Christian Headlines Blog Christian Blog and Commentary

Get guidance on Bible study from C.S. Lewis - Free Course!

Operation Christmas Child Sets New Record, Delivering over 11 Million Packages

  • Veronica Neffinger

    Veronica Neffinger wrote her first poem at age seven and went on to study English in college, focusing on 18th century literature. When she is not listening to baseball games, enjoying the…

    More
  • Updated Dec 30, 2015

Operation Christmas Child, an initiative of the Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse, has distributed 11.2 million shoeboxes to impoverished children this year, breaking its previous record.

According to The Christian Post, the organization, led by Franklin Graham who is president of Samaritan’s Purse, made even more of an impact on those in need this Christmas season.

Graham, along with Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, traveled to Belize and Haiti this week to deliver the shoeboxes filled with gifts to children in need.

“We want every child to know they are precious and loved by God, and these shoeboxes help accomplish that," Graham wrote on his Facebook page. "Let me tell you, there were a whole lot of smiles and laughter from these children who live in a very poor area of the country."

Shoeboxes filled with gifts such as toothbrushes, socks, toys, and school supplies will be handed out this week in over 130 countries worldwide. The shoeboxes are packed by ordinary citizens in the U.S. and other countries. 

Operation Christmas Child Domestic Director Randy Riddle told The Christian Post that the organization has surpassed its goal of receiving 8.6 million shoeboxes from people in the U.S. The organization has also received shoeboxes from Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom. 

“We give God the glory for a record-breaking year of Operation Christmas Child,” said Riddle. “We really believe that His hand is on this movement worldwide. The bible says the gift opens the way for the giver. We use these gifts by delivering them through the local Evangelical church in 130 countries worldwide. Our partners who are pastors deliver these gifts to the neediest children in their countries. To a child that has never received a gift before, the simplest gifts mean the world."

Photo courtesy: flickr.com

Publication date: December 30, 2015