The Greatest Journey & Christopher's Story

After receiving a shoebox gift, children have the opportunity to enroll in The Greatest Journey, Operation Christmas Child's dynamic, 12-lesson Bible study course guiding them through what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ.

Every shoebox gift delivered by Operation Christmas Child is a tangible expression of God’s amazing love, but a shoebox is just the beginning. It also presents an opportunity in more than 100 countries for our church partners to invite children into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through The Greatest Journey. Since 2009, millions of children around the world have learned what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ through The Greatest Journey. As a result, lives are being changed for eternity and new churches are springing up in communities across the globe. TWO children EVERY MINUTE around the WORLD are ACCEPT JESUS as their SAVIOR through The Greatest Journey!
We praise the Lord for making The Greatest Journey one of the largest discipleship programs in the world today. But there are many more boys and girls we still urgently need to reach with the truth of God’s Word.
CLICK HERE for a video link about Christopher's Story and The Greatest Journey 

The Greatest Journey Haiti 

Peru

Will you help us “go and make disciples of all nations” as Christ commanded? Sign up for a monthly gift of $6, and each year you will give 12 children study materials, a New Testament, and the opportunity to learn what it means to devote their lives to sharing the Good News of eternal grace through Jesus Christ.  Donate Now to TGJ

QUICK LINKS FOR RESOURCES:

1.      To order free and specialty resources: Click Here

2.      To order GO (Gospel Opportunity) Boxes: Click Here

3.      To follow your shoebox online and learn its destination country: Click Here

4.      To learn how to disciple children in The Greatest Journey: Click Here

5.      To build a shoebox online: Click Here

6.      To print off “How to Pack a Shoebox” instructions & labels for your group: Click Here

7.      Find Your drop-off location: Click Here

8.      Read Shoebox Stories: Click Here -“It wasn’t just a gift—it was a life-changing experience. I received a tool to transform my life! – Devon, Shoebox Recipient.

May week 1 Operation Christmas Child Prayer

OCC Mid-South (Arkansas, Tennessee & Kentucky) Requests:

1. Praising God for all of the Mid-South volunteers who attended a Connect conference this year! 
2. Pray for the Mid-South goal of 820,001 GOSPEL OPPORTUNITIES. NEA GOAL is 11,222. USA is 9,500,000. 
3. Please continue to pray for new churches to partner with us in 2016 as drop-off locations. 
4. Pray for the upcoming Connect trip to Zambia next week. Pray for safety and good health for our staff and volunteers. 
5. Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour as they continue to travel around the United States. Praising God for amazing turnouts in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky!!

OCC NEA Requests: (Craighead, Clay, Greene, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, and Randolph Counties):

1. Pray for our 2nd Quarterly Prayer Call of 2016 on May 9th – for the presenters and those joining the Skype session.

International Prayer Requests:

1. Praise God for the 52 countries that have received shoeboxes and volunteer teams are now working hard in Outreach Events to share the Good News with children.
2. Praise God that approximately 131,000 children are about to start The Greatest Journey (12 lesson discipleship program) and another 170,000 have started TGJ and are about to be presented the opportunity to receive Christ. Pray their hearts are wide open to the Gospel!
3. Pray for the shoeboxes still enroute on ships to children in five countries. 
4. Pray for tax exemption of shoeboxes in five countries primarily in Africa and South Asia. 
5. Pray for customs clearance of the sea containers filled with shoebox Gospel Opportunities in eleven countries including Madagascar and three sensitive countries in North Africa, South Asia and East Asia. 
6. Pray for Venezuela, their shoeboxes have been blocked the past 4 years. 
7. Pray as we integrate the NO CANDY and NO TOOTHPASTE into our 2017 campaign of shoeboxes. Due to increasing customs regulations, we will be phasing out these items. Candy and toothpaste have become items of regulatory issue, often causing complications with the delivery of shoeboxes. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to share the good news of Jesus Christ using a simple shoebox gift as a platform to open doors to share the Gospel. Including these items are increasingly proving to prevent entry into a large number of our recipient countries and blocking the opportunity to share God’s love with children in need. For this reason, toothpaste and candy will still be allowed during this year’s 2016 collection, but will become official inappropriate items in 2017. To see an up-to-date list of what can and can’t go in a shoebox, visit our website here. If you have further questions, please email us at occinfo@samaritan.org

This week also join us in praying or Cameroon and Burkina Faso in Africa.
Cameroon: Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 137,496 children in Cameroon. Praise God that over 539,629 children have received a shoebox since 2001, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Cameroon has 23.7 million people and is located in Central Africa. 43% of the population is 14 years old or younger. Only 9% of the population is Evangelical Christian.

