Remember the shoe boxes we packed in November for Operation Christmas Child? Do you ever wonder about who got them or the impact they may have made? Here are some reports from the country of Columbia, submitted by churches sharing stories of the power of the shoe boxes.
The children who receive the shoe boxes were very poor. One of them had never worn pajamas. In his shoe box, he found pajamas on his size. It was a big impact in his whole family.
A prostitute's son was invited to the church where he received a shoe box. It was an impact on him and his mom. She started to go to church and there has been a change on her life.
Two sisters went to the shoe box distribution with their clothes dirty and broken, that was the best clothes they had. When they opened their shoe boxes, they found lots of clothes. Her family said: “Only God can do that.”
Karina, a four year old girl, belongs to a violent family with low resources. On December, she saw a doll she really liked and asked her mom for it. Her mom said she should ask the Holy Spirit for it. The girl prayed for it and, when she was invited to a distribution, she opened her shoe box and the first thing she saw was the doll she had asked God for. Her joy was enormous and her faith to God got stronger because she knew that her Father always listen to her.
On the distribution day a kid invited his friend who has cancer. The kid came to the event and received Jesus in his heart. Today he still goes to that church with his mother who also accepted Jesus in her heart.
Sofía, daughter of one of the leaders from this church, asked her parents for sandals but they couldn’t buy them. When she received the shoebox, she saw God had sent her some beautiful sandals her size.
I registered a friend that lives by my house to go get a shoebox. Her mom wouldn’t let her go because she didn’t like religion. I prayed and prayed until one day I didn’t know what to do so I called her. She was allowed to come with me the next day to receive a shoebox. Besides her, she brought 4 other kids from a different family. Now, her mom greets everybody from the church and contributes to the church’s funds. I realize that God does miracles.
Many of the children ask us to read the letters that come inside of their gifts. It impacts them greatly to see the pictures and the letters of the people that are send such beautiful gifts. Like the letters come in English it means so much to them and we translate to them what is said. The children want to write them back to be able to tell them thank you.
A 5 year old girl, daughter of a woman that sold her body and a father that is blind, went to church for the first time for the event. After the event she cried because they wouldn’t permit her to go where the pastors were to hug them and thank them because in her own words, she had never been to a party so beautiful and never had been given such a big gift like she had received that day. When she arrived to where the pastors were, she hugged them and kissed them and repeatedly told them thank you for everything.
WOW! May we be encouraged to continue to give and share in this ministry!
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