Family Proclamation Project 2012

Operation Christmas Child

   Operation Christmas Child is a nationwide service being carried out every year by church groups, youth groups, families and individuals.

   They pack shoeboxes with hygiene items, school supplies, small toys, games, hard candies, and clothing.

    The boxes are labeled for boys and girls with age groups clearly marked.

   When the boxes have been put together, they are brought to a drop-off location.  From there, they are sorted and then shipped to different parts of the world.

   These gifts are sent to many places where they don't have access to the items they receive in their gift boxes.

  It is a huge blessing to these children and their families.  It is also a great way to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

  When a family puts their address and their picture in the box, they may receive a letter and picture from those who received their gift.

   It is a wonderful experiance for everyone who is a part of it.  It is a great tradition for the holiday season.

Aniveta's Gift: An Operation Christmas Child Story

      There is a small village nestled among the lush green of Africa.  The Nile winds by the huts and the birds sing Cheerful tunes in the treetops.  The village is busy with the usual activities of the day.  Aniveta watches as the young men are out fishing for their families' next meal.

    "Aniveta, come eat your chakula cha jioni!" her mom called.  "Coming, Mama!" she answered.  Aniveta grabbed her bag and ran to the hut.  She flew through te door, dropped her bag near her bed and quickly sat at the table.  Her father offered a prayer of thanks and they started to eat.  Aniveta barely swallowed her first bite when she blurted out, "I got all my chores done today.  Can I draw after dinner, please?" Her mother and father both looked at her and smiled.  "Of course you can, sweety," they said.  "Just make sure you're home before dark.  We need to talk."

   "Don't worry," Aniveta yelled out as she slid her bag over her shoulder, grabbed a bucket and ran toward the river.  "I'll be home in time."  She couldn't contain the excitement inside and she let out a loud, "yipee!" as she skipped down the path.

    "What are we going to do?"  Aniveta's mom said quietly.  "I will miss her too much."  Dad put his arms around her.  "I know, but what else can we do?  We can't give her everything she needs here.  I want her to have a chance to become what she wants."  Mom took a deep breath, "I know, but let's let her make up her own mind about it."  They held each other closely, then Dad said, "You're right.  It must be her choice.  But whatever she chooses, we will always love her."  They held each other for a moment longer and then headed in to clean up.

     Aniveta already had her bucket of water and was running toward the large rock at the outskirts of the village.  She put the bucket down and pulled out a rag from her bag.  She dipped the rag in the water and patted it against the rock making its surface damp.  Next she pulled a short stick that was burnt at one end out of her bag.  "What will I draw today?" she said as she looked around.  She saw a beautiful butterfly on a leaf not far from the rock, so she started to draw it.

    Just as the sun was setting, Aniveta stood back and looked at her drawing.  She smiled and wiped the seat from her forehead, which left a dark smear from the ash.  Picking up her pack, she carefully placed her stick inside.  She ran home quickly and found Mom and Dad waiting for her outside.  It was dark now and the light from the village campfires danced around them.

    "Aniveta, your father and I feel you should go live with your aunt in the city," her mother said softly.  "What?" Aniveta questioned feeling a little confused. "What your mother means is that we feel you need to go to the city if you want to have drawing supplies and develop your talent," her dad said.  "But I don't want to go.  I want to stay here with you," Aniveta said, now a bit upset.  "Well, we feel it is your choice, so choose carefully.  We don't want to keep you from what makes you happy," Mom said calmly.  Aniveta hugged them tightly, "But being together makes me the happiest."

  
    The next morning, Aniveta went for a walk near the river.  She looked out across the wide running water and took a deep breath.  She smelled the flowers and the fruit in the trees.  She heard the sound of the rushing water, the wind rustling the leaves, and the birds singing in the treetops.  She was happy.  She knew she had so many wonderful things, even if she didn't have a real pencil to draw with.

    "Aniveta! Aniveta!" a voice called from the forest.  "Come see!  Come see!" it said again.  It was the voice of her friend Josia.  She watched the forest, looking for any sign of her friend.  Suddenly, he jumped out of the trees, so excited he couldn't keep still.  He grabbed her arm, "Come on! Something amazing is happening at the church!"

     Aniveta had no idea what the amazing thing was, but it had to be worth taking a look at.  They ran quickly through the trees.  As they came to the church, they heard a beautiful sound.  It was the sound of singing children.  The song was so beautiful it made Aniveta fell warm inside.

"Silent Night! Holy Night!

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon virgin,

Mother and child.

