Inside his Operation Christmas Child gift box, 11-year-old Yves Dushime found "a cozy scarf, of all things," he remembers years later. A Rwandan refugee growing up in the sweltering heat of Togo, West Africa, Dushime had absolutely no need for a winter scarf. But the gift accomplished several important things, anyway. For one thing, he says, it was "the first time in many years I felt cared for in Africa, especially by the rest of the world."
Three years later, Dushime's family moved to Buffalo, N.Y., through a refugee resettlement program, "which allowed me to finally be able to use that same scarf to keep me from the harsh winters of upstate New York. The shoebox showed me that God can use anything, anywhere to bring hope to where all hope is lost."
Operation Christmas Child
drop-off locations
Phillips Chapel Freewill Baptist Church, Springdale
Refuge First Latin American Church, Green Forest
Sager Creek Community Church, Siloam Springs
Bella Vista Baptist Church, Bella Vista
Ridgeview Baptist Church, Fayetteville
Fellowship Bible Church NWA, Rogers
First Baptist Church, Centerton
Central United Methodist Church, Rogers
First Baptist Church, Huntsville
First Baptist Church, Gentry
Visit samaritanspurse.org… for dates and hours.
But beyond touching the life of one child, the gifts had a broader effect, Dushime says.
"Not only do the shoeboxes change lives of individuals, but they can also change entire communities like the one I was a part of in Togo," he says. "That is when we saw voodoo idol worshippers and their kids come to church for the very first time because of the gifts that were being handed out. Operation Christmas Child made a way for these people to be exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which rapidly changed my whole community when the main witch doctor gave his life to Christ."
Dushime was in Rogers, Siloam Springs and Bella Vista in September to tell his story and help kick off a local effort to fill shoeboxes for this Christmas. The goal for Northwest Arkansas is 17,000 shoeboxes.
"Having the opportunity to share my OCC story with many has meant a lot to me," Dushime says. "I love that this opportunity has allowed me to be able to share with the world about God's faithfulness in my life and how He's been able to deliver my family and me from the toughest of situations. Another thing I am very grateful for is the fact that through this involvement with OCC, I've been able to invite many people to join in and partner with OCC by packing shoeboxes and sharing the Gospel with children and their families around the world."
"Since 1993, Samaritan's Purse has collected more than 168 million shoebox gifts, delivering them to children in need in more than 160 countries," Vicki Pepper, Mid-South regional manager for Operation Christmas Child, picks up the story. "In 2019, we hope to collect enough shoebox gifts worldwide to reach 11 million children in more than 100 countries. National Collection Week is Nov. 18-25 where nearly 5,000 drop-off locations will receive shoeboxes. From there, shoebox gifts will be prepared for overseas shipment at one of our eight major processing centers across the United States."
Hector Sanabria, who volunteers as a logistics coordinator in Northwest Arkansas, says "individuals, churches, community groups, businesses, etc., can get involved with Operation Christmas Child in multiple ways. First, you can give by packing a shoebox. Each shoebox is an opportunity to bring 'great joy' to a child who may never have received a gift in their life.
"You can learn how to pack a shoebox and where to drop it off by going to Samaritan's Purse website at samaritanspurse.org/occ," he adds. "You can even pack a shoebox online if that is your preference. Learn how to pack online at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline."
But Sanabria says volunteers are also needed to help get the shoeboxes from one of the 10 drop-off locations in Northwest Arkansas to one of eight regional processing centers.
"These volunteers serve in leadership, church relations, community relations, media support, student relations, prayer mobilization, administrative support, or logistics," he explains. "All efforts are focused on promoting the ministry in order to provide more shoeboxes -- Gospel opportunities -- to children in need around the world."
The shoeboxes, explains Pepper, are not "intended as a solution for meeting physical needs but rather a strategy for the local church to meet spiritual needs of children in their communities. The unexpected gift delights and sparks hope in the life of a child as they hear of the love Jesus has for them.
"Operation Christmas Child has hundreds of thousands of trained volunteers around the globe, and it is the local believers overseas that deliver shoebox gifts in more than 100 countries," she says. "Along with the shoebox gift, they present the Gospel and facilitate our follow-up program, The Greatest Journey. Local Christians that know the culture and language best are trained to share with these communities.
"Children do not have to say or do anything to receive a shoebox gift. Regardless of their gender, ethnicity or faith, children can receive a shoebox gift packed with love in Jesus' name," she says. "These shoeboxes are more than just a gift but an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We have seen communities grow together in their faith and churches being planted across the world through a simple shoebox gift."
NAN Religion on 10/12/2019