Operation Christmas Child kicks off season with national speaker
September 7, 2019
Come discover how God used a simple Operation Christmas Child shoebox to change the life of an eight-year-old child. On Saturday, September 14, the local Ozark Mountain (MO) Operation Christmas Child area team will host Elena Nicholson as she shares her inspirational experience.
Nicholson was moved as a child from an abusive poverty-stricken home into an orphanage in the former Soviet Union. At a time when she was feeling unloved, she was handed an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. It was the first gift she had ever received.
With the gift, Nicholson received a booklet, which seemed like an unbelievable fairytale. It said the Creator of the universe loved her. She began to pray, hopeful for a family for her and her sister, a prayer that was answered in 2004 by a loving family in the United States.
This special event will be held at New Site Baptist Church, 1925 Farm Rd. 1060, in Monett, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public. There will be snacks and displays illustrating ways to pack your shoebox gifts as well as ideas on how to encourage and equip area participating and perspective groups and churches. One example is how quality “wow” items such as a stuffed animal, clothing, or soccer ball and pump will capture the child’s attention when the box is opened.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 168 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
To get involved or more information on Operation Christmas Child, call Area Coordinator Cristy Meadows at (417) 459-2296 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Come discover how God used a simple Operation Christmas Child shoebox to change the life of an eight-year-old child. On Saturday, September 14, the local Ozark Mountain (MO) Operation Christmas Child area team will host Elena Nicholson as she shares her inspirational experience.
Nicholson was moved as a child from an abusive poverty-stricken home into an orphanage in the former Soviet Union. At a time when she was feeling unloved, she was handed an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. It was the first gift she had ever received.
With the gift, Nicholson received a booklet, which seemed like an unbelievable fairytale. It said the Creator of the universe loved her. She began to pray, hopeful for a family for her and her sister, a prayer that was answered in 2004 by a loving family in the United States.
This special event will be held at New Site Baptist Church, 1925 Farm Rd. 1060, in Monett, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public. There will be snacks and displays illustrating ways to pack your shoebox gifts as well as ideas on how to encourage and equip area participating and perspective groups and churches. One example is how quality “wow” items such as a stuffed animal, clothing, or soccer ball and pump will capture the child’s attention when the box is opened.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 168 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
To get involved or more information on Operation Christmas Child, call Area Coordinator Cristy Meadows at (417) 459-2296 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.
