by Joan Franklin
www.samaritanspurse.com

The final report on Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child has just been received. This Franklin Graham organization was able to collect 4,881,577 shoeboxes from the U.S. and 3,085,424 from other developed countries for a grand total of 7,967,001 boxes!  That is almost 8 million shoeboxes with small gifts and gospel materials in 52 languages.  These shoeboxes are distributed to children in poverty and war torn areas in over 100 countries – places such as Mali, Uganda, Philippines, China, Ecuador, Bolivia, Macedonia and Moldova.  For most children, these are the only gifts they will receive.

Additionally, Samaritan’s Purse works with local churches to invite shoebox recipients to participate in a 10-lesson Bible study. Over 1.3 million children graduated from the program last year and more than 700,000 boys and girls received Jesus as Savior.

Our SBCC congregation participated in this program by filling 172 boxes. In addition, Lynda Horsley, Norm Horsley, Deana Gilman and Joan Franklin drove to the Orange County Regional Processing Center, (one of six in the U.S.), and spent a very special day helping prepare hundreds of boxes for transporting.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this program to help hurting children and their families hear the Good News of Jesus.  We look forward to sending even more shoeboxes next Christmas.