We grew up in rural Jamaica sharing most things, not because we’re twins but because it was a necessity for our family to make ends meet.
Our parents had us in their late teens. They couldn’t afford an ultrasound, so having twins was unexpected. Our mum and dad had to stop attending college in order to provide for us. They worked hard—our mum at home and our dad in sugar cane fields.
Both Christians, our parents had faith that the Lord Jesus would provide for our needs. Every morning, they gathered us together for devotions.
To enable both of us to have something to write on at school, our father cut an 8- by 9-inch notebook in half. He also broke a pencil in two and sharpened the lead with a knife because we didn’t have a pencil sharpener.
We grew up in rural Jamaica sharing most things, not because we’re twins but because it was a necessity for our family to make ends meet.
Our parents had us in their late teens. They couldn’t afford an ultrasound, so having twins was unexpected. Our mum and dad had to stop attending college in order to provide for us. They worked hard—our mum at home and our dad in sugar cane fields.
Both Christians, our parents had faith that the Lord Jesus would provide for our needs. Every morning, they gathered us together for devotions.
To enable both of us to have something to write on at school, our father cut an 8- by 9-inch notebook in half. He also broke a pencil in two and sharpened the lead with a knife because we didn’t have a pencil sharpener.
We wished we could have full-sized notebooks and pencils like some of our peers. Our wish came true at age 8 when we heard shriek after shriek of delight in the halls of our school.
Large cardboard boxes with a gift box plane printed on them were delivered to each classroom. We were so excited about these huge brown boxes and were curious to see what was inside.
We rejoiced when we learned that they contained gift boxes for us. One of us received two full-sized notebooks! We shared what was in our gift boxes so we would each have one. We also received our first calculator—a small, grey one we still love to use.
We received a pair of woolen mittens. We didn’t need them for warmth, since we lived in the Caribbean, but we put them to good use as pot holders. Our parents still have them at home in Jamaica.
We were glad to receive a game of jacks since previously we used stones or the balls from roll-on deodorant to play the game.
Our parents taught us how important it is to study the Bible and pray together. We talked and prayed through any issues that came up, seeing how God works through situations. We sisters still have morning devotions together.
Our parents are so proud that both of us graduated last year with business administration master’s degrees from Liberty University, a Christian college in Virginia. Our mum went back to school to earn a teaching diploma and our dad has certifications in food service, hospitality, and nutrition.
It wasn’t until we saw an Operation Christmas Child video at our church in Virginia that we realized those were the gifts we received. We knew that logo—the Operation Christmas Child gift box plane. And there was that word again—Samaritan. We raised our arms in joy and praise. We exclaimed: “We’re gift box recipients!” We stood and shared our stories right then.
It meant so much to us to learn the background of how our boxes were sent—through churches! It also was moving to see how much church members appreciated hearing us talk about the lasting influence the gifts had on our Christian walk.
Then, we saw the OCC gift box logo again on our college campus. They pack gift boxes there, too!
That’s when we knew we had to keep sharing our story, so the message of how God is working keeps spreading.
We wished we could have full-sized notebooks and pencils like some of our peers. Our wish came true at age 8 when we heard shriek after shriek of delight in the halls of our school.
Large cardboard boxes with a gift box plane printed on them were delivered to each classroom. We were so excited about these huge brown boxes and were curious to see what was inside.
We rejoiced when we learned that they contained gift boxes for us. One of us received two full-sized notebooks! We shared what was in our gift boxes so we would each have one. We also received our first calculator—a small, grey one we still love to use.
We received a pair of woolen mittens. We didn’t need them for warmth, since we lived in the Caribbean, but we put them to good use as pot holders. Our parents still have them at home in Jamaica.
We were glad to receive a game of jacks since previously we used stones or the balls from roll-on deodorant to play the game.