Joyous cries permeated the quiet streets of the San Lorenzo neighborhood in the outskirts of Asuncion, Paraguay, as dozens of children peeled open their Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. Jaws dropped at the sight of soccer balls, stuffed animals, crayons, and more. The initial timidness vanished as the group of 50 children picked out their…
Operation Christmas Child
God Opens Hearts Through Shoeboxes in Boise and Beyond
God has used gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to bring millions of children and adults to faith in Jesus Christ overseas. He also uses shoeboxes to draw people to Himself here in the U.S., as Manny Ma and his wife Wen Li of Boise, Idaho, can well attest. Wen accepted Christ as her Lord and…
Franklin Graham
Newsletter December 2024
Franklin Graham Update | December Franklin Graham Update | December 'From Devastation To Celebration' Dear Friend, As Christmas approaches, we continue to see so much need all around us. Our disaster relief teams have served thousands of storm-stricken families. Meanwhile, we've been collecting and shipping Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to millions of children worldwide. Hurricane Helene brought out the best in our…
Operation Christmas Child
“Mama Gump”: Her Hugs Went a Long Way
“Brother Graham, I’m Mary. Gotcha some shoeboxes for God. Where do you want ’em?” That’s how Mary Damron introduced herself to Franklin Graham, 30 years ago. A coal-miner’s wife from West Virginia with a great heart for children, Mary became a global ambassador for Operation Christmas Child during just the second year of the project.…
Operation Christmas Child
Thinking Locally—and Globally—with Operation Christmas Child
Ben Smith knows the power of a good story and the difference it can make in people’s lives. Hearing stories about how Operation Christmas Child helped bring the Gospel to children around the world fueled his involvement in the Samaritan’s Purse project from the very beginning. As a child, he packed shoebox gifts with his…
Operation Christmas Child
Encouraging Students to Serve Children Around the World
Adrienne Krater loves encouraging students to help reach children around the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Operation Christmas Child. It’s her focus as a year-round student relations volunteer in the Dayton, Ohio, area. Adrienne encourages local young people to pack Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts and tells them how God is using…
Operation Christmas Child
NOV 26: DENVER GRAND OPENING AND DEDICATION EVENT
Operation Christmas Child Commemorates 25th Anniversary, Opens Permanent Facility for Rocky Mountain Region DENVER, Nov. 23, 2018 — Volunteers, Denver residents and project organizers are celebrating the grand opening of a permanent ministry center for Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization. Since 1999, Denver has offered a seasonal home to one of…
Franklin Graham
Newsletter October 2023
Franklin Graham Update | October GOOD NEWS, GREAT JOY: The Lord uses shoebox gifts to bless children around the world and prepare them to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. 'I felt the love of Jesus through the shoebox!' Dear Friend, As we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Operation Christmas Child…
Operation Christmas Child
Shoebox Gifts Open Doors Among the Unreached in Asia
Shoebox Gifts Open Doors Among the Unreached in Asia Animals, trees, and hand-crafted idols … each is worshipped reverently by different unreached people groups within one Asian country. Families have remained in bondage to these dark beliefs for generations, but light is beginning to shine. We give thanks for how the one true living God…
Operation Christmas Child
Churches Dedicated Among Unreached Himba of Namibia
Update (Sept. 8, 2021): Since this article was originally published in 2019, Samaritan’s Purse has built a second church building in the Himba community of Otutati. Dedicated on February 27, 2021, this facility is an additional outpost of hope to this unreached people group. The Gospel continues to spread among them through the oral resources…
