2010-12

H
ere
are some of the
stories of the impact
shoeboxes can make
across the world.
S a m a r it a n ’s P u r s e p a r t n e r in
R o m a n ia , A lin a , g iv e s t h e lo w d o w n
o n s h o e b o x e s a r r iv in g in h e r c o u n t r y :
“ I d e liv e r s h o e b o x e s in m y p o o r
v illa g e a n d la s t M a r c h I w a s o n m y
w a y h o m e w h e n t w o lit t le b o y s c a u g h t
u p w it h m e a n d b e g a n t e llin g m e a ll
a b o u t t h e s h o e b o x e s t h e y h a d
r e c e iv e d in D e c e m b e r . W it h
e x c it e m e n t f illin g t h e ir f a c e s , t h e y
n a m e d e v e r y s in g le it e m ! T h e lit t le
b o y s a c c o m p a n ie d m e h o m e a n d
t a lk e d n o n - s t o p a b o u t t h e ir
s h o e b o x e s t h e e n t ir e jo u r n e y . I t w a s
t h r e e m o n t h s a f t e r t h e e v e n t a n d
y e t t h e jo y o n t h e ir f a c e s w o u ld
h a v e m a d e y o u t h in k t h e y h a d
r e c e iv e d t h e g if t s t h a t
v e r y d a y . T h is y e a r , I
h a v e d e liv e r e d m o r e
s h o e b o x e s a n d t h e
r e s p o n s e f r o m t h e
c h ild r e n is
o v e r w h e lm in g . T h e y
a r e a w o n d e r f u l g if t
t h a t k e e p s o n g iv in g
a ll y e a r lo n g . ”
I n a p o o r R o m a
c o m m u n it y o n
t h e o u t s k ir t s o f
S a r a je v o , B o s n ia ,
s h o e b o x e s a r e
s p e a k in g w o r d s
o f lo v e a n d h o p e
in t o t h e liv e s o f
h u n d r e d s o f
c h ild r e n .
“ A b o u t 7 0 % o f t h e c h ild r e n w e
g iv e s h o e b o x e s t o d o n ’t g o t o
s c h o o l. B u t a r r iv in g w it h s h o e b o x e s
p a c k e d f u ll o f g if t s , w e a r e a b le t o
c o n v e y a m e s s a g e o f G o d ’s lo v e
a n d a c c e p t a n c e in t o a c o m m u n it y
t h a t e x p e r ie n c e s r e je c t io n . T h e
s m ile s a n d w a r m g r e e t in g s f r o m t h e
R o m a p e o p le a s t h e y v o ic e t h e ir
t h a n k f u ln e s s s h o w s u s h o w p o w e r f u l
t h e s e s im p le g if t s r e a lly a r e . ”
Arriving back from
Belarus, Ian Taylor,
explains the power of
a shoebox.
“This photo sums up
the excitement that
the children show,
delighted in their
friend’s box, as much
as their own.”
St Chads Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
email: office@stchads.org
Church Offices: 15 Camping Lane, Sheffield S8 0GB Page 21 website: www.stchads.org
Tel: (0114) 274 5086