2006 Christmas Shoebox Trip

Our team of a dozen folks from all over the U.S. met in Miami the day after Christmas to travel to Haiti to distribute the 2006 Christmas Shoeboxes. It was a wonderful trip, visiting a number of Haitian villages throughout the northern part of the country and distributing over 2,000 shoeboxes to GVCM's schools and churches!

We had never taken Christmas Shoeboxes to these villages, so this was a wonderful treat for the children. Many of these families live on just a dollar or two a day, and most of the kids had never received a gift before!

The teams visited the villages of Beudoret, Dondon, Milot, Terrier Rouge, Fort St. Michel and Haut du Trou, handing out Christmas Shoeboxes in GVCM's schools and churches in the villages.

At every stop, the team was greeted with musical presentations including welcome songs, small groups, and solos the children had worked on all week long. The pastors also said a few words and introduced our team, giving thanks for the generosity of the many churches in the United States who gave so generously.

When we handed out the Christmas Shoeboxes, the children were excited, but they all sat quietly until everyone had a gift. Then, when the team started helping the children open the boxes and the gifts inside, the excitement was incredible!

In addition to distributing the Christmas Shoeboxes, the team also served peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Kool-Aid to some of the children, and hosted a Haitian Independence Day party with a rice-and-beans dinner on New Year's Eve.

At some of the churches, we were able to give a "Good News" presentation using a flip-chart and Creole audio narration CD. We were also able to participate in the regular church services at a couple of churches, which is a wonderful experience all by itself!

Chris, a youth pastor from North Carolina who came on the trip to deliver his youth group's Christmas Shoeboxes, had the priviledge of preaching on Sunday morning at the church in Milot. The message was well received, with GVCM's Yves Prophete serving as Chris's enterpreter.

The trip was truly a wonderful time for everyone involved! We are already planning our Christmas Shoebox trip for this year, and would love to have you join us!

For More Information Click here to ask how you can join us to travel to Haiti and distribute Christmas Shoeboxes!