Pray with OCC - August 28-Sept. 3

As we sang "Jesus Is All the World to Me" tonight at church I couldn't help but think how blessed we are to be able to say "Jesus is all the world to me, My life, my Joy, my All; He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall. When I am sad, to Him I go, No other one can cheer me so; When I am sad, He makes me glad- He's my Friend."

When we pack gift-filled shoeboxes and send them to children around the world we are sharing the good news of Jesus with them! Each child receives The Greatest Gift (a Bible story booklet in their own language) with their shoebox and they are invited to come to a 12-lesson discipleship class that teaches them more about Jesus. I can't imagine living in this world, day to day, without Jesus to guide and help me, but people around the world do it every day, without hope. YOU can make a difference by praying for and packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.

This week we are praying for Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago.

Saint Lucia - shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 8,088 children in Saint Lucia. Praise God that over 12,000 children have received a shoebox since 2005, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Saint Lucia’s Requests are:

1. Pray for the provision of storage for the shoeboxes and materials. 
2. Pray more Ministry Partners will join OCC. 

Saint Vincent - shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 3,707 children in Saint Vincent. Praise God that over 37,900 children have received a shoebox since 2003, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Saint Vincent has 102,000 people and is located in the southern portion of the Windward Islands. 22% of the population is 14 years old or younger. Saint Vincent’s Requests are: 

1. Pray God will raise up more regional church mobilizers. 
2. Pray for the unity of church leadership in Saint Vincent. 
3. Pray for a great harvest of children as a result of the implementation of the OCC program in Grenada and St. Vincent. 
4. Praise God for His faithfulness in all the areas of ministry He allowed OCC in Grenada and St. Vincent this year. 

   

   St Vincent Operation Christmas Child

Trinidad and Tobago - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 24,264 children in Trinidad and Tobago. Praise God that over 340,460 children have received a shoebox since 2000, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Trinidad and Tobago has 1.2 million people and is located off the northern edge of South America. 19% of the population is 14 years old or younger. Trinidad and Tobago’s Requests are: 

1. Pray the MPs will see the vision of OCC, pray before each Outreach Event, and then be able to share how God answers their prayers for the children. 
2. Pray God protects the children of Trinidad and Tobago and leads them into a relationship with Jesus.
3. Pray against the criminal activity in Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad - A Tangible Hope video: https://youtu.be/NokbqX6RBJQ 

Trinidad Opeartion Christmas Child

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

GET FURTHER INVOLVED

Click here to learn more about becoming a year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas Child what-we-do/operation-christmas-child! 

Pray with Operation Christmas Child August 21-27th

Week Three: August 21-27^th This week we are praying for Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.

Mexico –  Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 755,386 children in Mexico. Praise God that over 8,914,400 children have received a shoebox since 1995, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Mexico has 121.7 million people and is located in North America. 28% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

1.       Pray that God would reveal His choice for the next National Coordinator role and that OCC leadership would have clarity in the selection process.

2.       Pray the team reaches their goal of having 33 Regional Leadership Teams to cover the entire country.

3.       Pray the national Connect conference where volunteers gathered for equipping and prayer, which was held from July 27 – 30, has a lasting impact on the leadership teams.  Pray for continued fellowship and spiritual edification as the teams prepare for the 2016/2017 season.

4.       Praise God for allowing OCC to operate throughout Mexico.

5.       Pray for the upcoming TGJ classes. Pray for the teachers and children who will be involved with the program this year. 

Nicaragua - Pray for the vision casting meetings and the wisdom in the recruitment of a new National Leadership Team.

Panama - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 121,320 children in Panama. Praise God that over 1,236,400 children have received a shoebox since 1996, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Panama has 3.6 million people and is the southernmost country of Central America

27% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

1.       Pray God will pour out His mercy and forgiveness to Panama and free it from the AH1N1 virus that is attacking the country and has already killed 22 people, including some children. Pray for divine healing.

2.       Pray God will continue to add members to the prayer teams in each region until the goal of a prayer team in each local church is achieved.

3.       Pray for all the preparation for the national Connect conference when our volunteers will gather for equipping and prayer in August in Panama.  Pray God will pour out His Holy Spirit and His power to each person who will attend.  Pray they will feel his presence in a tangible, supernatural way, resulting in miracles in their lives.

4.       Pray for the distribution events, especially for the clarity of the Gospel presentations.

5.       Pray the TGJ teachers boldly deliver the lessons so that the children’s faith in Jesus will be affirmed.

Panama

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." 1 John 5:14

Are You Determined as you start back to school or work tomorrow?

Determination-a quality that makes you continue trying to do or achieve something that is difficult.

“But he (God) said to me (Paul), "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

"Walt Davis was totally paralyzed by polio when he was nine years old, but he did not give up. He became the Olympic high jump champion in 1952."

"Shelly Mann was paralyzed by polio when she was five years old, but she would not give up. She eventually claimed eight different swimming records for the U.S. and won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia."

"Lou Gehrig was such a clumsy ball player that the boys in his neighborhood would not let him play on their team. But he was committed. He did not give up. Eventually, his name was entered into baseball's Hall of Fame."

