Saturday, June 29, 2013

Operation Christmas Child in Senegal... bringing LIGHT into the Darkness

The below story is from Operation Christmas Child Canada, and tells of how God's love is going forth even into a nation that is 95% Muslim. http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/rss/operation-christmas-child/impact/operation-christmas-child-impact-story_helping-children-in-senegal.aspx




Maxime Kouda, a church pastor and head of the National Leadership Team in Senegal, Africa that coordinates Operation Christmas Child in the west African nation, is thrilled that more than 341,000 shoe boxes from Canada have been distributed there during the past six years, after 9,000 in Year One.

However, he wants the number of Operation Christmas Child  shoe boxes contributed by Canadians to continue growing each year because he knows first-hand how many hurting children there are in Senegal, Africa and other parts of the developing world for whom an Operation Christmas Child  shoe box can be life transforming.

"It tells them they are loved," Kouda says. "It gives them hope." And often, "it introduces the children and their families to the saving power of Jesus Christ."

When distributing the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes in partnership with local churches, in Senegal, Africa Samaritan's Purse offers each child an illustrated booklet in his or her native language that tells the story of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Children aren't required to accept the booklet, but many do.

Also, a couple of weeks after Operation Christmas Child  shoe boxes are distributed, local churches partner with Samaritan's Purse in offer a voluntary Bible study - known as The Greatest Journey - to children and families.

"People here in Senegal (where the population is 95 per cent Muslim) are generally hostile to the Gospel," Kouda explains. "But when we distribute the Operation Christmas Child  shoe boxes, and show we really care about the Muslim children as well as the Christian children, we see an openness that wasn't there before."

For example, in one Senegalese village where an Operation Christmas Child  shoe box distribution happened in 2005, the village chief - a Muslim - remains one of the program's biggest fans of Operation Christmas Child.

"I'm very happy to work with the Christians (including local church leaders)" to help children receive Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes," says Salion Gueye, 81, who joined the local Islamic imam in officiating at the 2005 shoe box distribution in their village. "We're glad to have received shoe boxes, and we thank the people of Canada."

Gueye still has the photos of the mother and daughter from Canada who packed an Operation Christmas Child  shoe box that his grandson received in 2005. "I'd like to meet those people and say 'thank you' to them for the happiness they brought to my grandson and my village."

Kouda says at least 2,000 children and adults in Senegal, Africa have publicly committed their lives to Christ through Operation Christmas Child and its discipleship program.

"Entire families have made commitments," adds Pastor Victor Dyatta, another member of Senegal's National Leadership Team for Operation Christmas Child.

Dyatta recalls one child who dedicated her life to Jesus, then began attending a local church. Her mother wasn't happy with this, and arrived at the church one Sunday to order her daughter home. The mother couldn't get her daughter's attention, and had to wait until the service ended before speaking to the girl.

By then, Mom had heard the pastor's message of salvation. It pulled on her heart so much during the next few days that she began attending church with her daughter, and eventually made her own commitment to Christ.

"We have many stories like this," Kouda says. "Operation Christmas Child is helping our churches grow in Senegal." 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

2013 Operation Christmas Child Video

OCC 2013 Main Report SHORT from Samaritan's Purse on Vimeo.

Followup Post on Praise in the Park... a story of hilarious disaster

First I wanted to thank everyone who stopped by at Praise in the Park in Klamath Falls. What a blessing it is to meet with others and share about OCC and talk to those who already know and love this ministry!

I had such high hopes for the day. I LOVE Praise in the Park.. what is not to love??? Christians from all over the area gather together, across church lines, to worship our God! The music and the dancing was delightful... and it was so great to meet people in various ministries from around Klamath.

I had PLANNED to have a craft for kids to do at the booth... They could make a wordless book bracelet for donating to the local packing parties and also one for themselves.

I had literally THOUSANDS of beads sorted and ready to go. I had cords cut. And the table arranged. I thought I had planned for everything! I even had an alternate beading project for younger children. What I did not plan for was the helicopter!

