Ogouleroun was quick with a big smile on that Sunday morning, singing joyfully near the back opening of the rough-built church in a field donated by the village chief. The wooden structure was roofed with dried palm fronds, and Ogouleroun’s hands touched that roof as he worshipped. His tall stature stood out among the other…
Operation Christmas Child
Shoebox Gifts Remind Mexico’s Children that God Is Near
Esmeralda startled her daughter Fernanda awake as Hurricane Otis roared over their town just outside of Acapulco. Gentle words did little to sooth the 10-year-old’s fears as she saw the terror in her mother’s face, especially as the sheet metal roof peeled away. “I told them, ‘We’re going to stay here and nothing’s going to…
Operation Christmas Child
After Overcoming Leukemia, Shoebox Recipient Disciples Others
Laying in a hospital bed in Panama City, Panama, Maykel only had a few days to live—or so the doctors told his parents when they informed them he had Stage 3 leukemia. Their precious son, only 11 years old, had recently heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ when he received a gift-filled Operation Christmas Child…
Operation Christmas Child
Life Change in Central Asia
Providential Meeting Changes Lives in Central Asia God uses a shoebox gift to draw a boy to Christ just days before his death. Facebook Twitter email As Pastor Gadi returned from distributing shoebox gifts to children in a village several miles from the capital city, he saw two boys standing on the side of the road…
Operation Christmas Child
Samaritan’s Purse Celebrates 10.5 Million Shoebox Gifts Collected for Children in Need
Samaritan's Purse Celebrates 10.5 Million Shoebox Gifts Collected for Children in Need BOONE, N.C., Jan. 17, 2020 Because of the generosity of donors across the United States, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, collected more than 8.9 million shoeboxes in 2019. Packed with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items, these gifts bring joy and the eternal…
Health & Medical Ministries
Call Me Beautiful
In her tribal community, Adamma* knew from a young age her esteemed purpose in life was to become a wife and a mother. But at age 22, she remains neither due to a medical condition that makes her unable to become pregnant. Adamma felt cursed, as other girls had already been married for several years…
Health & Medical Ministries
Restoring Sight in South Sudan
Chiray, 24, walked many hours, guided by a cousin, from his village to Mankien, South Sudan, because he’d heard there were doctors there who could help him to see again. He’d been blind for more than a decade. At 10 years old, Chiray began to lose his sight. For the longest time he’d blamed it…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Hope Rises on the Frontlines
For almost a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and devastated communities around the world—with more than 100 million cases reported globally. The overall impact of the outbreak is staggering. In the United States, case numbers have surpassed 27 million with close to 500,000 deaths. Los Angeles County alone has reported more than 1.8 million…
Operation Christmas Child
Elena and a Teddy Bear
“I learned that the truth of God’s love is better than any fairy tale.” My home in a part of the former Soviet Union was cold and dirty. My mother and father drank all the time. They often left me and my sister by ourselves, sleeping on beds with no linens and without food. We…
Operation Christmas Child
The Happy Grandmas Send God’s Love
Their days often start early and end late, but when you’re doing what you love, the busy days don’t really seem like work at all. “This brings us joy every day. We give every day to God, every part of this ministry,” said Barbara Korn, who is part of the dynamic duo known as “The…
