Presentation

Operation Christmas Child

The Chapel had a welcome visit from the South Wales Organisers of Operation Christmas Child. The Rev and Mrs Parkinson gave a presentation, which was very enlightening, but at times very sad.

The meeting opened with a reading from Luke Chapter 10 verses 25 to 37. Mrs Parkinson read the parable of the Good Samaritan. She spoke about good neighbours, and said our neighbours are all over the world.

We had a short history of the beginning of Operation Christmas Child.  It began in 1989. Dave Cooke from North Wales, after seeing pictures of orphanages in Romania, was moved to try and do something for these children. A group in Wrexham after many prayers sent a lorry to Romania carrying blankets food and medicine. That first year ten lorries went from Wrexham. Horrifying stories of operations with no anaesthetic, children tied to cots, no hot water and bad diets to name a few of the horrors. This man was moved to make the lorry trips regularly every couple of months. His daughter gave the name Operation Christmas Child in 1990 when shoe boxes were filled for children, a similar thing to our Christmas stockings. In 1995 they merged with the charity "Samaritan's Purse."  Blessed by the Lord  the number of boxes has grown. In the first year 18,500 boxes, second year 36,000 and 52,000 in the year 2002. These in South Wales alone.

Warehouses are needed to store boxes before they go and we were told South Wales has been blessed in this. It costs £2,300 to send a lorry. There are twenty shoe boxes to a big box, and 1,100 of these to a lorry.

The Rev Viv Parkinson went to Romania four years ago and we saw pictures of what life is like for some people in that country. The journey takes about four and a half hours flying time and then a four hour drive. Conditions vary for the people going out with the lorries, they need to take extra food and clothes, and it is uncertain where they may stay.

Conditions were very bad in the hospitals. Forty patients in a contagious ward, most of who suffered from aids, with just four or five carers. Blood was sold to transfusion service but was not always screened. So aids is rife in Romania. In one place twelve boys with aids living in one small room. Large families cannot afford to look after all their children so some are abandoned by their families. Mostly women worked in the orphanages visited by the charity. Shoe boxes are received with great delight, and the children are very appreciative. They do not grab the boxes,and are very good at sharing. They are very happy to see the helpers coming.

Operation Christmas Child, remembers God's gift to the world -  The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although literature is not allowed in the boxes, the helpers, under guidance from their leaders, offer literature when they are there and many people will accept it.