Holy infant,

So tender and mild.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Sleep in heavenly peace."

The voices were like angels.

  As Aniveta walked into the church, she was greeted by kind faces.  Though she didn't recognize them, she felt safe and cared for.  She smiled back.  She kept her eyes on the singing children.  Each one was holding a beautifully packaged box.  Just then she felt a tap on her shoulder.  She turned and there in front of her was an amazing box just for her.  She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.  She hugged the person who had handed it to her.  They finished singing and everyone started to open their boxes.  Aniveta looked around at the children and then down at her box.  It looked too perfect to open.

   Slowly she removed the rubber band and lifted the lid. Aniveta couldn't believe it.  Right before her very eyes she saw an art kit and book.  It was more art supplies than she ever could have imagined.  Aniveta was overcome with joy.  She looked at each piece and held them close to her heart.  When she had finished, she found a card containing a picture of the family that had given her the gift.  It showed a mother, father, and three children.  They were from America.  Aniveta felt so much gratitude.  She felt love for people she didn't even know.  She wondered why they would do such a nice thing for her.

   "Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.  He suffered for our sins, died for us, and was resurrected so that we can all live again after we die," the man at the front of the room said.  "We celebrate this time, Christmas time, to remember Jesus' birth.  These gifts are a representation of His love for you.  Those families that prepared these gifts for you love you because they love Jesus and they know that Jesus loves you."

    Aniveta jumped up and quickly ran out the door and headed for home.  She just had to tell her mother and father.  "Mama! Papa!  Come see what I have!" she yelled as she came to the hut door.  Her mother opened it and gasped.  "What is this?" she asked as she held it in her hands.  "It's my Christmas gift," Aniveta said.  Aniveta's mother looked into the box and fell to her knees.  "Aniveta, this is wonderful," she said.

   Aniveta's father came into the room.  "Look, Papa!" Aniveta said as she held the box up to his face.  He smiled gently and closed his eyes.

"God's blessings are upon us, for this is truly Aniveta's gift," he said.

"And, Papa, I learned about a gift even greater than this one," she said.

"And what is that?" he questioned.

"Let's go sit down and I'll tell you all about it," said Aniveta, as she led her papa by the hand.

 

Work and Wholesome Recreation

     Operation Christmas Child was hard work.  Our family dedicated a lot of time each week to gathering supplies, toys, funds, and shoeboxes.  We wrapped the boxes in Christmas wrapping paper, bagged all the supplies and goodies, printed labels, made cards, and dropped off the boxes at the proper location.  We were able to get some other families involved which took effort on our part as well.  We enjoyed this working time together and know that our family was strengthened by it.

"Family work provides endless opportunities to recognize and fill others' needs.  It thus teaches us to love and serve one another, inviting us to be like Jesus Christ."

-Kathleen Saugh Bahr, Kristine Manwaring, Cheri Loveless, and Erika Bailey Bahr, Pg. 213, Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives

Some Hygiene Items (above)

 

Some Goodies (above)

Types of toys donated (above)

   Although this activity was hard work it was also a great family activity.  We enjoyed putting the boxes together listening to Christmas mucis.  We had goodies after finishing the shoeboxes, and laughed and sang.  It was a lot of fun.  Sometimes when we choose to work together in a way that is serving others it becomes more of a fun activity than one of work.  This I know has also brought us closer together as a family and has given us an even greater desire than before to make work fun, and enjoy the time we spend together.  The end result is we donated 7 fully packed boxes that will bring happiness to 7 families somewhere in the world.  We wish we could see their happy faces.  And maybe someday that will become a reality if we choose to travel and deliver the boxes someday.  

Boy with Christmas Shoebox

"...when we spend our free time interacting with our families by reading to our children, teaching them to ride a bike, playing a board game, gardening together, or going backpacking, we build knowledge, relationships, memories, and skills."

-Mark A. Widmer and Stacy T. Taniguchi, Pg. 226, Successful Marriages and Families:  Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives

 

...and I like to add fun, and meaningful service projects. 

Faith and Prayer

    As we have gathered supplies and toys, worked hard to put the shoeboxes together, and gather funds for shipping our family has also prayed together for the families who will receive the shoeboxes.  We pray in faith that hearts will be touched and that families will desire to learn the gospel, and believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer.  Exercising faith, and praying together has really helped to unify us.  We've felt closer to the Savior as we have made this a part of our daily life.  We aren't just praying for ourselves, we are thinking of others and asking the Lord to bless them.

"Praying together as a family and reading the scriptures...together is probably the best [thing we do to pull us toward Heavenly Father and each other]."

