Impact Story from Uruguay

1. This story couldn't have come at a better time. For our church's packing party we are adding a pr of footwear to everybox. This has been the one thing that has been the most stressful for me. This reminds me God will provide!

   
   

   In a poor, countryside town in Uruguay, four brothers arrived barefoot at a shoe box gift distribution. They wore tattered handmade sandals to school, and went barefoot the rest of the time to preserve what little of the sandals remained.
   
   Volunteers asked the brothers what they hoped to receive in their boxes, and they replied that they just wanted shoes. They opened their boxes and each had a br...

   and new pair of shoes inside. They ran home yelling, “Daddy, I have shoes to go to school!”
   
   The father came back to ask if he had to pay for the gifts, and the volunteers explained that the gifts were freely given as an example of the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The father cried when he learned the gifts were free, and accepted Christ. The family told the whole neighborhood what the Lord had done for them, and many people accepted Christ.

   
   

   Source OCC
   

A Family Transformed

Source: OCC UK

A seventeen year old boy living in a small village in Romania heard that there was going to be a Christmas gift distribution, so he went and received a gift filled box from Operation Christmas Child, along with the booklet explaining the birth of Christ. The story intrigued him and he would go to church where the gifts were given as often as he could and even attended summer camp put on by the church. 

On the way to camp the Pastor asked the boy about his life at home. The boy shared with his new friend about his desperate home situation – that his mum was a prostitute and that his father found clients for her. He was ashamed of his family and knew their lifestyle was wrong.

Upon returning to his village from the summer camp, the young man boldly told his mother that he could not live as they did anymore. As it turned out, his pastor friend found a place for him to stay at the church. It was not long however before he began to feel burdened for his family and God gave him the strength he needed to go home.

His mum was the next person in his family to accept Christ. Due to the size of the village, it did not take long for everyone to know that the former prostitute was a Christian. The father however was very angry because his wife was not making money for him any more and he would have to find another line of work. He tried many times to kill the mother and son. One day he came home drunk and grabbed the woodchopper, closed the door and gave his wife and son one last minute to make a wish. They began to pray and God protected them that day, for the father simply turned and left.

The church family continued to meet and began to pray for this man. He soon became very ill and had to go to the hospital. The hospital called the family to come and get him as he was going to die very soon. The mother and the son brought the man home and the church began to pray. The prayers were heard and answered. The man stood up from his death bed the next morning –healed and changed! 

A shoebox gift for a boy was the beginning of bringing life into a hopeless situation.

Impact Story- Viel Thom in Cambodia

Source OCC AU

“I’ve never gotten a gift like this before,” said six year old Pov. “I like the stuffed animal the most,” she added, pulling the stuffed gorilla tightly into a hug.
With an unstoppable grin on her face, Pov carefully looked through the contents of her shoe box stopping to inspect a pencil case filled with pencils and erasers and pens.
“I will use this for school,” she said.  “I like it so much.”
Pov’s parents, poor rice farmers, would never have dreamed of giving a gift like that to their daughter.  Yet on the day of the distribution, Pov could not contain her excitement.
The corrugated tin shacks that line the dusty dirt track cutting through the heart of Viel Thom expose the village’s poverty.  Of all the communities in the region, Viel Thom is the poorest.  While most of the men in the village are handicapped former soldiers, now retired because of their disabilities, the women of the village farm rice, or tie hay to make thatch to build homes.
Samaritan’s Purse has worked in Viel Thom providing the village with some of its most basic needs; water filters through local partners, a school for the children of the community, and support for the village’s men.

But it was Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts packed with small gifts, school supplies and hygiene items that brought a twinkle to the eye and a bounce to the step of the children and parents of Viel Thom.

Impact Stories from Fiji

While helpers of Operation Christmas Child are going to great lengths to ensure kids in Fiji feel special at Christmas, God is using the project to show the extraordinary lengths He goes to, to make Himself relevant to children, who have often never heard of Him.
One such trek took local indigenous church partners back and forth over a river 14 times, carrying the shoe boxes on horse-back, for children who would otherwise not see any gits for Christmas. Tears and emotions flowed freely as children received gifts, with one child from the island of Rotuma shouting with joy as he held his first Christmas gift. The parents at various distribution locations wept openly as their children received gifts – lots of them happy that large amounts of stationery were provided for their children’s school needs.

Source OCC Australia-New Zealand.

Impact Stories from Fiji

A child had recently given away his sandals to a friend who couldn’t afford any. The following week he came to the distribution day and was given a box. To his surprise he got a brand new pair of sandals that fitted him perfectly. He told the pastor what he did the previous week and how God had given him a new pair of sandals! Some of the children have already started attending Sunday school and church services because of this testimony.

