Can you fill a shoebox with love? The answer is yes ~ 8 million times! Last year over eight million care packages were delivered. Since 1993, over 130 countries have received these boxes filled with love & hope, reaching millions of kids each year. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. It has one mission: to demonstate God's love to needy children around the world and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. While you may not be called to be an overseas missionary, you and your family have an amazing opportunity to respond to the Great Commission and reach every corner of the world with the love of our Saviour! So how do you get started? I'm so glad you asked!
1. Find an empty shoe box or a small plastic container (Rubbermaid, Sterilite, etc.) A missionary told my prayer partner that the plastic containers are reused by the families it to haul water and for a variety of other uses!
2. Determine whether your gift box will be for a boy or girl and the child's age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. You can download labels from the Samaritan's Purse website.
3. Fill with gifts & love
4. Please include a $7 donation or more for each shoebox you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online through the EZ-Give method, or you can use a donation envelope.
5. Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at the Collection Center nearest you during National Collection Week (November 15-22, 2010) or you can send your shoe box gift to: Samaritan's Purse, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, NC 28607
6. Be sure to pray for the child that will receive your box!
Gift Suggestions
School Supplies: pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.
Toys: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch, Slinky, etc.
Hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste, bar soap (in a ziplock bag), comb, washcloth
Other: hard candy and lollipops, mints, gum (please place all candy in a ziploc bag), t-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights with batteries.
A Personal Note: You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back! We discoved to our delight that God directed one of our boxes to Burkina Faso. The girl that received it wrote us a lovely letter in French (her native tongue). We were able to use an online translation website to convert her letter into English. We were blessed beyond measure to have this treasured correspondence from this sweet young lady! We sent several more packages directly to this girl's family and eventually received a photo of her. This was an amazing lesson to our three children as they searched our world globe for the country of Burkina Faso (in Africa). We marveled at just how far God's love had reached... across countries, across oceans, across continents and around the world!
Remember, there is power in a simple gift! For more information about this ministry opportunity go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
1. Find an empty shoe box or a small plastic container (Rubbermaid, Sterilite, etc.) A missionary told my prayer partner that the plastic containers are reused by the families it to haul water and for a variety of other uses!
2. Determine whether your gift box will be for a boy or girl and the child's age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. You can download labels from the Samaritan's Purse website.
3. Fill with gifts & love
4. Please include a $7 donation or more for each shoebox you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online through the EZ-Give method, or you can use a donation envelope.
5. Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at the Collection Center nearest you during National Collection Week (November 15-22, 2010) or you can send your shoe box gift to: Samaritan's Purse, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, NC 28607
6. Be sure to pray for the child that will receive your box!
Gift Suggestions
School Supplies: pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.
Toys: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch, Slinky, etc.
Hygiene items: toothbrush, toothpaste, bar soap (in a ziplock bag), comb, washcloth
Other: hard candy and lollipops, mints, gum (please place all candy in a ziploc bag), t-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights with batteries.
A Personal Note: You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back! We discoved to our delight that God directed one of our boxes to Burkina Faso. The girl that received it wrote us a lovely letter in French (her native tongue). We were able to use an online translation website to convert her letter into English. We were blessed beyond measure to have this treasured correspondence from this sweet young lady! We sent several more packages directly to this girl's family and eventually received a photo of her. This was an amazing lesson to our three children as they searched our world globe for the country of Burkina Faso (in Africa). We marveled at just how far God's love had reached... across countries, across oceans, across continents and around the world!
Remember, there is power in a simple gift! For more information about this ministry opportunity go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
"Your gift of love may be the door God uses to open a child's heart to Jesus Christ."
Franklin Graham, President, Samaritan's Purse
