These children heard that Jesus died for their sins!

What a pleasure it was to watch GOD provide for the little ones to hear HIS GOOD NEWS!

To GOD be the Glory!

How have you every experienced God stepping up to meet you, moment after moment, day after day? Have you seen and recognized His hand in your life today? How he provided when you least expected? Be watching, He does it ALL the time and we get to see it if only we have the eyes to see!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been involved in VBS in some way. I have been in VBS since preschool but the earliest thing I can remember is going to the market during the Jerusalem themed week.

Every year, the theme changed and that’s part of what made it so exciting. It was like every VBS was completely different each season and it made the experience better overall.

As I went from a participant to a volunteer, the role was different but I still felt very much a part of VBS because I was involved in the day to day activities.

The experience was something that reinforced what I had already learned at Sunday school and other church-related activities I participated in.

VBS is something that I’ve looked forward to each year as a child and it’s something that I still feel is important to me since I get to spend time with children and grow as a leader.

It's cool to grow relationships with kids on a personal level and watch them become more confident. They begin asking and answering questions and as a leader, it's extremely rewarding to watch them mature and transform.