Dear the Wiegel Family in the USA, Firstly, I am very happy for the gifts you delivered to me. Let me tell you my parents in Jesus Christ... I was not expecting that I can receive such kind of gifts. But at the moment when I opened the box gifts I found that there were many gifts which I was not expecting. This made me to be very happy so continue to do that. Secondly, is to appreciate you for telling me the meaning of Christmas...I was not knowing the meaning of Christmas. But because of these gifts I have known the meaning and I have even chosen Jesus Christ to be my personal Saviour through your letter and your gifts... My hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. I interrupted the unloading of the car to get everyone’s attention to read them this incredible letter! I could not believe we had actually received a letter back, and not only that, this precious child had come to know Jesus Christ personally because of a SHOEBOX!! That simple gift had impacted this child and his family for all of eternity!! I don’t know when I have experienced such deep personal joy. We prayed and thanked the Lord for what He had done through Operation Christmas Child. The letter went on for two more pages! The boy’s name is James and he lives in Malawi with his parents and five siblings. He especially liked that we included a family photo. He returned the favor and sent photos of himself and his family! This gave us an instant personal connection and helped us understand the power of a photograph. He also expressed how excited he was that we have a James in our family and referred to brother James multiple times! James mentioned in his letter that he prays for blessings upon our family for our generosity. This brought me to tears. It also had a profound impact on our children knowing that this child is praying for US! He asked us to continue to write him, he included phone numbers and he asked us to plan a journey to visit him!! Of course, our boys are ready to pack for Malawi! We did call the phone numbers James listed in his letter. There were communication issues, and they would not put him on the phone. But I was able to speak with his older brother Edward. He understood who we were, and thanked us and blessed us over and over!! I asked him to thank James for us for the precious letter. It means more to us than words can convey. Edward explained that James is too young and his English is not good enough to speak on the telephone. This experience brought us closer to Christ and closer to one another as a family. We are anticipating OCC this year more than ever before! Once again, we will include letters and a family photo, while sharing The Real Meaning of Christmas! But we will also be sending a special package to James and his family in Malawi!!! To God be the glory! We are humbled the Lord allowed us to participate in this simple but profound ministry. And we are forever changed by the response of James and his family. What a gift they have given to US! In His Name, John, Jacki, Ross, Matthew, Alexandra, Benjamin, James and Jackson Wiegel |