"Woodrow Wilson could not read until he was ten years old. But he was a committed person. He became the twenty-eighth President of the United States."

No matter what handicaps you and I may have, God has a place for us within His Body, the Church, and a work for us to do. Nobody ever said it would be easy. What Jesus did for us wasn't easy either. So your mission, should you choose to accept it is: whatever it is that God has for you to do, never give up, for God never calls any of us to do anything that—with His help—cannot be done. Look at your calling for each day. What does God want you to do today? Are you determined to accomplish it? If we accomplish the tasks He has called us to each day then our whole life will be lived following His calling for us, one day at a time! Start each day in prayer and Bible study asking God to show you what is most important for today. Then be determined to accomplish it. As your work week or 1st day of school starts back tomorrow, are you determined to make it the best one yet?

Prayer: Our Loving Father God, please show me what your purpose for my life is each and every day and give me the faith, determination, and perseverance to never give up until my work on earth is done. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, In Jesus Loving Name I Pray, Amen.

( quotes from daily devotionals & ESV Bible)

August 14-20th Pray with Operation Christmas Child

MIDSOUTH Requests:

1. Pray for our Prayer Network Goal. We Have Reached 41% of Our 25,000 Prayer Network Partner Goal! We have 10,384 Current Prayer Network Partners in the USA. SIGN UP HERE: PrayerNetwork #praywithOCC
2.  Continue to pray for new churches to partner with us as drop-off locations and for new churches and community groups to pack shoeboxes.
3. Pray for upcoming events this fall: Kick-offs, countdowns, project Leader workshops and Full Circle Speaker tours.
4.  Pray for shoebox goals: Mid-South 820,001, U.S. 9.5 million and World-wide 12 million.

NEA Requests:

1. NEA Shoebox Goal for our7 counties is: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!
2. Lift up all of our students and teachers as they will be Back to School THIS WEEK!

International Prayer Requests: This week pray we are praying for Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica.

1. Praise God for the safe delivery of millions of gift-filled shoeboxes to countries around the world including many sensitive countries.
2. Pray for customs clearance and tax exemption of the remaining sea containers filled with shoebox Gospel Opportunities in six sensitive countries in Africa, South Asia and East Asia.

Grenada - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 3,708 children in Grenada. Praise God that over 47,000 children have received a shoebox since 2003, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Grenada has 110 thousand people and is located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. 24% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

Devin from Grenada

1. Pray for the new Ministry Partners, TGJ teachers and those who facilitate discipleship programs. 
2. Pray for a successful discipleship program in new areas and islands reached.  
3. Pray for the young disciples that will be graduating this season. 
4. Pray for local ministry partners who will help distribute shoebox gifts. 
5. Pray for a great spiritual harvest following the Operation Christmas Child distributions. 

• DEVIN’s SHOEBOX STORY “My shoebox caused me to take my relationship with Christ seriously” - https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/shoebox-stories-devon-and-a-shoebox/ 

Haiti - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 32,993 children in Haiti. Praise God that over 787,415 children have received a shoebox since 1996, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Haiti has 10.1 million people and is located in the Caribbean. 33% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

Haiti Operation Christmas Child

1. Pray for the new members of the National Leadership Team and that they would be well equipped to face the challenges of the country. 
2. Pray God continues to meet the project’s needs. 
3. Pray for the teachers. Pray God uses them in a powerful way. 

• Story from Haiti: Pen Pal Prayers: A teacher whose class received gifts said: “There was a girl who really wanted to have someone that she could exchange a letter with. Before they distributed gifts in the school, she was praying to have a pen pal. When she opened the gift, there was a letter from a girl about her age. With tears in her eyes, she told me excitedly, ‘God has answered my prayers!’”  

Honduras - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 194,112 children in Honduras. Praise God that over 2,288,400 children have received a shoebox since 1996, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Honduras has 8.7 million people and is located in Central America. 34% of the population is 14 years old or younger. 

1. Pray for the integrity of the churches; pray each OCC partner church during this new season will understand the vision and work according to the established guidelines. 
2. Pray for the 2016-2017 new season. Pray God will provide prayer warriors with a calling and willingness to pray for the children participating in the OCC program. Pray every child who hasn’t been reached will hear the message of salvation. 
3. Pray for the distribution events. Pray the Gospel is clearly presented to the children. 
4. Pray for the TGJ teachers. Pray they will boldly deliver the lessons, thus affirming children’s faith in Jesus. 

• Stories From Honduras - Making Disciples: “After an Operation Christmas Child distribution, a pastor from Barrio San Juan Intibuca wrote: “We had 20-25 adults attending our church, but then it increased to 40 people, including adults and children. We now have a Bible study with the new children attending our church. Operation Christmas Child helped us meet families and start discipleship. It encouraged us to start a mission downtown because of the contacts we have after the shoebox gift distributions.” 

  

  Honduras Operation Christmas Child

Jamaica - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 11,796 children in Jamaica. Praise God that nearly 825,500 children have received a shoebox since 1995, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Jamaica has 3 million people and is located in the Caribbean Sea. 28% of the population is 14 years old or younger.  

