Assembly line, moving boxes of toys from storage into the Christmas Store across a couple of parking lots.

We are only days away now from the public opening of the store.

Last year, more than 32,000 children received toys.  Opening day of Mission Arlington^®‘s  Christmas Store is this Saturday, December 12th. The store stays open through December 23rd – every day, except for Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and it is completely free.

Fifth and Sixth graders from Oakridge School in Arlington move toys into position.

A beautiful, hard-working, group of people have been getting the store ready since it closed last Christmas Eve.  All-year, the mission staff and volunteers collected the donated toys you gave, and placed them in the store which had emptied of toys by Christmas day.

Even though we work for twelve months to get the store ready, preparation picks up in intensity the week or two prior to the pubic opening. This morning, around 100 fifth and sixth graders from the Oakridge School in Arlington have been here. Standing side-by-side in an assembly line, these bright, energetic young people moved toys out of trucks, across parking lots, and into the Christmas Store – one box at a time.

We are so grateful for the groups of people all year long who give and/or organize toy drives, so that this “store” will be filled and ready on opening day.

This community truly comes together to help:

Two fifth and sixth grade young ladies smile while moving boxes of toys through an assembly line into the Christmas Store.

Two fifth and sixth grade young ladies smile while moving boxes of toys through an assembly line into the Christmas Store.

It has been inspiring to watch children ask their friends to bring gifts for the Christmas Store, instead of something for themselves on their birthdays;

a team of ladies works on the restoration of dolls all year long, assigning each doll a scripture and a name. The dolls currently line an entire shelf – ready for moms and dads to pick them up for their children;

civic groups, neighborhoods, and so many more, have toy drives, gathering gifts for the store;

Employees in some companies provide resources from their checks each month, then employees purchase toys and send them on ahead. So many of you drop by with Christmas toys every day.

These are just a few examples of the sacrificial, generous giving of this community.

We are humbled to serve our Lord in this time and place. Your generosity moves us here every day. We give credit to our Lord for the way He puts all of this together, and we are thankful for you.