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…
Operation Christmas Child
Operation Christmas Child Grows Albanian Church
Mark Datson is the Operation Christmas Child Regional Director for the Baltics, Balkans, and Central Europe. “… in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum [in present-day Albania] I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19, NKJV). Today, Operation…
Operation Christmas Child
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.…
Operation Christmas Child
Franklin Graham Celebrates 25 Years of Operation Christmas Child at Charlotte Event
Franklin Graham, along with several hundred enthusiastic volunteers from across the country, celebrated Operation Christmas Child’s 25th year of sending shoeboxes to children in need with an energetic, praise-filled ceremony on Nov. 29. The event was held at the Samaritan’s Purse Charlotte Processing Center. “We want to dedicate these boxes to God for His glory…
Operation Christmas Child
Seeing with New Eyes
In many parts of Togo to be born blind is to be born cursed. Families and communities superstitiously fear the disability. Annani, who is visually impaired rather than totally blind, was nevertheless rejected by his father and scorned by teachers and classmates. In the latter case, he was shamed because he couldn’t see the blackboard…
Operation Christmas Child
Shoeboxes Open Doors and Hearts for the Gospel in Liberia
For nearly 25 years a road divided the two sides of Nyiela, a community in western Liberia that had separated itself into Muslim and Christian parts of town. The sides didn’t talk much and they didn’t cross over, not even for clean water or medical care—not even during the Ebola crisis. Tribal conflicts added to…
Operation Christmas Child
The Love Behind a Shoebox Gift Surprised a Girl in Cambodia
Boun Thorne grew up in a boat village in the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia. In the aftermath of a terrible situation, she moved at age 10 to a safe house where she received Bible teaching and an Operation Christmas Child shoebox—her first gift ever! When Boun inquired why someone would send her a gift,…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Franklin Graham Sees Relief Work in Jamaica; Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes Delivered
Franklin Graham met with storm survivors in Jamaica on Sunday in Black River. Earlier in the weekend, our DC-8 aircraft carried more than 9,000 Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to the island for children affected by Hurricane Melissa. It was the final mission for this historic aircraft. Franklin Graham visited Black River and other communities…
Operation Christmas Child
Scaling Mountains with Shoebox Gifts and the Gospel
The steep footpath that ran alongside the cliff had become a trail of slimy, unrelenting mud. But it was the only way to reach a Filipino community nestled in the mountain forest—a nearly 35-mile walk from the nearest town. Undaunted by the conditions, Pastor Jacob*, together with his wife, daughter, and a small ministry team,…
Operation Christmas Child
Opening Eyes and Ears in Ecuador
Nestled in the mountains of the Pichincha province of Ecuador, Pastor Segundo Santacruz leads a large church that meets in a very small building. “Amor a la Vida” (Love for Life), as the congregation is called, reaches out to the Quechua community around them in a variety of creative ways. They provide food for their…