Hope after sadness

Source OCC UK

Tragedy overtook this family in 2004, the night the police arrived in the camp. Their father had been arrested and badly mistreated before, and when he saw them surrounding his house, demanding that he come out for questioning,  he panicked.   Taking a rifle,  he shot himself through the heart in front of some of his children.  
Now the mother and numerous children must somehow survive on their own.  There is no money for toys, and no one does this family any favours.   So when the shoe boxes arrived at  the flimsy door to their house,  the children’s eyes flickered with astonishment – and some real bewilderment, that soon turned into shy, furtive smiles.   For the first time in their lives,  they have brand new toys – and also the knowledge that someone, somewhere, cared enough for them to send them.   They cannot quite understand this, and the older children listen to the pastor with growing interest as he explains.  These shoe boxes will be an invaluable help to Vllaznim, the pastor,  and Sinisia, the leader of the project,  as they attempt to build a relationship with this sad family.

Raymonds Story Part II

Source:  OCC Australia - New Zealand


The Christmas shoe box also contained a pair of slippers (flip-flops) which Raymond would use to take the ‘shortcut’ to school through a river instead of getting his runners wet. Danger along the longer route would mean that kids could not get away due to mountainous terrain so they would opt to cross the Senao River. This would often result in them getting wet all over and missing school altogether.  Raymond would keep his slippers in his backpack so he could change – ensuring his school clothes were still intact when he arrived.

Though these gifts made attending school a bit easier, when war broke out in 1989 Raymond spent the majority of his life travelling from refugee camp to refugee camp. As soon as the conditions became bad he would move to the next one – and many milestones in his life took place around this tumultuous pattern; including graduating from high-school and raising a family.
Raymond shares about the painful journey and explains how eventually his wife was able to obtain a visa through a ‘women at risk’ program and come out to Australia with his youngest daughter, Alexandria. A few years later Raymond too was able to follow them with his teenage daughter, Winifred – who also remembers receiving a shoe box at the age of nine.

Raymond remembers the shoe box gift he received as a redeeming element to the torment he faced on a daily basis. Helping at the warehouse is a way for him to help others receive what he was given.

Raymond's Impact Story Part I

Souce: OCC Australia-New Zealand

Raymond Addy who grew up in Liberia. He remembers many things about his early years in Liberia; a life typified by travelling from one refugee camp to another and absence from his family for decades at a time. But there’s one memory that remains as a redeeming element to the torment – the gift he received in a humble shoe box that enabled him to keep studying and be revered by his peers – a flashlight.
The flashlight led the way to a life of opportunity for Raymond who remembers having to use an oil lantern to study before going to bed at night. Raymond says the lantern was very dim at and the oil would often fall onto the books in front of him and onto his school clothes.

“We never had a continuous electricity service. It would be on for a while and then it would go out. This flashlight served a purpose. We had to study with the oil lamp, so you’d go to school the next day with oil in your books and sometimes even on your uniform.”
The flashlight also made him more popular amongst his peers, “it was customary for us to go out and play at night and after it became dark we’d go home.”
“The torch not only allowed me to study but gave me a position of leadership among my friends. Less people would fight with me because I would lead the way – more people wanted to be my friend! “

Impact Story from Vietnam

In Central Vietnam a 13 year old girl called Do Ngoc Tien, received her own special box Operation Christmas Child gift filled shoe box.  When she opened her box, Tien cried with joy.  It was the first time she had received gifts from anyone, especially a friend from afar.

Sadly both Tien and her sister had leukemia and needed frequent blood replacement.  Tien understood that her parents did not have money to pay for life-saving blood replacement and so at first she wanted to give her shoe box to another child!  Tien thought there was no point in keeping her gifts as she would not live long enough to play with them herself.  When she was encouraged to keep the gifts given to bring comfort, hope, and joy to a child in need, she happily agreed and held them close.

Source OCC Australia-New Zealand

Humphary from Liberia

Source OCC UK

‘

What’s this?!’ thought Humphrey, as he opened his gift box one Saturday in February in the school at Harber village, on the Firestone rubber plantation. He pulled out a jelly-like object with lots of tentacles and began inspecting it. It had a nice feel to it, but seemed a little odd. Humphrey was about to put it down to explore the rest of his gifts when a volunteer showed Humphrey there was more to his jelly-tentacle object than met the eye! A firm squeeze showed how it could blow out into a big bubble – amazing! And a quick bounce on the table and it was all flashing lights inside! ‘Now there’s something to show off to my friends!’ thought Humphrey, as friends quickly gathered round!

