Jack, Operation Christmas Child and a Puzzle

     My blog friend Anna's son died suddenly a small number of weeks ago.  She lives in the D.C. suburbs. From this far away there is little I can do to comfort her.  My prayers have included her family often. 

     Jack was 12.  A firm believer in Jesus, it turns out his favorite charity was Operation Christmas Child.  Last year, my class collected three shoe boxes for OCC, so this year my new group is doing it again, but this time with Jack in mind--I'm hoping for more boxes filled in his honor, and so Brad and I are doing one in Jack's memory.
     I asked Anna what Jack would have put in a box.  She wrote, "Lego, a superball, and one of those number puzzles with the little tiles that slide."  I told my kids I'd buy the latter for the class boxes.
     Brad and I were out doing errands yesterday, and we went to six stores looking for the puzzles.  Everyone we spoke to knew what we meant, but no one had them.  I came home and went to three stores on-line, I scanned their favors and found nothing.
     Sigh.
     I wrote to Anna, wondering if she knew of a store that carried them.  (I thought everyone would.  BTW, never go to a party store this close to Halloween for anything but a Halloween errand.  I have to admit, I was relieved Party City didn't seem to have them as the line to check out was at least 50 people long.)
     This morning, I googled number puzzles and found this!

It's wall-sized and retails for $175. Seriously.  Sure wouldn't fit in a shoebox.

I googled a different way, can't even remember what words I entered in the image search, and I found these:

And I cried.  I ordered enough for the boxes, for Brad's grandkids, and even one for Brad who also used to love such brainteasers.

Thank you Discount Party Supplies of Jackson MI.  Thank you.  (I'm going to call their customer service number later this week to thank them, I am!)

Pray matters, and somehow I believe this "yes" to a little prayer will make a difference that will unfold through the kindness to children far from Aurora and D.C.