For missionaries George and Shary Frahm, sharing Christ is simply a way of life, in big ways and in small ways, whether they are in Cambodia or the United States. And so is frugality. The Frahms combined their passion for sharing Christ and their thriftiness when making their donation to Immanuel’s 2016 Operation Christmas Child Shoebox project. The Frahms, who have been present when children received their OCC shoeboxes, wanted treat the OCC children and since they are always looking for ways to share the story of Christ, they found a way to do both.
For approximately $3, they purchased a 24 count pack of nativity scenes that children can color themselves. Using ribbon they already had at home, Shary added on boxes of 8 count Crayola Crayons which were three for $1 at Dollar Tree. So each of these fun little presents only cost approximately $.50!
It only took Shary about an hour to assemble 48 of these presents. The kids will have fun coloring them and it becomes a decoration they can hang in their home. The kids can also use their new crayons year-round. Read more about Shary’s nativity scene presents.
Easy Ways to Get Involved
“There’s so many things to like about this simple little project,” says Trephina Bedell, Children’s Ministries Coordinator at Immanuel. “But my favorite part is the fact that almost everyone can do something like this! And the next couple of months offer the perfect opportunity to pick up something like the color-your-own Nativity Scenes on clearance – often at drastically reduced prices. Assembling these little treats is something individuals, families, and even groups can do. If people are interested in donating items like this, but don’t wish to assemble them, that would work as well. We have volunteers who would be happy to put together these little presents.”
Another way to participate in Operation Christmas Child is to donate plastic shoeboxes or something to include in the shoeboxes – crayons, little notebooks, small toys and more. Items must be new. For a complete list of accepted items, please visit www.immanuelpalatine.org/operation-christmas-child. Donations may be dropped off at Immanuel throughout the year.
Immanuel is located at 200 North Plum Grove Road, Palatine, IL 60067. For more information, please contact Trephina Bedell at 847-359-1549/tbedell@ilcp.org. Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, a fixture in the Palatine community for nearly 150 years, offers a variety of programs and services to the people of Palatine, as well as weekly worship services. More information on Operation Christmas Child may be found at www.samaritanspurse.org.