Not Just A Shoe Box Full of Cool Stuff

By Ginny (MAD21)

I love this time of year. Fall is my favorite for many reasons: Beautiful colors; sweaters and sweatshirts; playtime outside without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes; and soccer season are among the things I enjoy. But one of the things I really look forward to is talking to people about one of my most favorite ministries, Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child began in 1990 after a Welch couple viewed a television program depicting the horrors that children faced while living in Romanian orphanages. Heartbroken at the sight of malnourished children suffering in overcrowded orphanages, Dave and Jill Cooke began a local campaign to collect Christmas gifts for the children of war-torn Romania.  In less than three months, the Cooke’s had rallied support and launched a convoy of nine trucks, carrying £500,000 in aid supplies and thousands of gifts packed inside conveniently sized shoe boxes to bring hope and share the love of Jesus with children in Romania. Three years after its onset, the Wales-based Operation Christmas Child merged in a partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, the international Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham. The 1993 merger allowed Samaritan’s Purse to share its 20 years of expertise in relief and aid work with Operation Christmas Child, and expanded the reach of the shoe box gifts to over 28,000 children in the first year. (Source: Stacey Wilson, OCC)

Operation Christmas Child has delivered more than 85 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy boys and girls in 138 countries worldwide since 1993. The ministry is such a blessing. They don’t just walk into communities and give out the boxes, it’s not just charity, and it’s not random. The OCC Shoe Box ministry is part of a larger program that reaches out to families in countries all over the world where Samaritan’s Purse is established (Latin America, Africa, Haiti, Mexico, Columbia, and many more). They work with churches, hospitals, and other organizations to minister to communities. The Leadership Teams personally invite children in the area to come to a party where they play games, sing and listen to a message… and receive an OCC Shoe Box lovingly packed and prayed over by families all around the world.

But it doesn’t end with the party and gifts. 75% of children who receive boxes participate in The Greatest Journey Discipleship Program taught by teachers who live in these countries and speak the native languages. (The other 25% are either too young or they live in countries with higher restrictions for how much of the gospel the ministry is allowed to share.) The program teaches them about who Christ is and His love for them. In 2009/2010, about 315,000 kids under the age of 14 graduated from the program and received a copy of the New Testament in their own language.

As with most things in life, things are rarely as they first appear. It’s is not just a shoe box full of cool stuff. It’s full of Hope. The shoe box is a tangible way for us to show these kids that someone cares, and open their hearts and lives to the possibility of accepting Christ as their savior. And it doesn’t stop with them. It’s just one stone thrown into the pond that begins a ripple potentially affecting generations.

For the next three weeks I am going to post letters (like the one below) that my friend Stacey Wilson from OCC was kind enough to send me. They are from some of the kids who have received shoe boxes from OCC. I pray that these letters speak to your heart and encourage you to participate this year.

Georgia: "Two twin brothers lost their father in the last war with Russian forces. Since that time they have never smiled and laughed, they have never played. They were very unhappy. Their mother witnessed when they were invited to the distribution ministry they unexpectedly agreed to attend. During whole ministry they listened very carefully.  Mother finally could see them smiling, laughing and playing. That was a miracle for this family. Love of Christ touched their hearts."

Many groups around the country are collecting boxes now (official collection week is November 14th-18th). However, OCC collects and delivers them all year long. I  encourage you to keep Samaritan's Purse, as well as all the children who receive these boxes in your prayers. That children all around the world will be led to the feet of Christ, one shoe box at a time.

Operation Christmas Child began in 1990 after a Welch couple viewed a television program depicting the horrors that children faced while living in Romanian orphanages.  Heartbroken at the sight of malnourished children suffering in overcrowded orphanages, Dave and Jill Cooke began a local campaign to collect Christmas gifts for the children of war-torn Romania.  In less than three months, the Cooke’s had rallied support and launched a convoy of nine trucks, carrying £500,000 in aid supplies and thousands of gifts packed inside conveniently sized shoe boxes to bring hope and share the love of Jesus with children in Romania.  Three years after its onset, the Wales-based Operation Christmas Child merged in a partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, the international Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham.  The 1993 merger allowed Samaritan’s Purse to share its 20 years of expertise in relief and aid work with Operation Christmas Child, and expanded the reach of the shoe box gifts to over 28,000 children in the first year.