Christmas box inspires student to become boarder

LIFE-CHANGING: LAC chaplain Kevin Gredig, Apia Yawha and LAC principal Brendan van Oostveen. PHOTO: ALECIA ROUSSEAU

A gift that keeps on giving has come true for a young boy whose educational pathway has been altered by a Christmas shoebox.

Apia Yawha, 14, attends Longburn Adventist College all the way from Vanuatu. He first came to the school in 2014 - after his mother found a note from a fellow student inside a mysterious box that had been dropped to her children.

"I was back home playing with my siblings and some guys came over with some boxes," Apia said.

"They asked our names and, our names were on the box."

After opening the boxes the children found toy cars, notepads and other gifts. Apia said he also saw a written note.

"I saw this piece of paper and just gave it to my mum. I didn't really think anything about it because I just went on and played with the toys."

The note was from an LAC pupil who had filled and sent the box. It was these words that inspired Apia's mother to make the decision to send her son to board at LAC.

"When mum read the note we were wondering, 'oh, who is this?," Apia said. "A few weeks later mum did some research ... mum saw adventist and we were still Christians so we didn't know if I could go but ... she liked the values and teachings of LAC."

Apia said when his parents announced their decision to send him to boarding school, he was scared.

"I didn't want to go - it was my first time leaving home."

He was familiar with the All Blacks but knew little about the country he was coming too. Apia said the transition had been easier than he expected, and he was now loving his time at LAC.

"It's been really good but I did have to get used to the weather because back home it is really hot."

His favourite subjects include bible studies, woodwork and physical education and, he admits English "is getting easier".

LAC filled 313 shoeboxes last year under the scheme Operation Xmas Child. This project is part of international relief organisation, Samaritan's Purse, and involves people filling shoeboxes with gifts for underprivileged children.

These are often the first gifts these children will receive. They can be filled with small toys, hygiene items and school stationery.

To find out more about Operation Xmas Child, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.