First, I did not know there WOULD be a helicopter. Second, I had no idea how much force a helicopter landing brings!

Can you guess what happened????? Our tent tried to fly away... but WORSE the table with all the beads on it went airborn. Oh My Goodness!!! Beads went flying into the grass.

Kind people from all around came to help us right our stuff and people were crawling in the grass picking up beads.

THANK YOU to each of you!

After that, with beads all mixed and bits of grass with it... I canceled the craft. We had a good laugh about it. It seemed like a HUGE deal at the moment but in reality when it was over it had only lasted 20 minutes thanks to the kindness of strangers.

Whew.

I guess God had other plans for the day. We still did OCC temporary tattoos for kids who stopped by.. we still talked to a lot of people and handed out info and invites. But we did not make crafts.

Maybe next year. Or... maybe not. :)

Monday, June 24, 2013

Packing Parties are FUN!

I found this post last year about a family that holds packing parties in their house. She has written a delightful blog on it at http://www.homeschoolcreations.net/2012/10/packing-a-shoebox-for-operation-christmas-child/ so check it out and be INSPIRED.

Here is her opener:
We’ve already had one amazingly fun shoebox packing party for Operation Christmas Child and have one more planned this week with another group of friends. The shoebox packing party was much fun. Around the house we set up four different areas so that we didn’t congest one area of the house, so today I wanted to share a few pictures with you and what we did together.
And the blog goes on to give fabulous ideas for holding a packing party! It is easy and FUN and such a blessing. 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Stories of the Shoeboxes

Here are a selection of stories posted recently on Operation Christmas Child FB page.. they blessed me, and I pray they bless and encourage you as well.

"My name is Douglas and I am in Grade 5. I was invited to church one day by my pastor. When I got there, all the children were being blessed with gifts. I had never received a gift box in my life, and deep inside of me before my turn came I was saying to myself that I would value it for the rest of my life. My gift box included many items like puzzles, a towel, soap, a toy car, crayons and sweets. I was taught on that day that Jesus sent me the gift. And that He is the greatest gift. I also gave my life to Him on that day." - Shoebox recipient from Uganda

One young boy in Uganda was invited by a friend to attend a distribution at their church. His parents gave him permission, even though it was far away from their town. After the distribution, he went back home and told his parents what had happened and showed them the precious gift that he had received. His parents were very happy and welcomed the pastor to come to their home for dinner. They read the Greatest Gift Of All booklet which was in their local language, and the pastor shared with them about Jesus. The family came to the Lord just through the simple gift and now 8 members of the family are Christian.

"When the shoe boxes were handed out, some people would cry because they were receiving gifts for the first time and couldn't believe that someone was thinking of them. Parents rejoiced knowing their kids were receiving gifts for the first time. From that distribution a church was born. They built a building with 600 seats. Now, three years later, they have over 1000 members. The church is evangelizing, going from place to place. They even started an orphanage, which they say is a product of OCC, and gave gifts to orphans. Those children were so touched – they started praying and thanking Jesus." - Volunteer in Zimbabwe 

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Active Toys

This time of year there are so many fun outdoor toys around to put in your shoebox. What a blessing they can be to the child who receives them.

They can range from the high end, deflated soccer ball and small hand pump, which would be blessing to a large group of children, to a small bouncy ball. Jump ropes and beach balls all are so fun! Something simple like an active toy allows for a LOT of fun for a long time.

Need something inexpensive? Dollar stores like Dollar Tree have nerf style balls and jump ropes for a dollar. OR keep an eye out for end of summer clearance. Last year I bought a bunch of jump ropes for 25 cents each!

Want to see the ripple effect that can happen through a single shoebox????

Here is a story from Samaritan's Purse:


The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
Bismarck_AP
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
Bismarck_AP
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
Bismarck_AP
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift
April 5, 2013
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.
By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

The power of a simple gift

April 5, 2013

With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him.

