Madagascar is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa. It is known for its lemurs, baobab trees, vanilla, and pepper. Samaritan’s Purse began delivering Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to children here in 1993. Since 2010, we have also offered these shoebox recipients our follow-up discipleship program, The…

Panama is located in Central America on the Isthmus of Panama, the narrow piece of land that connects North and South America and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Panama Canal. The country contains hundreds of islands off its Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Samaritan’s Purse began distributing gift-filled shoeboxes there in 1997 and launched…

The Philippines is a country located in Southeast Asia that consists of hundreds of islands, with coastlines totaling more than 22,000 miles. Named after Philip II of Spain, it was under Spanish rule for more than 300 years before becoming a U.S. commonwealth and then an independent country. Samaritan’s Purse began distributing gift-filled shoeboxes there…

Suriname is a country on the northern coast of South America. A land of tropical rainforests, Suriname is one of the top producers in the tropics of bauxite, the main ore of aluminum. Formerly a Dutch colony, its ethnic diversity also includes South Asian and African influences. Samaritan’s Purse began distributing gift-filled shoeboxes there in…

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second largest country in Europe after Russia and is known for its agricultural production. Samaritan’s Purse began distributing gift-filled shoeboxes there in 1996 and launched The Greatest Journey, our follow-up discipleship program, in this nation in 2010. Samaritan’s Purse has also been actively providing food,…

Grenada is an island nation located in the Caribbean Ocean just north of Venezuela. An especially small country, it is known for its tourism and the export of bananas, cocoa, and nutmeg. Samaritan’s Purse began hosting outreach events for Grenada’s children in 2004 and launched The Greatest Journey, our follow-up discipleship program, in the nation…

Located on the eastern edge of the Black Sea, Georgia is most notably marked by the Caucasus mountains. Children in this nation began receiving Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts in 1997 and many have also participated in our follow-up discipleship program, The Greatest Journey, since it was launched here in 2010. Learn More Reaching the…

Paraguay is located in South America. The indigenous language is called Guaraní, which is also the name of its currency. Paraguay is derived from the Guaraní word that means “river that gives birth to the sea.” There are several rivers in the country that connect to the Atlantic Ocean. Samaritan’s Purse began distributing gift-filled shoeboxes…

As Africa’s oldest republic, Liberia was initially established on land that was purchased for slaves freed from the United States. More recently, it is known for its rainforest and a season of civil war in the 1990s. Samaritan’s Purse began hosting Operation Christmas Child outreach events for the nation’s children in 1998 and launched The…

Located in southern Africa, Eswatini is one of the world’s remaining absolute monarchies. Formerly Swaziland, the nation is known today as an exporter of sugar. Samaritan’s Purse began delivering Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to children in this nation in 1999. Later in 2011, we started offering The Greatest Journey, our follow-up discipleship program designed…