A blog that was published in 2017 has recirculated stating that in a province in Zambia, pastors were charged money for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We promptly investigated and were disappointed to find that this incident was true. We have made changes in our global national training program to emphasize that this cannot happen. Shoebox…
Year-round Volunteer: Encouraging Students to Serve Children Around the World
Families Learn About Jesus Together in Mexico
As children around the world receive Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts and are invited to learn more about Jesus Christ through The Greatest Journey discipleship program, many parents are curious to find out what their children are learning. This is especially true if the adults themselves know little about Him. Soon, whole families are studying…
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…
A Young Girl Comes to Faith and Family Follows
When Athena was 8 years old, she received a gift-filled shoebox through Operation Christmas Child. Living in an impoverished area of the Philippines, the young girl had never received such a present. Athena began to learn about how much God loves her when she read The Greatest Gift, a Gospel story booklet Samaritan’s Purse developed…
Challenges Don’t Hinder Volunteer from Following God’s Call
As a year-round volunteer, Rebecca Parker-Moore leads the efforts of Operation Christmas Child’s area team in Huntington, West Virginia. “An area coordinator overseas all the operations of collecting shoeboxes, shepherding a team, and just being the face of Operation Christmas Child in a community,” Rebecca said. At age 16, Rebecca started packing shoebox gifts simply…
Ends of the Earth (es)
By Volunteering, She Became a Prayer Warrior
“Prayer is such a central piece of Operation Christmas Child. It supports all parts of the organization. It’s that underpinning to make sure everything else runs smoothly,” said Nancy Osborn, prayer coordinator for the Maine West team of year-round volunteers in the Portland area. A resident of Falmouth, Maine, Nancy works full-time as an inventory…