Driving Notes

This week is time for you to get packing, packing shoeboxes to be more specific! Operation Christmas Child has opened up its many drop-off locations to make it easy for you to drop off your shoeboxes! Collection started on the 12th and will wrap up on Monday, November 19. The clock is ticking, its time to get your box ready!

Here are some of the drop off locations in and around Mount Vernon:

• Brandon Baptist Church, 13513 Sycamore Road in Mount Vernon

• Faith Baptist Church, 8764 Martinsburg Road in Mount Vernon

• Grace Pointe Community Church, 892 E Columbus Road in Utica

• Johnstown Independent Baptist Church, 7397 Johnstown Alexandria Road in Johnstown

Here are the times these churches are accepting boxes!

What is Operation Christmas Child?

• This operation is run by an organization called Samaritan’s Purse, a charity inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke. Here is the Samaritan’s Purse Mission Statement:  Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is some more information on this great organization!
• Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has partnered with local churches around the world to deliver 157 million Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to children in need in 160 countries. Each one—packed full of fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items by a family or individual—is sent with prayer that the child who receives it will experience God’s love through their simple gifts.
• This year, Operation Christmas Child is celebrating 25 years!

How do I participate?

• Easy! You can pack a shoebox! Here are the steps:
  • 1. Find a Shoebox – Start with an average-size cardboard or plastic shoebox. If you want to wrap it, cover the box and lid separately.
  • 2. Girl or Boy? Decide whether you will pack a box for a girl or a boy, and the age category: 2–4, 5–9, or 10–14.
  • 3. Fill with Gifts – Select a medium to large “wow” item such as a soccer ball with a pump or stuffed animal, then fill with other fun toys, hygiene items, and school supplies.
  • 4. Pray- Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift. You can also include a personal note and photo.
  • 5. Follow Your Box Labels – Donate $9ⁱ online and receive a tracking label to Follow Your Box and discover the destination of your shoebox gift.
  • 6. Drop-Off – Take your shoebox gift to a local drop-off location during National Collection Week, November 12–19, 2018.

Don’t have time to pack your box at home? Good news! You can now build your box online, for just $25! Want more information? Click HERE!

This day in history:

• Apollo 12 was the sixth manned flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. It was launched on November 14, 1969, from the Kennedy Space Center,
• This Doesn’t get near as much attention as Apollo 11, the first manned flight to the moon
• Mission commander Charles “Pete” Conrad and Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean performed just over one day and seven hours of lunar surface activity while Command Module Pilot Richard F. Gordon remained in lunar orbit.

Our Trivia Question for today:

What percent of the universe is dark matter? 

Answer: 27%

The rest of the universe is around 68% dark energy, and less than 5% of the universe is made up of what we would consider “normal” matter. This means that roughly 80% of the mass of the universe is made up of material we cannot see.

Congratulation to Megan from Gambier who won a $5 gift card to Troyer’s of Apples Valley for correctly guessing today’s trivia question!

Thanks for checking out our blog! Have a blessed day and thank you for support of the Afternoon Drive!

Hannah Radke