Cambodia Distribution

All the Operation Christmas Child distributions on our trip to Cambodia this year were in the province of Kampong Chnang. Once again it was a delight to be able to see firsthand that a shoe box does make such a huge difference.

Waiting for boxes

The children were lined up waiting for our arrival, quietly excited, bearing in mind most of these children have never received a gift before let alone a whole shoe box full. There were speeches, games and then the countdown and … lids off … and SO MUCH NOISE and excitement. Shrieks of joy as the children looked through their boxes to see what you had packed. When the children were dismissed it was fascinating to watch them huddle together in little groups and examine each other’s boxes and dig right to the bottom to find what treasures were hidden. As we left the distribution one of the most memorable moments is always to see the children sitting on the side of the road investigating what is in their box, riding (often with a sibling and two boxes) precariously along a rutted track to their home to show their family their precious gifts and those who have already made it home (they can ride so fast) with the whole family sitting in a circle around the one box looking at these amazing gifts.

Coming Next – The joy of a box