Many children who live in nations that are difficult to reach with the Gospel are able to hear about Jesus Christ through specially packed shoebox gifts designated for restricted areas. In hard-to-reach areas, these shoeboxes provide a platform for local believers to share Christ in a safe and culturally sensitive way, and allow ease of entry through customs.
Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2014 were delivered to 425,000 children living in restricted areas in 14 countries. Many of these were shoeboxes that were built online. (You can built a shoebox online for $25). For the safety of our ministry partners living in these restricted areas, we cannot divulge the names of the countries.
One of our international representatives described the power of these simple gifts:
“In the very restricted environments, we can’t have local believers out being vocal about their faith. A shoebox becomes a key to a closed door. I desire to be involved in the work of love. In the remote areas where people have nothing, where people are dirt poor, this box gives them hope. This is love. True love. This opens the eyes of the people. Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light that leads to life (John 8:12).’ Through Operation Christmas Child, God has given us the opportunity to penetrate the darkest places in this world and share the Gospel.”
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