The summer of 1993, Franklin Graham received a call from England asking if he would fill shoeboxes with gifts for kids in war-torn Eastern Europe. Familiar with the suffering there from his recent visits to the region, Franklin agreed. Around Thanksgiving, his office received another call from England asking about the gifts. Franklin remembered the…
Twin Sisters Pack Hundreds of Shoebox Gifts
Twin sisters Leabele McLeod and Laralea McLaughlin grew up in a poor family that struggled to make ends meet. They were so thankful any time a friend or neighbor offered them food or other essentials. Now, at age 88, Leabele and Laralea are giving back to children growing up in difficult situations. The sisters have…
Una caja de regalo de Operation Christmas Child dio esperanza a un huérfano en Honduras
Yuri Lopez grew up in 14 different orphanages in Honduras, after being separated from her family when she was 2 years old. Her life seemed hopeless. But when she was 6, Yuri received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift and “experienced hope for the very first time,” she said. “Everything in my shoebox was special,”…
Volunteers Know ‘Each Shoebox Is a Missionary’
When Carol and Pat Nelson volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, they know first-hand how much each gift can mean. Twelve years ago, the Nelsons packed their first shoebox for Operation Christmas Child and sent it off with a letter and a picture. Seven months later, they received a thank-you letter written in French from a…
Trail Life USA & Operation Christmas Child
Families Learn About Jesus Together in Mexico
As children around the world receive Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts and are invited to learn more about Jesus Christ through The Greatest Journey discipleship program, many parents are curious to find out what their children are learning. This is especially true if the adults themselves know little about Him. Soon, whole families are studying…
Recursos para medios de comunicación
Fortaleciendo matrimonios de militares mucho después de Alaska
Army Sergeant Brian Matters and his wife Rebecca left Alaska last year with hope. The week they spent there through Operation Heal Our Patriots helped lift a dark cloud from their lives. They even recommitted their marriage to God. Despite his years of faith in Jesus Christ, Brian had long struggled with doubt and hopelessness—especially…
Parejas de militares celebran su renovación en Cristo
Mike Beaulieu experienced a life-changing encounter with God during a week of marriage training in Alaska through Operation Heal Our Patriots. His faith and resolve to live for Christ were strengthened like never before. “Everything feels great when you leave Alaska, but the battle isn’t over,” he said. “Alaska course corrected me back toward God’s…