Outside the school building Humphrey’s mum and dad, Elijah and Martina, watched as their excited children came to show off their gifts. ‘Thank you so much for coming to us here’ said Elijah, who has worked as a driver on the Firestone plantation for seven years, ‘it means a lot to us!’ 

Story Couldn't Come at a Better Time.

GUATEMALA: Nine-year-old Isaias could not go to school because his mother was very ill and the family had to spend their money on medicine, leaving no money to purchase school supplies. Isaias’s mother trusted that God would provide for the family and for her son’s school supplies.

Meanwhile, the pastor of their church invited Isaias and his siblings to participate in an event that included an Operation Christmas Child shoe box distribution. What a surprise they had when they found school supplies in Isaias’s shoe box – everything that he would need! Isaias’s family was very glad because their trust in God was rewarded. Now Isaias is attending school and is very happy and grateful.

Operation Christmas Child Canada shared this story on their fb page today.  I love reading stories how boxes can change a child's life.  How the items in a box are the very items that the family needs.  The story came while I was taking a break from filling up pencil cases.  Last year I found it very busy right around distribution week, so I've been trying to spread things out a bit more.  And God has provided so many school supplies already.  And it's only beginning of March!  I have enough pencil cases (a few more to be sewn yet, but they're cut) pencil crayons, erasers, scissors and pens.  It's fun to fill up the pencil cases and know they could be going to a child just like Isaias!  And the items could help them go to school.  Talk about rewarding!

More from Ecuador.

Follow Meredith, as she is also in Ecuador with Operation Christmas Child this week.  Read her loaves and fishes moment!

Impact Stories- A Special Gift

OCC Canada just posted this story on it's fb page.  It brought tears to my eyes.
I have had the privilege to meet Ben Silcox.  His love for God is so evident in talking to him.  And he has a huge heart for this ministry! Thank-you Ben for sharing this story.

“We brought you a special gift,” Ben said to Mario. “We give it to you in Jesus’ name and we want you to know that we love you.”  He handed the boy a shoe box that had been filled with gifts by a special group thousands of miles away.
Mario opened the box and saw a photo of a group of smiling people.  He and his mother stared at the faces.  “This picture will be placed in the most special place in our home,” said Mario’s mother, Carolina. “This is a precious item.”
A few months earlier, the group in the photo was hard at work at the Samaritan’s Purse warehouse in Calgary, cutting out labels, stacking brochures, and volunteering their time for the Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift project.
The group of about 20 adults with special needs, along with their caregivers, faithfully volunteers year-round to help the project run smoothly. “They love coming and being part of the group,” says caregiver Sandra.  “The shoe boxes can change even one family.”
When the group heard that Ben would be traveling to Chile to distribute shoe boxes with Operation Christmas Child, they packed their own shoe box for him to give to a 5-to-9 year-old boy.  “They each chose items to include,” Ben says. “And they made sure to include their group photo so the recipient could see who loved him enough to send the box.”
A few months later and a continent away, Ben saved the special shoe box for the final distribution event of his trip, hoping to find the perfect child to receive it. “I had the box in my backpack, but before we got on the bus I removed the box to find my camera and forgot to put it back in.  We got to the distribution event and I felt terrible that I’d missed my opportunity to deliver this special box.”
Ben and the distribution team began to pray, trusting that God had a plan for that shoe box.
The next day, the group traveled to a poor mining village called Santa Rosa and Ben set off with an interpreter. “We just prayed while we walked,” he says. “We knew that God had chosen a special child for this box and we needed God’s guidance to find him.”
The dirt roads were deserted and no children were in sight. They veered onto a dusty side trail and came upon a young boy, Mario, who took them to his home. Coming over a hill, Silcox encountered a demolished house with a partially rebuilt structure beside it – this was Mario’s home.
Mario’s father had been murdered by burglars three years earlier and his mother, Carolina, had been forced to send her older son away to live with relatives because she could not afford to feed him and Mario. Their home had been flattened in the 2010 Chile earthquake, and Carolina was slowly rebuilding it out of salvaged materials.
Ben handed Mario the shoe box packed by the special needs adults in Calgary. Carolina cried as Mario discovered a stuffed dog, candy, school supplies, and soap. Ben and his group prayed with the mother and son as Carolina hugged them, saying, “I know that God sent you to give that gift to Mario.  God sent you for us, to remind us that He hasn’t forgotten us.”
Ben returned to Calgary to share the story of God’s amazing plan with the special needs adults. “They were very moved and excited,” he said. “We know it wasn’t a coincidence. God had this group pack that shoe box to remind Mario and his mother that despite the troubles in their lives, He is still taking care of them.”

Damira's story

Desertion and illness have ruined Damira’s childhood.   Her father deserted the family years ago; his daughter has no idea how to contact him.  Then, only three months ago, her mother fell desperately ill, and so the only solution was for the orphanage to give Damira a home. 

