It was something like playing musical chairs, except the junior-age children were going around a big table instead of chairs, and no one got eliminated.
The 10- to 12-year-olds at Chehalis Church packed plastic baggies with small personal items for the church’s Maranatha mission group, which is heading this year to Panama.
Each of the past 23 years, Chehalis Church members have participated in a Maranatha mission trip. No matter the age, the Chehalis Church community works together to prepare for this trip. This year children filled the practical gift bags with washcloths, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, fingernail clippers, combs, razors and other small items. They added hair bands for girls and toy cars for boys.
One child, Alex, has a personal interest in these small gift bags because he will help distribute them in Santa Marta de Boquerón. He isn’t quite sure how he will fit into the big scheme of things, but he and his family are looking forward to building a small church and maybe even painting a school.
As each bag was completed, the kids dropped it into one of many large suitcases to be distributed among the 26 people who will be traveling. In all, the junior-age children completed 86 gift bags and helped keep the Maranatha tradition alive in Chehalis.
In a musical chairs fashion, junior-age children move around a large table, filling gift bags with personal hygiene items to distribute during the church's mission trip to Panama.
Chehalis Church children work together to fill personal hygiene gift bags to distribute in Panama.
Phil Becker, Chehalis Church Maranatha mission coordinator, helps junior-age children prepare practical gift bags to distribute during the church's annual mission trip.
