Have you ever packed a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child?
Every year, the non-profit Samaritan’s Purse partners with churches, organizations, and individuals to pack millions of gift-filled shoeboxes to distribute to children in need around the world. These shoeboxes are then inspected, prayed over, and delivered via community outreach events, giving local churches an opportunity to interact and share the gospel with children who may not hear it otherwise.
While a shoebox may seem insignificant in comparison to the great needs faced all around the world, these small-but-mighty boxes do make an incredible difference in the lives of millions of families each year.
Analyn Elliott shares how the shoebox she received as a young child living in the Philippines impacted her then—and continues to impact her family today.
This is Analyn’s story:
My daughter insists that crayons are an essential purchase this season, and I can only agree. She has a contagious joy for giving to other kids she may never meet, a joy she shares with her little brother as they intentionally pray over every colorful shoebox gift we pack as a family.
I love getting to model generosity for my children and teach them about Jesus. God nurtured these desires in my heart and continues to reveal His perfect timing in fulfilling these deep desires. And it all started with a box of crayons.
I was born in the Philippines—a world away from my life now in Alaska. My family of seven lived in a tiny house where the bamboo floor served as both bed and table. Without a stove or running water, we used wood for cooking, ate bread in the morning before school, and often went to bed with empty stomachs.
Every first day of school, my mom would buy school supplies. One pencil shared between my siblings had to last the whole year. Our combined wages from my dad taxiing people on a pedal tricycle and my mom washing laundry for other households was about $5 a day.
One day, my mom’s boss encouraged her to go to church, and soon she became a follower of Christ. My mom started taking my younger sister and me with her to learn more about God’s Word. My favorite memory verse as a child was Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I remember praying in my heart for my own full box of crayons, but my parents could not afford something like that for me.
Through all our hardships, I am thankful for my parents—they raised me and my siblings to be good people and to have respect for others. Even though we were poor, I knew that God was providing for our daily needs, both physically and spiritually.
When I was around twelve, our pastor invited us to a special event at the church. My little sister and I sat together on the floor as the Sunday school teacher handed out bright red and green boxes to each of the kids. Everyone was excited, especially me! When I opened my Operation Christmas Child shoebox, I was amazed to see all of the items inside: a washcloth, a stuffed bunny, multiple pencils—and a full box of crayons!
My heart leaped with joy. Holding my own crayons in hand, I wondered: Is this really for me? I didn’t know who packed the shoebox or how they knew I had asked the Lord for crayons. But I knew that God had seen the desires of my heart, and He used the people who packed this specific shoebox to answer my prayer. In that moment, I prayed that God would bless them, and I wished that I could encourage them to keep packing shoeboxes like this.
In my early twenties, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines and devastated fourteen million lives, including those in my family. Every year when the big rains came, we expected the water would rise and cover the floor inside our home. This time, our entire house collapsed. But God did not leave or forsake my family.
Even in the wake of difficulty, I was soon given the opportunity to bring light to the children in my own community by reconnecting with Operation Christmas Child. As I handed colorful shoebox gifts to each child at the outreach events, I could see myself in their bright eyes. I remembered the joy of receiving my own shoebox gift. My heart overflowed with gratitude that I now got to take part in these kids’ happiness and perhaps even their own answered prayers.
Beyond the shoebox gifts, I wanted to be part of impacting children’s lives in a deeper way through this ministry. And God soon fulfilled my desire when He led me to become a teacher for The Greatest Journey discipleship program.
This child-friendly program offered to Operation Christmas Child shoebox recipients is filled with relatable lessons and powerful Bible stories enabling children to learn more about Jesus and how to follow Him. When the children graduate from the program, there is a huge celebration and every child receives a Bible in their own language.
My favorite lesson to teach was always the creation story. The children’s eyes lit up at the colorful illustrations in the teaching material displaying God’s wonder. One little girl loved the illustrations on the memory verse cards, which came with the student booklets, and she specifically asked if she could keep the small card. I told her, “Of course you can keep it!” because I knew she would take the memory verse home where she would show her mom and have the opportunity to naturally share Jesus with her own family.
This was why God led me to teach The Greatest Journey: for these moments of eternal impact. This ministry equipped me to tell children in my community that Jesus really loves them just like He loves me, and assure them even after the typhoon that they are not alone because God is with them all the time.
“Prayer is the key to connecting with Jesus,” I would tell my students, and whatever their hearts’ deepest desire, God will gladly fulfill in His perfect timing according to His will. I saw in my students’ eyes that they were willing to listen and wanted to learn more about Jesus. Nothing could bless me more than knowing that those children surrendered their lives to Jesus.
God’s timing is perfect, and the way He fulfills the deepest desires of our hearts is perfect. Now as a mom living in Alaska, I am able to use Operation Christmas Child to teach my kids to be generous even though they don’t know the children they are giving to.
As I ask the Lord for wisdom in raising my kids, God is teaching me that generosity comes from me first before I can teach it to my children. In simple actions, they learn from me how to love and be generous. Lately, my daughter says, “Mommy, I want to pray over a shoebox so kids can know that I’m praying for them.” What could make a mother prouder than hearing those words?
Although I am no longer on the side of the world I grew up on, I am still called to proclaim God’s glory where I am. Scripture reminds us that in prayer we are partnering with the global mission of evangelism—no one is excluded from Jesus’ command in the Great Commission.
Colossians 4:2–3 says, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ….” Whether through praying for open doors for the Word, through teaching the good news, or through packing a shoebox gift, we all have a vital role in bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth.
God has shown me how He has always been faithful in my family’s life. From poverty in the Philippines, the trials of a typhoon, and even in the lessons I learn as a mother—His love endures forever, and His love never fails.
I pray that God will continue to use me to share the good news with children all around the world through shoebox gifts. I am forever grateful to be one of these children.
Want to Get Involved with Operation Christmas Child?
This year, National Collection Week is November 18–25, 2024, which means there’s still time for you to get involved in this great cause. (And invite your friends, family, and church family to join you!)
Visit the Samaritan’s Purse website to learn more about the Operation Christmas Child program, including how you can get involved through prayer, packing a shoebox, or even organizing an event near you.