Northern Ghana is known for its wildlife—elephants, buffalo, and leopards roam the Savannah region—but also boasts a mosque that dates back to the 1400s. This ancient building made of mud and reeds stands is a source of pride for local Muslims, including the Kamara people. They saw Christians as unwanted foreigners, that is, until a…
Operation Christmas Child
Quality Matters
Quality items in Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts can be the gifts that keep on giving, as children grow up with lasting treasures that sometimes mean even more to them over time. Here are some examples of quality items and reasons they’re important to include: Quality items can become life-long keepsakes. Some shoebox items are…
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
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
Bringing Hearts to Christ in Cambodia
Hands clasped, heads bowed, children whisper their first words to the Creator they’ve just learned about. This moment of solemn surrender happens at tens of thousands of Operation Christmas Child outreach events across the globe each year. Watching one such prayer in his home country of Cambodia was especially meaningful to a boy named Samay*.…
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…
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…
Franklin Graham
Newsletter October
Franklin Graham Update | October Helping Survivors of Hurricane Ian Dear Friend, Ian was the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since Katrina, taking more than 100 lives and leaving entire towns uninhabitable. Not only were barrier islands devastated by the fierce Category 4 storm, but so were working-class neighborhoods and modest retirement villas farther inland on the Florida Peninsula.…
Our Ministry
2024 Mid-Year Report
Thank You Israel Response U.S. Disaster Relief World Medical Mission Operation Christmas Child & The Greatest Journey 2024 Mid-Year Report Thank You Through the first half of 2024, Samaritan’s Purse remained steadfast in our mission to relieve suffering and share the hope of Jesus Christ. Our teams continue serving in the difficult areas of the…
Crisis & Disaster Response
UPDATED: Three Child Survivors from Tanzania Bus Crash Recovering Well in U.S.
UPDATE (July 6): The three Tanzanian children severely injured in a May bus crash and then transported to the U.S. for medical attention are recovering well. They sustained 17 fractures among them and required operations to deal with injuries suffered in the horrific crash. After being airlifted from Africa by the Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 aircraft,…
