Operation Christmas Child is underway with the National Collection Week going on now through November 24. If you are not aware of Operation Christmas Child, take a quick peek at Samaritan’s Purse to find out more about the campaign to collect gifts for children in need around the world. This international relief organization combines efforts of volunteers to provide physical and spiritual support for children in need around the world. For many children, this shoebox sized box full of goodies may be the only Christmas gift they will receive. It’s a simple process for you to reach children around the world and share a little bit of joy. For details on how to pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, watch the following video:
A local drop-off point for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes is at:
Canton First United Methodist Church
930 Lower Scott Mill Road
Canton, GA 30115
Drop off times:
- Saturday, Nov. 22-11am-2pm
- Sunday, Nov. 23-12-3pm
- Monday, Nov. 24-11am-12pm
To find other locations for drop-off search the Samaritan’s Purse location finder. Finally, enjoy the following press release from Samaritan’s Purse. It documents the story of a University of Georgia graduate that was first introduced to Operation Christmas Child when she received a box as a young girl.
SHOEBOX RECIPIENT RETURNS HOME TO LITHUANIA TO SPREAD LOVE
ATLANTA (Nov 6, 2014)— University of Georgia graduate Sauleja Satkute’s story came full-circle when she returned to her hometown in Lithuania this month to serve in the same place she had received a shoebox gift from Operation Christmas Child when she was just seven years old.
According to the World Health Organization, Lithuania has the fifth highest suicide rate. Growing up, Satkute’s family did not have enough money for even some of the most basic household necessities. She trusted that Jesus loved her, but when Operation Christmas Child delivered shoeboxes filled with presents that were just for her, she felt what God’s love was really like.
“Receiving that box meant so much to me. It was a perfect illustration of the Greatest Gift which is Jesus Christ, who was freely given to us. That box was given to me by people who did not even know me. As I grew older, I got more involved in church and wanted to be a part of telling God’s story and blessing others with shoebox gifts as well,” Satkute said.
The next couple of years, Satkute travelled with her church to small Lithuanian towns helping distribute shoebox gifts to the children at local church events. For many of these children, this was the first gift they had ever received.
“It was so great to watch the children hear about Jesus and receive their boxes. Their eyes were so big from excitement and the smiles on their faces were priceless!” she said.
Satkute and her family moved to Georgia where she attended Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. Following graduation, Satkute decided to move back to Kaunas to spread God’s love for those in Lithuania.
“I really feel God has called me to give back to the children in Lithuania. There are not as many Christians there like in the United States, so God will use me to show them His love,” Satkute explained.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to more than 113 million children in more than 150 countries. In 2014, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 10 million children.
For more information about how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 770-777-9342 or visit samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week for gift-filled shoeboxes is Nov. 17-24; however, shoebox gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, North Carolina. Participants can also build a shoebox through an online tool offering a personalized and convenient way to send a gift to a child in one of the hardest-to-reach countries.
Using special tracking technology, participants can follow their boxes online and discover the country to which their gifts will be delivered to children in need. To register a shoebox gift, use the online donation form at samaritanspurse.org.
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