1. Pray the ministry of OCC will advance this year even as crime and violence seems to be on the rise. 
2. Praise God for His provision this past year. 
3. Pray as the team continues to extend OCC into new areas. 

   

   Jamaica Operation Christmas Child Delivery
   

   "Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving." Colossians 3:2

Pray with OCC August week 1, Caribbean, North and Central America

Thank you for devoting your time to praying for the ministry of Operation Christmas Child. Covering this ministry in prayer is what makes it so successful in taking Gospel Opportunities around the world where they learn of the love of Christ through gift-filled shoeboxes, The Greatest Gift and The Greatest Journey. Below is our list of specific requests for August. As always, pray without ceasing!

Caribbean, North and Central America are the countries we will be praying for all month.

Week One: August 7-13th
MIDSOUTH Requests:

1. It is ONLY THREE MONTHS away from National Collection Week and now is the time to ramp up our prayer mobilization to ask God to bring in 820,001 gospel opportunities in the form of shoeboxes. Your role as prayer mobilizers is imperative in ensuring that gospel opportunities are made, delivered, and transported on their way to children in over 100 countries! I challenge you to send this prayer list out to other people and get them to be a prayer partner with OCC too! They don’t have to be a year around volunteer to pray for OCC, I just need an email address and name to send the requests to! Help sign someone up as prayer partner at: operation-christmas-child/prayer-network today!  
2. Pray for our Prayer Network Goal. We Have Reached 41% of Our 25,000 Prayer Network Partner Goal! We have 10,384 Current Prayer Network Partners in the USA. We must ask God to direct and initiate all we do through OCC; that is where our Prayer Network Partners and Prayer Mobilization Team Members come in! We can make a dent in the schemes of Satan today and claim children in the name of Jesus! How many Prayer Network Partners will you add and mobilize as we enter into our busy season?! Will you join me in praying for BIG things from our Prayer Mobilization Teams in the Mid-South this year! Who’s ready? I am! “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith”. Matthew 21:22 
3. Continue to pray for new churches to partner with us as drop-off locations and for new churches and community groups to pack shoeboxes. 
4. Pray for upcoming events this fall: Kick-offs, countdowns, project Leader workshops and Full Circle Speaker tours. 
5. Pray for shoebox goals: Mid-South 820,001, U.S. 9.5 million and World-wide 12 million.

NEA Requests:

1. NEA Shoebox Goal for our7 counties is: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!! 
2. Josh and Jill McCarty who were on our Area Team are now Church Planters in Grand Junction, Colorado. They ask that we pray for: the changes their family faces, that they find a rental house, that they are able to build a team of prayer warriors and financial supporters, for Josh’s leadership, for Jill as she adjust to everything new & homeschooling, for their hearts as they miss everyone, and for there to be Great Joy in their new city. 
3. Lift up all of our students and teachers as they will be Back to School next week. May the Light of Christ shine through the Christian Kids and Teachers to influence the lost souls in the schools so that some may come to accept Christ as their Savior.

International Prayer Requests: This week pray we are praying for Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, and Costa Rica.

1. Praise God for the safe delivery of millions of gift-filled shoeboxes to countries around the world including many sensitive countries. 
2. Pray for customs clearance and tax exemption of the remaining sea containers filled with shoebox Gospel Opportunities in six sensitive countries in Africa, South Asia and East Asia. 

Specific requests from each country are below:
Aruba - Pray the team is able to connect with the Ministry Partner’s (MPs) and the parents, so that they can successfully reach the children.

Bahamas - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 19,884 children in the Bahamas. Praise God that over 67,892 children have received a shoebox since 2010, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. The Bahamas has 324,000 people and is an island country located in the Atlantic Ocean. 23% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

1. Pray the Ministry Partner’s outreach event strategy (Friend to Friend, Focused Outreach, and Broad Outreach) will awaken a renewed passion in the hearts of Christians in the Bahamas to become active in evangelism during the 2016/2017 season of OCC. 
2. Pray the local churches will mobilize and accomplish OCC’s goals for reaching children with the distributions and TGJ. 
3. Pray the children will hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Barbados - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 8,088 children in Barbados. Praise God that over 7,929 children have received a shoebox since 2014 when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Barbados has 290,000 people and is located in the Lesser Antilles. 18% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

1. Pray God grants the NLT strength and wisdom as they seek to create dynamic children’s ministries. 
2. Pray the children will hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Costa Rica - Pray for The Greatest Journey (TGJ) classes that are beginning in public schools. Pray the classes will continue to run well and have excellent results.

Costa Rica 2015

There’s nothing quite like the joy on a child’s face when they receive a gift of love. Shoebox gifts from Operation Christmas Child show children worldwide that they are loved. Simple items like small toys, school supplies and hygiene items are treasures to boys and girls who have very little to call their own. But the real joy is when children learn about the love of Jesus Christ, many for the first time. That is why Operation Christmas Child exists–to deliver good news and great joy through the power of a simple gift. Just look on their faces and see for yourself. This Christmas, remember what true joy looks like. “But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven'” (Matt 19:14 NKJV). Click here to see: Joy Around The World OCC Photos