Through simple, gift-filled shoeboxes, God opens doors into a community steeped in witchcraft and now the church is beginning to grow there.
The danger zone. That’s what people called a community in Nigeria whose people pledged allegiance to witchcraft and idolatry. For years, Pastor Peter* had sowed Gospel seeds in this difficult area but, it seemed, with little effect. A fledgling church existed, though it struggled.
That all changed, however, when he partnered with Operation Christmas Child to bring gift-filled shoeboxes to the boys and girls living in “the danger zone.”
Pastor Peter announced his plans to host a Gospel-focused outreach event for the children. To his surprise, over 150 boys and girls showed up at the church! Using colorful illustrations from Samaritan’s Purse, he walked the boys and girls through the story of creation, the fall, and redemption through Christ’s death and resurrection. After this presentation, each of the boys and girls were surprised with their own shoebox gift bursting with treasures packed by new friends from overseas.
A Family Makes a Life-Changing Decision
Ruby* received one such shoebox and was blessed by the gifts she discovered inside. The gifts also blessed her entire family. Her parents marveled that God could find and show such favor to their daughter among the many children present at the event. Through Ruby’s experience at the event, the whole village was affected.
Ruby’s father served as the assistant shrine priest in the village and helped to lead the community in their idol worship. But shoebox gifts given in Jesus’ Name prompted him to begin to leave his idolatry behind. He boldly announced to Pastor Peter, “From now [on], all my family must be coming to the church henceforth, but as for me, I will join the church gradually.”
“From now on, all my family must be coming to the church henceforth.”
The father asked for the pastor’s continued prayers because it was difficult for him to leave his duties in the shrine to embrace Jesus Christ. Still, he gifted Pastor Peter with some of his farmland, because he was so blessed by the generosity shown to Ruby. He also asked the pastor to relay his appreciation to Operation Christmas Child’s leaders.
A New Journey Begins
After the outreach event, Pastor Peter invited the shoebox recipients to participate in The Greatest Journey discipleship program, which teaches boys and girls how to follow Jesus and share Him with others. The children who enrolled have now memorized all 12 Scripture verses highlighted in the lessons.
A Nigerian girl learns about Jesus in The Greatest Journey discipleship course student workbook.
Now the children are steeped in the truth of the Bible and occult practices in the village are in decline! Children are sharing their lessons with friends their age as well as adults and are inviting them to attend church with them. The community is changing by the power of God!
Since the shoebox gifts arrived in “the danger zone,” the number of children attending Sunday school jumped from about 30 to over 100.
“Thank God for Operation Christmas Child! The church work was made easy through the boxes.”
“I struggled for years in that community to penetrate hearts with the Gospel, even among children—it wasn’t possible at all,” said Pastor Peter. “But thank God for Operation Christmas Child! The church work was made easy through the boxes.”
A new school was opened as a result of The Greatest Journey classes. Previously, over 90 percent of the children did not participate in any educational activities, but today they are learning to read and write.
Thank God for what He is doing in this village! Please pray that many families in this area of Nigeria would be transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray especially for Ruby’s father that he would leave behind his duties at the shrine and embrace Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
*Name changed for security.
