On Easter weekend, April 19-20, hundreds of children in the Colombia-Venezuela border city of Cúcuta, Colombia, heard about Jesus’ love for them through Operation Christmas Child. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, joined one of our church partners in Cúcuta to present the Gospel and hand out Operation Christmas…
Reaching the Deaf Community in the Country of Georgia
Pastor Paata has a big goal: to reach every family that includes a deaf person in the country of Georgia with the Good News of Jesus Christ. And he’s found a great tool to start conversations with deaf children or a hearing child of deaf parents—Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. Paata, who is deaf, said…
Tapping into the Power of Serving
Gracie O’Loughlin regularly witnesses groups working shoulder-to-shoulder for a common purpose as part of her role with Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse that shares the Gospel with children around the world through outreach events and shoebox gifts. When she and several colleagues recently volunteered with U.S. Disaster Relief, another project of Samaritan’s…
Idaho Woman Ignites a Passion for Shoebox Ministry in Local Church
Michelle Morgan celebrated her 50th birthday in an unusual way. Instead of cakes, cards, and carefully wrapped presents, she wanted shoeboxes. Fifty of them. And she wanted toys, school supplies, and hygiene items to pack inside of them. Michelle planned to prepare 50 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for children in need overseas to commemorate her…
NOV. 12 – 19: DROP-OFF SITES OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS PROJECT
Shoebox Gifts Remind Mexico’s Children that God Is Near
Esmeralda startled her daughter Fernanda awake as Hurricane Otis roared over their town just outside of Acapulco. Gentle words did little to sooth the 10-year-old’s fears as she saw the terror in her mother’s face, especially as the sheet metal roof peeled away. “I told them, ‘We’re going to stay here and nothing’s going to…
She’s Got a Heart for Sharing Christ Through Shoeboxes
Nine-year-old Ava Smith loves to pack Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes! Why? “Because shoeboxes provide hope for children who might not have any hope,” she said. She became passionate about the Samaritan’s Purse project three years ago when she packed her first shoebox gift at her Christian school in Felton, Delaware. Ava then shared her enthusiasm…
A Mountain Community in Mexico Responds to the Gospel
Note: For an exciting update to this story, see our latest article about the dedication of the first church in La Laguna. — Eusebia heard about Jesus on the radio. A couple of decades ago, that was the main way for the Mexicanero/Nahuatl people living in the mountains of northwest Mexico to hear the Gospel.…
Franklin Graham Visits War-Torn Ukraine with 200 Millionth Shoebox Gift
For the first time in many years, Ukrainian Elizabeth Groff returned to her home country, joining Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham on Jan. 25 to celebrate and deliver the 200 millionth Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift to the war-torn country. The milestone event, marking 30 years since the Samaritan’s Purse project started in 1993, also…