Impact Story

I love hearing impact stories.  How a simple box can change the life of the child who receives it.  But often it affects the whole family.  Like this story.

Christian Silva of La Carbonera, Nicaragua, can still remember the day, eight

years ago, when her son and daughter received Operation Christmas Child shoe

box gifts. “My kids were full of joy with the boxes,” she remembers. Her threeyear-

old daughter Chrisada fell in love with a pink stuffed bear from her shoe box

and snuggled it every night while she slept.

Christian’s family had not been going to church, but she and her husband were

so overjoyed with the gift-filled shoe boxes that they soon began to attend the

church that had hosted the shoe box distribution event. Eight years later, they

still attend the church and everyone in family has grown in their faith in the Lord.

“Through the discipleship lessons I have learned to love Jesus,” says Chrisada,

now 11 years old.

As their relationship with Christ grew, their family life also changed. “There used

to be strife in our home,” Christian laments, “but [Jesus] changed everything. We

are no longer how we were before.”

The family is grateful for the Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts that led

them to the church and to salvation in Christ. “We thank the Lord and

Samaritan’s Purse and Canada for having love in your hearts for the poor

children of Nicaragua.”
Source OCC Canada