Thanks to you, 305,976 children had a Christmas to celebrate
Today, in towns and villages across Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and Haiti, there are smiles on the faces of children in villages where our partners hand delivered Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.
Just one of 305,976 stories like this
A group of announcers from radio stations around Australia and New Zealand joined our partners in Papua New Guinea for a shoe box distribution in December. Katrina Roe, from Hope 103.2 in Sydney, shared her experience,
“We distributed boxes to some of the most disadvantaged kids in Papua New Guinea. They were almost all dirty and some of their eyes were inflamed and infected. Many of them also appeared extremely malnourished.
“These were some of the most neglected children that I’ve ever seen and were certainly not used to being the centre of attention. So when they received their shoe boxes, they just sat in stunned silence. It soon became clear that it wasn’t about the stuff inside, it was about making them feel special… that they’ve been remembered.
“In an age and society where our children have so much, it’s easy to lose sight of what a Christmas gift is all about. But after being a part of distributing the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes, I’ve learned that a real Christmas gift is one that says, ‘You are loved and you matter to God’.”
Allan Lee from Radio Rhema in New Zealand tells his story,
“It’s quite strange at first. I was filming one girl getting a box and she seemed really unimpressed. It looked more like we were giving her a dead fish than a box of Christmas gifts!
“And as I looked around, I saw a similar scenario being played out all across the open square where the children were sitting. It was only afterwards that Pastor Arthur Tane explained that most of the children would never have received anything that was their own before. But when the kids realised the shoe boxes were actually for them, the looks in their faces were priceless!…. It’s fantastic to see how these small boxes can lead to so much more than a few new toys. They are helping change communities forever!”
It’s amazing how something as small as a shoe box filled with gifts can begin the process of transforming an entire community. On behalf of the 305,976 children in Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and Haiti who received your shoe boxes this year, thank you. Your support is impacting the lives of whole communities.