Oklahoma youngsters Ava and Sam hold a friendly competition each year to see who can pack the most Operation Christmas Child gift-filled shoeboxes. But, win or lose, their real goal is the same—to see kids all over the world come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Ava and Sam love to pack…
Operation Christmas Child
Friendly Competition in Oklahoma Multiplies the Impact of Operation Christmas Child Around the World
Operation Christmas Child
Shoebox Packers Photos
Shoebox Packers These photographs are available for news media outlet use in coverage of Samaritan's Purse-related stories. If your news outlet uses a photograph, please credit: “Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.” These photographs are not for commercial use. Details ⋮ United StatesIncluding a letter in your shoebox gift will delight the heart of the child who…
Operation Christmas Child
Zac’s Story: Coming Full Circle from Fiji
Zac and a Jump Rope Please enable Javascript to watch this video “Somebody thought of me.” Zac and his four siblings grew up playing with sticks and stones in his home country of Fiji. They played with what was available because exchanging gifts wasn’t common in their culture. And, for the family of seven, they…
Operation Christmas Child
Starting Churches in Mongolia
Mongolia is a spiritually dark land where Buddhism and cults are common and Christians are scarce. But a young couple committed to serving Jesus Christ is praying for this to change. Jargalmaa and her husband, Munkh-Erdene, moved with their two young children to Arvaikheer in southern Mongolia because the city is known for being among…
Operation Christmas Child
Planting Gospel Seeds in Ghana
Steady streams dripped from holes in the roof, and puddles were scattered all over the floor. The rain pounded relentlessly and threatened to drown out every other sound in the small church. But as the wet and windy thrashing continued, the songs of praise soared louder. Rita Danso had just started a Gospel presentation when…
Operation Christmas Child
Press Release Operation Christmas Child August 2022
Families Collect School Supplies for Children in Need BOONE, N.C.—As the new school year approaches, shoebox packers are making use of back-to-school prices to purchase gifts and essential items for children in need around the world. They are collecting school supplies along with hygiene items and fun toys, to pack in shoeboxes. Operation Christmas Child,…
Health & Medical Ministries
Seeing the World with Joy
Abiakwa’s world had been growing darker for years. Her vision had been failing in one eye since she was very young, and in recent years it had finally closed behind clouds of scar tissue. Her parents had always told her it began when she fell off the unattended cassava mortar, a very large wooden cauldron…
Operation Christmas Child
Children in Benin Hear the Gospel through Simple Shoebox Gifts
Nine-year-old Gladys flashed a big smile as she recounted the day she received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. The special items inside included a blanket folded neatly and arranged amid school supplies, a flashlight that her father needed, and other cherished items. Opening the shoebox gift was like opening up a new chapter of…
Shoebox Recipient Gives the Gift of Service to Louisiana Homeowners
Karina knows what it’s like to receive an unexpected gift from strangers. One year around Christmastime, a pre-teen Karina and her seven siblings were surprised to see stacks of colorful shoeboxes ready to be distributed to children at their church. Her large family was used to sharing what possessions they had and celebrating Christmas without…
Operation Christmas Child
A Special Bible, Packed in a Shoebox, Makes Its Way to a Remote Pacific Village
Alex and his parents regularly attended meetings of a local cult for years in their remote village of the Philippines. But, we praise God that last year he heard and received the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the outreach of Operation Christmas Child. Toti Ramos, the pastor of one of our partner churches from a…
