When Dariya, 13, of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift in February, it interrupted her life with joy. ‘They Told Us About Jesus’ Dariya lives in an apartment in the Mongolian capital with her grandmother, Bebe Bakhpit, and 10-year-old cousin, Hannah. Her parents are divorced, and her mother works in South Korea—often…
Operation Christmas Child
Texas Teen Crochets for Girls Around the World
During National Collection Week two years ago, Alathia Purtell formed what even she thought was an impossible dream—to produce 2,000 crocheted purses for Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. Alathia, then 12, was visiting her maternal grandparents in Canton, Texas, when she went with her grandmother Sue to her church’s shoebox drop-off location. There, Alathia saw…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Volunteers Begin Helping California Homeowners After Devastating Fire
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER IN CALIFORNIA There wasn’t much time to flee Paradise as the Camp Fire roared across Butte County, California. Residents reported harrowing escapes with their shoes heating up under them as they abandoned cars stuck on melting tires. Before it was fully contained, the Camp Fire burned more than 14,000 homes and…
Operation Christmas Child
God Is Transforming Families in Botswana through The Greatest Journey
In the desert village of Serinane, hours outside Botswana’s capital Gaborone, jobs are hard to come by. The little money that finds its way to the village is often spent on alcohol; many families are hurting as a result. Life is difficult for everyone here. Change will only come person by person, with God’s transforming…
Operation Christmas Child Espanol
Volunteer at a Drop-off Location (es)
Sirve como Voluntario en un Drop-off Location Semana Nacional de Recolección En cerca de 5,000 lugares en toda la nación, hay voluntarios que dan la bienvenida y oran con las personas que entregan cajas para Operation Christmas Child. Otros voluntarios llenan contenedores y cargan camiones con las millones de cajas que, en oración, anticipamos recibir.…
50 Years of Ministry
Discipling Boys and Girls through The Greatest Journey
After 16 years of collecting and delivering Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, Samaritan’s Purse launched its own follow-up discipleship program for the boys and girls who receive them. In 2009, this 12-lesson course called The Greatest Journey started at Good Shepherd Church in Pifo, Ecuador, located just outside of Quito, and today has grown to…
Operation Christmas Child
Transportation Photos
Transportation These photographs are available for news media outlet use in coverage of Samaritan's Purse-related stories. If your news outlet uses a photograph, please credit: "Courtesy of Samaritan's Purse." These photographs are not for commercial use. This tractor and trailer in Cambodia help get shoebox gifts to children in rural parts of Cambodia. Operation Christmas Child…
Operation Christmas Child
Christian Radio Trip Giveaway Terms and Conditions
Official Rules for Operation Christmas Child Momentum Vision Trip Giveaway NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE ODDS OF WINNING. By participating in this sweepstakes/giveaway (the “Giveaway”), you (“Entrant”) accept and agree to the following Terms and Conditions: Giveaway Period: The Giveaway runs from…
Crisis & Disaster Response
God Answers Prayers in Storm-Wrecked Jamaica
Derick emerged from cover to survey the storm he had just survived. Hurricane Melissa had churned for hours over Black River, Jamaica, and from what he could see, his community was in ruins. The once-lush tropical forests had been stripped of all color, while aluminum roofs and household possessions were strewn across the streets. Aluminum…
Operation Christmas Child
Nadia and a Doll
Nadia and a Doll "As a Christian from a low-income family in Ukraine, I saw my shoebox gift as an answer to my mother’s prayers. " While growing up in Ukraine I lived in a three-bedroom apartment with my family of 11. Toys were rare in our neighborhood. I remember one of my neighbors showing…
