Love in a shoebox arrives for Rwandan children
A child’s heart ... in a beat it could see truth. Love had come from thousands of miles away in a shoebox.
“‘Yesu ara-gu-kunda’ (phonetic) means ‘Jesus loves you’ and this is what we said to the children when we handed them their boxes in Rwanda,” Tricia MacFarlan said, reminiscing how she and Operation Christmas Child team members placed gift-filled shoeboxes in children’s hands. “The boxes are personally packed, and we saw over and over again how they arrive to a child who had wanted that very thing.”
In a country still learning how to heal from a tragic past of genocide, the opportunity for the Tri-Cities Area Coordinator in Benton County to see the global Samaritan’s Purse charity come full circle was meaningful.
Tricia’s volunteer journey with the nonprofit organization began in 1994 after a story, “Miracle in a Shoebox,” she read moved her deeply.
There’s an air of expectation as the team members walk inside with toddlers to teens, all excited to hear Bible stories. Unimagined is the blessing about to unfold as the shoeboxes are handed to each one.
“We’re expecting that they’ll be squealing with excitement, but they don’t know. Even with the boxes in their laps, they’re still quiet,” Tricia said, reflecting on how this experience is brand new.
“Pastor tells them, ‘We’re going to count in Kinyarwanda, French and U.S. (English), and you’re going to get to open that box in your lap.’ ”
In a heartbeat, there are cries of joy.
Two boys find light-up bouncy balls in their boxes, a little girl discovers sunglasses her father says she has asked for but they couldn’t afford. Play-doh, plush toys, crayons, hair ties, caps, toothbrushes and more bring ecstatic happiness. The gifts touch each child. “I met one little boy, 4-yearold Miguel, who was named after a famous singer and his mom told me, ‘My son loves music so much, especially singing,’ ” Tricia said, remembering the conversation. “When he opened his shoebox gift, the first thing he saw was a large plastic toy microphone. He shut the box. He was so happy and right away stood up on his chair and started singing!”
A gift packed months ago for an unknown child in a distant country. But up close and personal is a loving God.
“It spoke in his heart language,” Tricia said.
A message little Miguel instantly understood: “Jesus loves me!”