Exciting! Joyous! Celebratory! Praise-filled! That is how I would describe the Global Operation Christmas Child Conference that I attended a few weeks ago. Over 4000 volunteers from 120 countries met to celebrate our amazing God and His using OCC. God has enabled them to send 200 MILLION shoeboxes to 170 countries during 30 years of ministry as well as see 50 million children complete the Greatest Journey Bible study in their own language! God has greatly blessed Operation Christmas Child and used YOU and thousands like you to reach 200 million precious children with the Gospel. That is what this ministry is all about – reaching children, families, and their communities for Him.
At lunch one day during the conference, I sat beside Oli from Malawi. He shared about what God is doing in East Africa to reach unreached people groups. He told one story of a group from his church going to an island six hours from the coast. They arrived at 3:00 am, tired and hungry. A local woman told them that, since it was Ramadan, no one would cook for them. However, when she learned they were Christians, she said she knew that prosperity and schools followed wherever Christians went so she would cook for them. Later, when they went into the village with their shoeboxes, 700 children gathered around, but they had only 200 boxes. Oli told the leader to separate out 200 children. The team would give shoeboxes to those children, but he would give something more valuable than the items in the boxes to the other 500 children.
Oli is an amazing storyteller. He shared God’s plan with them from Creation to Jesus' coming to the earth and about His love, death, and resurrection. When Oli asked if the children wanted to know Jesus, nearly every hand shot up. He prayed with them. Then he gave the Greatest Journey info to the leader and showed her how to teach the children. Oli returned sometime later with more boxes, but they still had no church or Christian leadership. About a year later, a young man in Oli’s church had completed secondary school but had no money to continue to university. Oli asked if he wanted to work for the Lord and Joshua said, “Yes!” Oli said it would be very hard, far away, and lonely, but Joshua still said “Yes.” He went to that faraway island, became their pastor, and still leads that church today.
That is one of thousands of stories about how God is using this ministry to reach people. On average, 1000 churches are started each year through the children who give their lives to Jesus and the churches who have partnered with OCC to take the shoe boxes and the Gospel to these unreached peoples. The need is still great. There are an estimated 960 million children in the world who have not yet heard the Gospel. Will you help?
Since last November, we have taken a break from asking for donated items for Operation Christmas Child, but we are starting again to ask you to bring items for two new packing days – yes, I said DAYS – in addition to our usual one in November.
- The first one will be during Music Camp this year! The children will be bringing items for a Friday packing day, but many items are needed. We hope to pack 100 boxes and will need your help bringing items too. (washcloths, soap, combs, markers, pencils/erasers, small stuffed animals, watches, socks, calculators, tape, coloring books, notebook paper, pens, small bowls/cups, flipflops, socks, small toys)
- The other new packing day will be at a special Christmas in July OCC evening on Wednesday, July 26. We will have informative videos and hopefully, a shoebox recipient to speak to us! We will finish the evening with a fun packing party.
Another new opportunity this year is giving money to Covenant specifically for OCC. These monies can help with the $10 shipping fee for each box or purchase bulk orders of items such as soccer balls and flashlights. If you give within ShelbyNext, select “Other Giving” and then the sub-fund of “Operation Christmas Child.”
Most importantly, please pray! This is God’s ministry – pray He will continue to use these gifts to reach dear children for Him – children we will one day meet in heaven.
You will hear more over the next few months. A list of needed items will be in upcoming newsletters and bulletins as well as near the collection cart in the admin hallway. I’m excited to see what God is going to do through our wonderful Covenant family.