By Carla Bregani, Senior Communications Advisor
It’s hot and stuffy inside the cinder-block, one-room church. More than one hundred children sit in rows on the cement floor, organized by age and gender. Parents crowd around barred windows and doors.
The noise is loud – and probably seems louder to me because it’s all in Spanish – parents calling to their children, older kids teasing one another as they sit impatiently, a few younger ones crying anxious tears.
Pastor Bismarck turns on a microphone and begins to speak in Spanish. He welcomes the children to this small church in a barrio a few hours’ drive from Managua, Nicaragua. It was only 15 years ago that he was sitting on a church floor just like these children, waiting to receive the first gift he had ever received – an Operation Christmas Child shoe box.
With young Bismarck’s box came two gifts that helped change his life: a soccer ball, and news that Jesus Christ loves him. “Before that gift, I didn’t know what a gift was,” says Bismarck. “The gifts helped us understand that we were special to the heart of God and that people in Canada cared for us.”
Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and love for him, Bismarck set out on a journey to tell other children the same exciting news. He organized a soccer ministry using the soccer ball from his shoe box gift, and shared God’s love with street kids as they played the game together.  He has now planted and pastored five churches; that single shoe box gift served as a catalyst that changed the course of his life.
In the stuffy, hot barrio church, Pastor Bismarck is finishing his short message, telling the children inside and parents still crowded around the windows and doors that Jesus loves them and He wants to be their Friend. Then the gift-filled shoe boxes are given out, row by row and child by child.
On the count of “uno, dos, tres!” the volume soars as the children excitedly discover gifts of hats, dolls, trucks, pencils, paper, candy, and much more. Shouts of joy, surprise, and “gracias!” fill the room.
Pastor Bismarck stands back to watch the commotion. He has no doubt that Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are God-given opportunities to share God’s love with children and families. “A shoe box can move the heart of a child,” he says. “But not just the heart of a child or one family. It can change the whole community. And yes, I consider it a miracle.”
Bismarck_AP
- See more at: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/blog/operation-christmas-child/the-power-of-a-simple-gift.aspx#sthash.87pFWJu8.dpuf

Friday, June 14, 2013

Praise in the Park, Klamath Falls, OR TOMORROW, Sat. 6/14/13

It has almost arrived! Praise in the Park!

I love this event here in Klamath Falls where believers from various denominations and churches join together as the body of Christ and worship God and fellowship! What a blessing to be in a town where this is a yearly event!

Once again, Operation Christmas Child will be having a booth. We will have a craft table set up for those who want to make salvation bracelets to donate to area packing parties.

And of course, we will have loads of information too, and US.. so stop by and say HI to me (Rhonda), my daughter Kiera, and Abi!

And now, just because:

Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Next Stop of Faith- After the Shoebox


Help a Child Take the Next Step of Faith
A shoebox gift from Operation Christmas Child is often just the first step on a child's journey toward faith in Jesus Christ.
We want as many boys and girls as possible to be able to graduate from The Greatest Journey, our dynamic discipleship and evangelism program developed just for children and offered in their own language. This 12-lesson Bible study helps children gain a deeper understanding of what it means to have a relationship with Christ and how to share their faith with others.
Over one million children have graduated from the program since Samaritan's Purse first implemented it in 2009 — and we give God the glory for the more than 650,000 who have given their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ! Many more are anxiously waiting to begin this journey of faith.
For just $6 per child, we can provide the textbooks, Bibles, teacher's guides, and certificates that will help this next generation to become faithful followers of Christ.
"Grads For God" is a new campaign to get the discipleship materials into the hands of as many children as possible. Will you help a child take their first steps on The Greatest Journey?




Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Get PAID to buy Colgate Toothpaste at Rite Aid from 6/30-7/6

Hurry while there is time to print the Colgate coupon at coupon.com! There is RIGHT now a $2 off of 2 tubes of Total Toothpaste!

