My daughter looked at me and simply said,“ You don’ t have to go.”
That stopped me for a moment, because she was right. I did not have to say yes. But for me, saying no was never truly an option. When God calls you to go, you go. I used that moment as a teachable lesson for my girls about obedience and trust— that sometimes God calls us outside our comfort zones, and we have to trust Him with the outcome.
When we arrived in Belize, we had a few hours before our kickoff dinner. I didn’ t know what to do with myself during the down time. Determined not to be late, I arrived early to dinner— very early, as it turned out. I was the second person there. Again, not knowing what to do with myself, I made my way to a table and texted my daughters so I looked occupied as I waited for others from our team to join me. I’ m so used to being at CPE where I know everyone and understand exactly how things work. This experience reminded me what it feels like to be still, uncomfortable and completely out of control.
Not long after that, Hannah and Sallie— whom many of us work closely with through OCC— arrived and sat with me, along with several women from Samaritan’ s Purse. One of the women beside me had actually grown up with one of Bart and Cindy Probasco’ s sons. Out of all the places she could have sat, God placed someone connected to a Munce store right next to me. Only He can orchestrate moments like that.
After everyone from our team arrived, we laughed together, shared stories and talked as if we had known each other for years. God could not have placed me with a better group. Over the next three days, our team bonded deeply— through late-night conversations, singing on the bus, praying together and serving together. In fact, we are already planning a reunion next year. There is something powerful about serving alongside others. It creates a bond that is hard to explain.
During the next few days, we saw children light up over a simple shoebox gift. We watched kids run to the front of churches without hesitation after hearing the gospel for the first time. We met mothers carrying heavy burdens who came only because a neighbor invited them, and suddenly they found themselves being ministered to as well.
God shows up for families. God shows up for children.
I have always respected Operation Christmas Child, but after seeing firsthand the standard of excellence they work toward, and the level of organization and care that goes into planning shoebox distribution, my admiration grew tremendously. It is my hope that our stores continue finding meaningful ways to support this ministry.
Many of our stores already offer free shoeboxes to their communities, but I would encourage you to go even further. Host packing parties. Turn them into annual community events that families look forward to every year. Open your doors to provide a place where your customers can serve alongside each other and create a bond that will have them returning year after year.
The beautiful thing is that while I believed I had traveled to Belize to help others, God was also working on me.
One of the most impactful moments of the trip came during our first morning devotions. The speaker reminded us that none of us had to be there. Most of us were leaders, accustomed to being in charge, knowing the plan and feeling in control. But here we were in a foreign place, uncertain and uncomfortable.
Then he shared from Matthew 19, where Jesus stopped what He was doing for the children.
In the middle of ministry, crowds and demands, Jesus paused. When the disciples tried to send the children away, Jesus responded clearly:“ Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”( Matthew 19:14).
That passage reframed everything for me.
Children are not secondary work. They are not interruptions to important work. They are the important work.
And immediately, I began thinking about our stores. Your store is your ministry. Do you have a thriving children’ s department?
A bookstore’ s children’ s department is not simply another section tucked into a corner. It is the heartbeat of the store’ s
22 CRA today / www. christianretailassociation. org