BAXTER - Christmas is arriving early in Baxter, as a local church prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child. Soon, with the help of Baxter volunteers, the sites will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts. Through Operation Christmas Child, the world's largest Christmas project, Baxter residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From Baxter, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary - sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds - to reach suffering children around the world.

Fall is in the air. The beautiful fall leaves display their colors in an arrangement of hues. One can only marvel at the beauty. In the spring we marveled at the budding trees, bushes and shrubs and waited for the small leaves to open and impress us with the leafy green shade. All of this we acknowledge to be God's creation.

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