MONEYMAKER ON COLGATE TOOTHPASTE AT RITE AID starting 6/30-7/6!!
Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste, 4 oz $3.50, sale price 6/30-7/6
Use Save $2.00 on 2 Colgate Total at coupons.com
Pay $2.50, Receive $3.00 +Up Reward
Final Price: $0.50 Moneymaker per tube of toothpaste, limit 2
Limit 2 up rewards


HURRY and print your coupon NOW before they disappear!


Remember, print the coupon NOW.. save it.. and the week of 6/30 go to Rite Aid and get your toothpaste... and earn MORE in UP rewards than you paid! 

Have you ever wanted to learn more about The Greatest Journey?

This is the amazing discipleship program that many who receive shoeboxes will have the opportunity to go through, receiving a graduation certificate and a New Testament in their own language upon completion. Over a million children have made decisions for Christ through this amazing program.

Want to see it??

I KNEW IT.

You can page through the entire book at http://issuu.com/samaritanspurse/docs/tgjbk1-godsgreatgift/1

And watch for more future postings as we will be having a program in July (God willing) with tons of info, stories, pictures, and statistics all about the Greatest Journey and the Missional aspect of Operation Christmas Child.


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Peru Distribution Video

Is your box in this video??? This is a 2013 video of a distribution in Peru and some of OUR area boxes went to Peru from Klamath Falls. Maybe? I admit I always watch for mine when it is a video of one of the nations where our boxes go. :)

Be blessed.


Sunday, June 9, 2013

New Video~ Operation Christmas Child in the Republic of Georgia

If Not Us Then Who?????

Here is a video of pictures from the Uganda shoebox distribution set to the music "Do Something" by Matthew West. Love the pics. Love the song. And the message. Enjoy.


Friday, June 7, 2013

Beyond Measure

Another little bit from the notes I took at Connect Conference, this from Lou Giglio's amazing session. (Pardon the imperfect quotes, I did my best.)

God breathed and more happened than we can imagine.

"Now to Him who is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine... to Him be the glory."

We can count the 1.2 million in The Greatest Journey...

We can count the 100 million shoeboxes...

but NOT what God is doing through families, pastors, leaders, and volunteers.

IMMEASURABLY MORE than all we can ask or imagine.

God spoke... and the world came into being.

The Gospel is going out... and in that Gospel is the POWER to do IMMEASURABLY MORE.

Wow, huh? We see God's Word going forth around the world, through Operation Christmas Child and so many other ministries.. and His Word is going out in POWER. We hear stories of the miracles God works through these shoeboxes, but these are just a taste of the work God is doing in healing, saving, loving, and moving... doing MORE than we could ask or imagine!!

If you do not know about Operation Christmas Child, please take a moment to learn more at the tab at the top... and if you are in the Klamath area, we are having a crafting event this Saturday, from 1-4, at Calvary Chapel Klamath Falls and we would LOVE to have you join us in making simple crafts that will show your love and the love of Christ in a tangible way to a hurting child.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

KLAMATH FALLS FIRST CRAFTING PARTY THIS SATURDAY FROM 1-4!!

Do you want to make items for YOUR shoebox(es)? Make items for shoebox packing parties??? Have fun? Have snacks? Then come to our first crafting party this Saturday (June 8th) from 1-4 at Calvary Chapel Klamath Falls!

You don't need to be a crafter... or have any special skills. You can bring (responsible kids) or teens to craft with us. Join in the fun and be a blessing to children.

All supplies and snacks provided. Just bring you! Please RSVP to lambofhisflock @ gmail . com or by replying here.

Some of the crafts we will be doing include:

an easy salvation bracelet which will be sent with an explanation card.
fun felt finger puppets

a version of  jingle bell ribbon twirlers and MORE...

Join us for the fun and fellowship... make stuff for your shoeboxes.. and bless children!