We started working with our local Operation Christmas Child drive. We met the new leaders of OCC through our Nav. 2:7 and Adult Bible Fellowship class. There was a need for dresses to be made for girls and we saw a chance to contribute by sewing the dresses. One thing led to another as other people started contributing material, offers to sew dresses and even a new sewing machine for the purpose.

In the 2018 Operation Christmas Child campaign, it was decided to create dress kits so that anyone willing and able to sew could take a kit with pre-cut parts and create a dress. The finished dress was then repacked in the zip lock bag and easily put in the shoe box. We started asking around for help in cutting material and assembling dress kits and several of our neighbors at Lake Forest Village stepped up and helped produce these kits. The kits were then distributed to be sewn in the convenience of volunteer's homes.

Many people have  donated materials and money to the cause. 

People began to suggest that we sew dresses throughout the year. 

The first opportunity was to provide dresses for the Trinidad Mission Team over Spring Break in 2019. What if they could take dresses to Trinidad and pass them out? We met with the leader of the team and asked if it was possible to do this. He said "yes" and requested 150 dresses. Many other mission groups, mainly short-term, have taken dresses to other countries with Brazil being the latest in 2025.

God began to provide more material, people willing to sew and now we saw an opportunity to provide clothing for needy children through our church ministries. 

A missionary to Kenya asked us to provide 25 dresses for an orphanage that she worked with. The video of the girls and their new dresses was so warming that we were eager to help with DBC Mission trips to Kenya or wherever.

Growth has continued and this past year 2024 saw one of the biggest growths in items created. Over 2400 completed dresses and over 350 shorts for boys were provided to Operation Christmas Child. We have provided a big green box at our home in Lake Forest Village for anyone to come, pickup kits to sew and drop off the finished products. 

With every other Tuesday sew and kit building meetings at Lake Forest Village, God encouraged many people to do more than enough to provide exciting quantities. 

Our prayer is 2025 will be a year of victory as Jesus Christ leads us on.