Each year in September we’re reminded why the United States is at war—why so many of our military men and women have been deployed into combat zones over the past 18 years. The world-shifting events of September 11, 2001, launched our nation into a global war on terror that continues to this day. Since 2012,…
Pushing Themselves to the Limit—For a Good Cause
Matt and Jessica Cook stood satisfied at the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro staring out at a carpet of clouds hovering nearly two miles below them. The father-daughter duo from Cuba, Missouri, had reached Africa’s highest peak—19,341 feet above sea level—after an almost weeklong test of strength and endurance. With a love for Samaritan’s Purse and…
Children in Botswana Learn About God’s Love Through Shoebox Gifts
For children living in Molepolole, Botswana, receiving gifts is rare, so when Anitah attended a church outreach event she wasn’t expecting the wonderful surprise that awaited her. She experienced God’s love when she received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift from a family on the other side of the world. The free gifts in her…
God Uses a Shoebox Gift to Transform a Family in the Philippines
Bryce Pablo received a shoebox gift as a 4-year-old. Three years later, he accepted Jesus Christ and led his family to follow the Lord as well! Bryce Pablo is one of more than 6 million children in the Philippines who have received a gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. “When I opened my box, I…
It Started with a Shoebox Gift: Children Share Christ with Their Friends in Botswana
Peniel, 11, wants to be a doctor when she’s older so she can help people who are suffering. “I want to help people because I don’t want anyone in the hospital to die like my grandpa did. In the hospital. My father cried forever.” Helping others was not high on Peniel’s priority list a couple…
Veteran Couples Find Healing, Help in Christ During Alaska Marriage Training
The summer season of Operation Heal Our Patriots is off to a great start! We’ve already welcomed about 30 couples to Samaritan Lodge Alaska, and we expect to host nearly 160 couples before the season ends. We praise God that we’re already seeing life transformation among these wounded veterans and their spouses. Individuals are coming…
Age Is No Obstacle for Shoebox Packing
Leila Mae Cummings’ favorite activity is to pack Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. This 98-year-old resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, packed hundreds of them this year because she has a heart for children and hard work. “Growing up on the farm, I can’t ever remember a time when I didn’t have a job to do,”…
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Ends of the Earth (es)
Reconnecting in Alaska
Army Sergeant Omar Cortes served in the military for 15 years and was deployed twice to Iraq. He was medically retired in 2013 due to his combat injuries. After returning home to Puerto Rico, Omar and his wife Heidy started growing apart and desperately needed to reconnect—not only with one another but with God. Omar…