Jo called on a warm afternoon and ask me what kind of  weather South Dakota had in December. I said freezing cold and no way your little almost freezing self could survive. Fast forward several months later and here sits several thousand boxes filled with even more shoeboxes sitting on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

And here is the little 5’1″ North Carolinian warm-blooded mammal who arrived with the boxes to deliver them to the little kids for Operation Christmas Child for the 2008 Christmas season. Isn’t she cute? Imagine if she hadn’t talked to her best friend who had spent 4 years in North Dakota  with her husband who was stationed at Minot, AFB. Just imagine? That best friend who she talked to would be me.

We garden bloggers are doing Operation Christmas Child because I was inspired by my best friend Jo. She went to South Dakota last year and handed out little shoeboxes to kids so they could have a Christmas. You can follow link 1 HERE to give. Link TWO HERE where we do part 1 of the shopping. And  the last giving day will be November 20th so as of today there is still time to give. The turn in date is November 23rd.

I told the fool little freezing thing that she was gong to see temps like she’d never imagined.

and to this she got off the plane and stared right at the Weather Channel bulletin. It was like about 70 degrees back home in NC.

She called me and thanked me profusely for the tip about long johns and that speech about scarves.

I did tell her that she would see some of the most beautifully painted landscapes she’d ever seen. Soon the 18 wheelers arrived and the big tent went up. It was filled to overflowing. The big boxes were filled with shoeboxes. The shoeboxes were filled with treasures that had been donated by folks just like you.

The boxes were all stored in the tent which is located on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The building on the left is where they cooked and had some bathrooms and a small storage area. They were suppose to sleep in the tent—but bitter cold was certainly not going to allow for that.

The schools and such where the shoeboxes were to be delivered for redistribution where scattered about the area. The boxes had to transported from this central location.

Jo had been putting boxes together for the better part of 19 years for the little kids. On many occasions she had taken her own kids on shopping trips to buy items that would be placed inside the boxes. They all loved this ritual and this year she had volunteered to go on a mission trip to deliver the boxes to the children. She didn’t know the frozen North would be her destination. I think she was hoping for Hawaii.

She didn’t know if she’d be spending the Operation Christmas Child gift giving week in Australia or some foreign land or here on the homeland. Looks like South Dakota is it and one of the stops was this sweet school. But it could just as easily been right in your backyard. Look around you—-there are so many in need. Operation Christmas Child does not pick religion or color—-they give to everyone. This happens to be on a reservations but it could be in the Appalachians or in the Amazons.

And here is Jo on the left below giving out a shoebox—-I was so happy for her.

And giving is the sweetest gift of all~~~~~ Please give to our Operation Christmas Child

——>>>>>>>GO HERE and read the first post and see how to give!!! Look at the link or at my sidebar for names of those who have already given. On the link above you can grab the widget and help me spread the word. I want to help the children. Won’t you help me too? Please?