Kululu Atsiaya often felt forgotten, especially at Christmas. He knew his family loved him, but life was hard for the boy growing up in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. He had heard stories of people receiving gifts, but he had never experienced it or known anyone who had. Most families in his neighborhood struggled to…
Operation Christmas Child
God Uses Shoebox Gifts to Start a Church in Ghana
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
Good News and Great Joy Shared in Ethiopia
This week Edward Graham, COO of Samaritan’s Purse, joined with a local church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to distribute hundreds of gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Before opening their presents, girls and boys listened to a child-friendly presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. “I want these kids to know that they are loved and…
Operation Christmas Child
A Young Girl in Ecuador Shares Her Amazing Testimony
Iglesia Nueva Generación in Cutuglagua, Ecuador, was predominantly a congregation of adults until they got involved with Operation Christmas Child. But when they coordinated an outreach event for children in June 2021, they were glad to see youngsters coming to the church, said volunteer Maria Yucailla. The event was successful and followed local health guidelines…
Operation Christmas Child
Packing a Shoebox Will ‘Make Your Heart Feel Good’
Retirement eagerly waited to welcome Sallie Simmons. She’d soon turn 65 and all the years of hard work would be behind her. Yet, one day, Sallie had an encounter with God that changed the direction of her life. “I was on my way home, driving a brand-new car. But I thought, ‘I’m not doing what…
Operation Christmas Child
Island with No Power, No Airport Receives Shoebox Gifts
The small island of Enubirr has no electrical power and no airport. Located in the central Pacific between the Philippines and Hawaii, Enubirr is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and home to just over 1,000 people. Most residents work on the neighboring island of Roi-Namur, which is leased to the U.S. government…
Operation Christmas Child
A Kazakh Church in Mongolia Reaches Children with Shoebox Gifts
Nalaikh, Mongolia, is home to 40,000 people in the winter, but only around 30,000 each summer as herders head out to the countryside to care for their animals. A district of Ulaanbaatar located about an hour from the capital city center, Nalaikh has two mosques and 15 churches. However, only one of them is focused…
Operation Christmas Child
Shoeboxes Go to the Very Ends of the Earth
Baljinnyam’s address might as well be “the ends of the earth.” To reach the valley where his two gers are located, you must drive more than nine hours west of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, to the province center of Bayankhongor. Since this is the province where Baljinnyam lives, you might think you’ve arrived, but the true journey…
Operation Christmas Child
Building Toy Cars to Help Build God’s Kingdom
Ken Postema lives in Western Michigan, about 15 miles east of Grand Rapids, on 10 wooded acres that he purchased 51 years ago when he was a senior in high school. Tall white pines, maples, tulip poplars, and hybrid poplars dot the lush, rolling landscape surrounding Ken’s beautifully handcrafted house, which he built himself. “Some…