-Shana, Latter-day Saint mother, Pg. 189, Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives

    Coming together as a family, committing ourselves to a lofty goal, be diligent in obtaining our goal, and enduring to the end are all principles taught by our Savior.  We have learned not to give up, and to stay the course even when it gets hard (we all got sick right before we were suppose to pack the shoeboxes).   Sometimes life can be hard but if we stick to the commandments and live the gospel without giving up our faith we will be blessed with happiness and fulfillment.  This project has really helped to teach that lesson.

Some of the School Supplies Donated

"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."

-The Family: A Proclamation to the World

A Fathers Example

     My husband has been a big support when it comes to the Operation Christmas Child activity.  He has taken time to help put shoeboxes together, and deliver them to the drop off locations.  The drop off locations are the places to deliver the packed shoeboxes, so they can be sent of to different countries.  He has also worked hard so we can have some of the needed money for the shipping expenses.   He has also encouraged the children, and shared with them experiences he has had when he has traveled to poor countries and helped serve them.  This has helped the children gain a greater respect for him.  It has helped them have a greater understanding for the needs of others, and that when we serve them, we our serving God.

Dad with the Kids

"Parenting is a work of vital, even eternal, importance to children, families, and communities.  Fathers make a fundamental difference in parenting across generation."

-Sean E. Brotherson, Pg. 140, Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives

The Lesson

    Before we do the Operation Christmas Child activity we always have a lesson.  In the lesson the children learn about the importance of the home and family, and about how living the gospel will strengthen our family unity.  Part of living the gospel is serving others and helping them to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ.  We discuss why serving others is an important part of living the gospel and how it strengthens our testimony in return.

Our Family

"The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility."

-First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ o Latter-day Saints

    

   Through this activity I know I have grown closer to my children.  Whenever you help your children learn and apply an important principle like service you truly feel closer to them.  I feel that through this project my children have gained a greater understanding of who I am and what I want to become.  They see that God's children are important to me and that I want them to be important to them.  This activity has brought us closer, and we feel a greater love for one another.

Mom and the Girls

 

"As women engage in the work of motherhood, whatever their circumstances, they will find that their greatest source of strength will come from knowing and following the doctrines of Christ and relying on Him for help."

-Janet J. Erickson, Pg. 137, Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives

The Extended Family Support

     When we started the Operation Christmas Child project we thought about who we could ask for help with donations.  We thought of friends, and church members first.  One day while we were talking to my mom we brought up the project and right away she decided she would like to donate some funds to ship the shoeboxes. I'm not sure how much she realizes the impact it has on her grandchildren to see her not only want to serve others, but also to support her family in their desires to serve.  It is a great example to her daughter and her grandchildren.  It has brought us closer together as a family and helped our entire family feel closer to their grandma.

Grandpa and Grandma Matosich

   Another amazing aspect of this activity is that when you are sharing a gift with a child, you are sharing it with their entire family.  Each one of these children receive a book about Jesus Christ.  So they learn about his life, ministry, atonement, and resurrection.  Along with this our family also shares a family photo and a note sharing our testimony of families, and the Savior.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints it is one of our greatest pleasures to share our knowledge of Eternal Families, and that this is one of the most important parts of our Heavenly Father's plan.  This activity gave us an opportunity to share this with children and their families that we would never have met otherwise.

Columbus Ohio Temple 

"The family is central to the creator's plan for the eternal destiny of his children... In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experiences to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life."

-The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The Atonement is Eternal

     Operation Christmas Child is program created by Surmaritan's Purse that helps children all over the world receive Christmas gifts.  We will talk more on this later.  As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Christians we understand that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is for all people.  We know that our Savior suffered for the sins of everyone who ever lived, is now living, and will yet live on this Earth.  He desires all to receive it, and feel the healing, the love, sacrifice, peace, and joy that comes when we repent of our sins, and seek him in times of sorrow.  Through the Operation Christmas Child project my family and I have come to see that more clearly as we have reached out to those children and their families who may not have the gospel in their lives, and shared our testimony of the Savior with them.  We have felt, in part, a love for individuals we don't know.  And that we hope will feel our Saviors love through these small acts of giving.

Our Shoeboxes

"The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.  Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."  

-The Family: A Proclamation to the World

Packing Shoeboxes

Our family has a tradition of packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  My plan is to make many posts that share how what this activity is, how it blesses lives, and how it helps us as individuals and families fulfill some of the key principles in the document, The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  My children have greatly enjoyed the activity, and it has brought us closer together as a family.  We have felt the spirit, and love for Heavenly Fathers children.

