An update on Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes

Remember awhile back that I wrote about Operation Christmas Child and packing shoeboxes for children around the world? (http://www.janinethrossel.com/2014/11/focus-fridays.html)

Well, I wanted to share with you a glimpse of what that operation looks like when seen from the other side, when those boxes are received.

Our heavenly Father is so much better than Santa Claus. . . he truly knows the desires of our hearts.

***BE SURE TO READ THE AMAZING STORIES BELOW THE VIDEO!**

Enjoy.

 

Stories from the Philippines

You Make Me So Happy
“I am Mency, 8 years of age. Thank you for the shoes and socks that I received. Please know that there is a hole in the sole of my shoes that I was using every day. I prayed that Jesus will replace my worn out shoes. I was overjoyed when I opened the gifts box, I found a beautiful pair of shoes that fit exactly to my feet. Not only that, it also contained socks, toys, etc. Thank you very much, you make me so happy.”

The Whisper of a Child
“Hannah is a lovely 2-year-old girl. I spotted her cheerfully cuddling her new baby doll from the shoebox. Then her mother told me that one day, along the street, Hanna had found a ragged doll with a broken head in a garbage bag. She brought it home and used to place it beside her when she slept. How happy she was when she received a brand new baby doll that looks just like her old doll. Her whole family was amazed at how God answered the little desire of Hannah’s heart. With this incident, they were reminded once again that God truly answers prayers. God can hear every word, thought and desire. Even the slightest whisper of a child, He can decipher.”

Letter of Thanksgiving
A mother writes: “My daughter is only 2-years-old, so I am writing this letter on her behalf. Thank you so much for the gift she received, including a doll. She is so happy to finally have a real doll to play with. She even sleeps with her toy. Before, she used to play with a bottle of coke as her doll. So when we found out that there will be gifts for children, I told my daughter to pray to Papa Jesus that she will get a doll as a gift. Upon opening the gift box, she found a big doll which she embraced immediately. I ask my daughter to thank Papa Jesus for answered prayer. I never expected her to get a doll, and it is a big one. I almost shed a tear of joy; my daughter could not contain her happiness. That is why I am thanking first of all the Lord Jesus Christ and secondly, the Samaritan’s Purse. The Bible says that it is more blessed to give than to receive. This is all I can say with this letter of thanksgiving. May you be blessed by our Lord Jesus.”

From My Heart to Yours
Twin girls arrived at a shoebox gift distribution in the Philippines. They stood in line to receive their gifts, which were being distributed according to age and gender but had not been opened since being shipped from the United States. When the girls opened their boxes, the items in them were identical and letters inside the two boxes explained that they had been packed by twin girls in the U.S.!

A Gesture of God’s Love and Grace
A boy in a cancer ward at a hospital in Manila, Philippines, had his right leg amputated. He got a shoebox with shoes in it. The volunteers were sad that he got shoes that he couldn’t fully use, but they continued giving boxes to the other children in the ward. The boy in the next bed had his left leg amputated. He got socks in his box. So the two boys were able to share—each got one sock and one shoe!