Angel Tree 2012

Angel Tree 2010

Angel Tree 2011

Okay, I am finally going to blog about Angel Tree 2012! As you can see, I linked to the past two years above.

The "Before" Pictures:

Over 100 children. About 20 staff members. Presents for everyone!

Delivery date is December 8.

Several "wrapping parties" were held between November 18 and the week of the actual delivery. I couldn't have done this without so many willing volunteers, and more importantly - BABYSITTERS!!

 

 Oh, and LOTS of Black Friday shopping!!

We gathered the youth group to help sort presents by number on December 5. One table for numbers 1-20, one table for 21-40, etc etc. We start piling presents into garbage bags and labeling on the outside. This turns out to be a HUGE help when we are unloading the trailer at the Head Start. Note to self: remember that in 2013!

So December 6 I walked into the church with my sister and this is what it looked like:

 

By the evening of December 6:

  

Friday, December 7, a few of us meet at church to load up a trailer which will be hauled by Jim Babb. Other years we have relied on people's vehicles and our church bus. This year Jim and Jackie offered their trailer and we loaded that thing FULL!

  

 After loading up the trailer, I went to the Christian bookstore in Southern Pines and bought almost 200 tracts in English and Spanish and the rest of their buttons that say:

Now for the big day! December 8, delivery day!


Step 1: Unload the trailer

 Group picture! (From left to right: Michelle, Chelsea, Pastor Chad, Mike, Jim, Andy, Jackie, Meagan, Prescilla, Harriette, myself). We also had other helpers - Peggy, Adrianna, Ethan, Cindy, Kimberly who came out but were not pictured)

 Step 2: Organize the presents by class and family:

Step 3: Let the families have at it!!

After about an hour and a half, there was a break in the stream of parents coming through. Ms Spencer and Ms Cheek took us into one of the classrooms and gave us the biggest thank you EVER - look at this food they donated to Fed by Faith!!

I cannot say enough about how amazed I am by this ministry every single month, every single week. The Angel Tree is my absolute favorite time of the year. By now we know these families. We know the staff. I love them all so much and I would do anything for them. They are such a blessing to me.

I don't even know how to begin to thank everyone involved with Angel Tree. There were people who spent countless hours with me at church, organizing and wrapping presents, people who came to my house to do the same thing, people who went shopping for me, gave me cash donations, gave me toy and clothing donations, sent me encouraging emails and texts... I could never thank everyone because I KNOW I would forget someone!! But people have stood next to me since this started back in October and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

If even just one person comes to know Christ through this Angel Tree ministry, it is all worth it. Every other year we have spoken to the families about God and his blessings but this is the first year we had tracts in hand to give out to the families. Hopefully there is someone that came to get a gift and walked out with a tract, and because of that they will come to know Christ. That is 1000% what it's all about.
 
A couple of years ago I mentioned that it is really easy for nonbelievers to give the glory to the people who help out with this ministry. But the Bible states that no one is good. Not one of us is good without God. I truly believe God gives people passion, or the finances, or the want to help others, or a sacrificing spirit, and all of those God-given characteristics in people come together and make ministries a success. It is NOTHING that we do. We are simply the hands and feet of God. Glory, glory, glory that we get to do things like this. I do thank every person involved, so many of you went WAY above and beyond and you did not have to. I can never thank you enough.

I'm already gathering goodies for 2013... how bad is that!?!?  Hahaha!