Getting Back to Blogging

  It has been a while since I've posted on the blog.  Life has been crazy, first with my recovery, then with starting homeschool with the kids, and my parents coming up for a visit.  I've recovered well from the surgery, homeschooling is going well, and my parents visit was wonderful as always.  We even got to visit the Sacred Grove in Palmyra New York and Niagra Falls on the way home.  It was a much needed visit as Grandma and Grandpa Matosich will be headed off to the Adriadic North Mission (Croatia) to serve a church mission for 18 months on December 7th.  We will miss them, but are excited for this new chapter in their life.  Among these amazing events taking place I have also decided to finish my degree through BYU-Idaho.  I am now taking two online classes that I am enjoying so much.  I will be posting some important things I am learning from one of my classes on this blog for all to enjoy.  It's been a wonderful past few months and I'm excited for the bright new year ahead.

Our family in the Sacred Grove, Palmyra, New York

Serving Others

Today my kids and I worked very hard to clean and organize the toys and clothes.  We went through all the toys and picked out the ones we don't use anymore.  We've decided to donate some of them to a big yard sale that is being put on in July.  We are excited about it because all the money made from sold items is being donated to a family that comes to Cleveland on a regular basis for medical treatment.  It is exciting to think that some of the things we donated will help this family.  The kids really enjoyed it.  It was a pretty big task but they did such an amazing job. 

Making Organizing Fun

Today my son and I decided to get all his trains and train tracks back in their right place.  I believe in the saying, "a place for everything and everything in it's place."  To make this organizing project fun I let him decorate the bin with exciting stickers I had left over from the school year.  He loved decorating it and I could tell he was proud that he put all his trains and tracks in the fancy bin.  Making organizing fun really helps get the kids involved.

Our finished project.  It's simple yet satisfying!

Recovery

On June 5th I had a hystorectomy, and pelvic floor reconstruction.  We felt it was time to fix some things that may be causing a great deal of pain associated with the prolapse.  Recovery is slow for a mother with four kids, but that is just the way it is.  It has been really difficult to stay down and not try to start doing my normal activities right away.  But I realize how important it is to rest now. Yesterday I walked to far and I paid for it.  Today I've decided that I need to take it much easier than I am an try not to do so much.  I have to just enjoy observing.  I realize there are risks involved with doing to much to soon.  Things like: stitches breaking, internal bleeding/ hemoraging (causing adhesions or hospitalization), having the organs not stay in the right place, "swelly belly" (abdomen swells due to inflamation, I already have this and doing less will help it go away).  It's hard for me to see what is going on around me and not do anything about it.  I see my family needs me, but I wont be of any use to them if I can't get better.  I just keep saying to myself, "the best way to help my family is to get better!"   I'm really hoping to be back to library, zoo, and mueum trips soon.  I love playing with my kids.

Amazing Saturday

Today was a lot of fun.  It was kind of hard to get all our chores done today since we decided to have an Africa Party, go to the LakeMetroparks Farmparks, and Costco today.  It started out great we made the desert for the party Date and Banana Bars.  Then we made Painted Hands (some African people painted hands and feet with geometric designs on special occasions).  We cut out our traced hands and put shapes on them and hung them up as decoration.  Then we made homemade instruments.  After that we got ready to go and went to the Farmparks.  We saw lots of animals, and electric trains (it was train day at the park), and the girls even tried milking the cows.  Dallen pet it after deciding it was a little to weird to milk it.  When we came home we finished making dinner Chicken With Figs, Papaya Stir-Fried Rice, and Fried Plantains.   We had a great dinner and the food was fantastic.  It was a fun day with lots of excitement and adventure.

Getting to try the electric train.

Watching one of the displays.

Christian playing with one of the wooden train sets.

Driving a milk truck. :)

Dinner of Africa.

Painted Hands!

Finishing up the school year

We've finished up all our Social Studies and Science for the year, but now we are going back and reviewing.  I like to add in some of the activities we didn't do the first time and solidify the topic we are reviewing.  Here are some of the great things we did on Friday.

Making cave paintings  (the first chapters of ancient history)

Benjamin Franklin's kite model (when he discovered lightning was electricity).

These kites really worked!!!  It was so much fun to put them in front of the fan and watch them go.

Each of the kids received an end of the year science activity.

Today we spotlight Dallen's solar car.

He put a lot of it together himself, mommy just did the parts he couldn't yet.

Watching the car go in the sun.

Finding out it can't go when a shadow is over it.