Because you have given so faithfully and generously all year long, and especially in these weeks leading up to Christmas, we are ready for opening day. More than 3,000 people will go through our Christmas Store today, representing several hundred families.

Parents concerned about taking care of their children have lined up early. Some of them were here all night long.

The heart of the Mission Arlington^® family today  – staff and volunteers – is not only to support each family with Christmas gifts – we want children to have something under the tree on Christmas day – but also to receive people warmly, to listen to their stories, to learn the names of their children where we can, and to provide genuine, authentic care.

A childcare is open here today, so that those parents who don’t have anyone to care for their kids will have a loving, safe place for them while the parents search for gifts in the Christmas Store.  Each parent coming through the store will also have a volunteer assigned to them as a “personal shopper,” helping them find the right gift for their children. The final stop is a wrapping station, filled with donated wrapping paper and scotch tape, so that a family can have their gifts wrapped, as if they were purchasing these gifts in a department store.

We have prayed for, and worked hard at making the store a place where people needing help can feel special and loved.  Anyone can hand out toys, after all, but our heart is to treat people with dignity and respect.  The volunteers who come from across North Texas, North America, and our own community do just that.

Our favorite part of this free Christmas store is the Christmas story.  We often hear from people coming through that while they loved and appreciated the gifts for their family, they were truly touched by the story.  We have the great privilege of being able to share Luke chapter 2, the biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ, with every adult who comes through the store.  This past year, we were able to tell the story in six (6) different languages.

By the end of this day, the parents of thousands of children will have wrapped gifts hidden away somewhere which will go under the tree on Christmas Day.  We are so grateful for the way each of you have given, so that children and their families can truly have a Merry Christmas.  We are grateful for you.

As the store opens today, if you aren’t here helping, would you pray with us? Pray that each one coming through the store will receive the kind of care our Lord would want for them. Pray that the Mission Arlington family will be faithful, and that God will receive the glory in it all.

It is going to be a wonderful day.  We’ll keep you posted!