Damira longs to see her mother again, and spends many anxious hours wondering what will become of her if she cannot return to her mother in a few months time.    She is very homesick and worried about the future.  She was deeply touched to think that someone somewhere had cared enough to send her something.   It reminded her that the local Christians are also caring.   The shoebox has helped build Damira’s confidence in the local church.  A relationship of trust and goodwill is being strengthened.

Story by Anne Coomes
Photo by James Fletcher
Source OCC UK

Eyes for the Blind

LOVE this story that Jessica from Clip With Purpose Posted..

Visiting an Operation Christmas Child shoe box distribution in Fiji last Christmas, Judy, a Samaritan’s Purse Australia volunteer, found herself in the middle of a church filled with hundreds of young children – all eagerly awaiting their own shoe box.
It was quite a scene as each child ripped open their box to discover the treasures inside. That is, each child except a little boy named Ajay, who sat at the end of one pew with his head down and his hands in his lap. Judy soon learned that Ajay was almost blind, and not only that, his mum had recently died. Ajay had a lot to be sad about.
When Judy sat down beside Ajay and helped him open his shoe box, tears filled her eyes. Right on the top was a perspex magnifying glass. Judy knew that God had guided the gift-giver when they packed their box months before.
Judy took the magnifying glass out of the box and held it up in front of The Greatest Gift booklet that was under the shoe box.

Story from Belrus

Photo from Belrus home visit. Vania and her husband Uli live in a small flat with their 5 children.  While Jon (9) Sergei (8) Mali (6) and their sister Ana (6) opened their shoeboxes in great delight she stood holding their baby brother watching her children enjoy their discoveries.  After some time like this each child settled to enjoy one or two of their favorite gifts and mom sat down on the bed to look at the rest of the contents.  As she pulled different items from the box she let out quietly spoke "wows" to herself.  She was so touched by all that her children had received knowing that she herself was unable to give them even half as much and so grateful that someone remembered her chidlren.

Source OCC UK

Jamil and his gloves.

In Kenya post-election violence in 2008 coupled with the effects of the global financial crises has taken their effect on Kenya’s economy. Almost a quarter of the population live on less than a £1 a day and there are 1.2 million people living with HIV. 

Jamil is 6 years old and lives in the Ark children’s home as he is an orphan. Although he is well cared for and is basically healthy he does not get many presents or things which he can keep for himself. He had learned in Sunday school that if you pray for something hard enough God will provide it. What he wanted most in all the world was a pair of gloves for the cold weather. He prayed everyday for months and could not understand why they were not at the end of his bed when he woke in a morning or why they did not appear in church when he went to Sunday school. But he did not stop praying for them.

Then the shoeboxes came. As Jamil opened his box he found maroon stripped scarf and a pairs of maroon gloves. He told everyone that this was his best day in his life. Since then Jamil has been proudly wearing his scarf as he goes to church and to school too. Jamil still loves going to church and is very active in his church Sunday school – telling the other children how if they pray for something God will give it to them – but not in the way that you might expect.

 

Source OCC UK.

 

Now is a great time to buy gloves, toques and mittens all on sale!!!!

Kara's big smile

We were welcomed into the social shelter and ushered into a room where a group of 9 children awaited us.  The shelter provides a home for children who cannot remain in their homes for whatever reason but is only ever a temporary measure of up to 6 months.  They work with the children but also with the parents and the hope is always that the home situation would improve so that the children are able to return home to their families.  During 2011 they have had 46 children living there and 35 of those were able to return home while the others were put into foster families.  They love the children in their care and try to ensure that they feel part of a family there.

Kara was stood off to the side as we began giving out the boxes.  I asked one of the translators to find out her age but before the translator could answer she told me herself in English that she was 10 and smiled  a big smile at me.  She had managed to learn a good amount of English.  But her mother struggles with a drinking problem and is unable to work at the moment.  While she is getting help Kara has come to live at the shelter.  As Kara opened her box each item was the cause of great delight.  She pulled out some glittery hair accessories and with a giggle she told me that now she can be a princess.

 

Words and pictures by Faith Sprinks- OCC UK

Another amazing video - this time from Madagascar

Haiti Distribution

I was very excited to read Cissie Graham Lynch's blog and see she had been in Haiti to deliver shoe boxes.  50,000 shoe boxes from Canada are going to Haiti this year.  And 75,000 are going to be sent in 2012.  A little side note: boxes from Canada usually have the Samaritans purse tape at both ends of the box.  The US boxes usually tape in the middle.  So chances are pretty good that some of boxes shown are from Canadians!