1. Pray God will protect the volunteers and Ministry Partners in the mission field during the outreach events and trainings. Pray the ministry partners fully understand their role and continue to engage in OCC. 
2. Pray The Greatest Journey discipleship program (TGJ) will have a great impact on the children and will transform their lives. Pray the testimonies will be included in the reports. 
3. Praise God for the peace in Cameroon. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/cameroon/

Burkina Faso: is A landlocked country of the Sahel. Prone to drought and famine. Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 202,200 children in Burkina Faso. Praise God that over 1,026,229 children have received a shoebox since 1999, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Burkina Faso has 18.9 million people and is located in West Africa. 45% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

1. Pray for the children as they complete their TGJ Bible classes.
2. Praise God for His provision for OCC.
3. Pray for the safety and the ministry of the team members as they travel to support the project. 
4. Pray God continues to strengthen and motivate partners, who hold the Gospel sacred, to join OCC. http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/burkina_faso/

Children in Cameroon receiving Shoeboxes

May Items of the Month Operation Christmas Child & FFWBC

Our May items of the month are girls toys, dolls and accessories. Here are 2 sweet photos: 

Meet Dora, a 4th grader,  from Guyana. She came to the OCC Outreach Shoebox Distribution Event with her Dora the Explorer backpack and guess what was in her shoebox...her very on DORA DOLL right on top! God orchestrates little details of our lives and HE has a specific child in mind for each shoebox Gospel Opportunity that you pack! 

The little girl from Trinidad was thrilled about her accessories she received!!!! Each gift can touch a child's life forever. 

#behindthebox #neaocc #ipackedashoebox have you?  

What goes in the box is fun but what comes out is eternal! 2 kids per minutes are accepting Christ as their personal Savior through The Greatest Journey discipleship program that the children can go through after receiving their gift-filled shoebox! #wemakedisciples 

April Item of the Month Operation Christmas Child

What's your favorite "wow" item for your gift-filled shoeboxes? What goes in a shoebox is fun...what comes out is eternal! I like to put a soccer ball or a stuffed animal! Our APRIL item of the month is stuffed animals. 

Here is a story for you:

“My name is Sveta, and I am nine years old. I have dreamed all my life about a doll with long black hair. We knew that someone was going to bring presents to our orphanage, but I could not even begin to think that in that present I would see what I wanted! I prayed and said, 'Lord, all that will be there I will accept with great joy and excitement and be thankful and will try not to sneak a peek early.' And then when I opened my gift box I saw a doll! Can you believe that she had long black hair! I believe that I was at that moment the happiest person in the world! I am so thankful to God that he loves me so much and takes care of me.” 

This little girl from Colombia held on tight to the stuffed animal she received in her shoebox gift. You can send this kind of joy too when you include a stuffed animal packed with prayer. 

When you pack a stuffed animal in a shoebox, you give a child something they can hold and love. This little boy from Bulgaria couldn't contain his excitement over the bear he received in his gift!

Pray With Operation Christmas Child 3rd Week of April Requests for MENA Sensitive Countries

April WEEK 3:
OCC Mid-South Requests
· Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in Atlanta April 28-30.
· Pray for our 2nd Quarterly Prayer Call of 2016 on May 9th – for the presenters and those joining the Skype session.
· Pray for our Prayer Teams and Coordinators as they try to get prayer requests out to people who will commit to prayer – we are in great need of new prayer partners all over this region.

NEA Requests
· Pray for our NEA Team as we grow our team
· Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!

MENA- Sensitive Country
· Pray for the provision of a warehouse for the shoeboxes and for a smooth process with customs.
· Pray God provides a Prayer Coordinator to join the team.
· Pray for the Ministry Partners and The Greatest Journey discipleship program trainings.

MENA (Middle East & North Africa) Sensitive Country
· Pray for the upcoming Outreach Events and the start of the discipleship program.
· Pray God protects the country from evil plans.
· Pray for an end to the wars in the MENA countries. Pray God will bring reconciliation and forgiveness.

Operation Christmas Child Prayer - Middle East and North Africa

April Week 2:
OCC Mid-South Requests

• Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in Atlanta April 28-30.
• Pray for all Area Coordinators as they lead, equip and encourage their area teams.

NEA Requests

• Pray for our NEA Team as we grow our team and look for Relay Centers & Coordinators, new team members, and new donor churches! 
• Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!! 

MENA- Sensitive Country

• Pray for the start of the discipleship program for the first time in this country. 
• Pray for the provision of storage for the shoebox gifts. 
• Pray the team is able to find more Ministry Partners to hold Outreach Events to the children.

MENA- Sensitive Country

• Pray for favor with the government so the volunteer team is able to obtain the needed tax exemption for the upcoming season.

MENA- Sensitive Country

• Praise God the team is still committed to the ministry despite the security challenges. 
• Pray for the security and safety of the team members during the civil war. 
• Pray for the residency renewal of the team members in the country. 
• Pray the team is able to travel outside the country to participate in OCC conferences.

Tony Evans says “Prayer is not the pregame; it is the game. It is not the preparation for battle; it is the war.”  “Prayer is the communication link between the visible and invisible world.”

Thank you for faithfully praying for Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child Prayer - April 2016

Operation Christmas Child Prayer Reminders:

• Praise God for the 49 countries that have received shoeboxes and volunteer teams are now working hard in Outreach Events to share the Good News with over 7M children.
• Pray for the shoeboxes still in route on ships to children in 8 countries.
• Pray for tax exemption of shoeboxes in six countries in East and South Asia and Madagascar.
• Pray for customs clearance of sea containers filled with shoebox Gospel Opportunities in 12 countries.

OCC Mid-South Prayer Requests

• Please pray for the 2016 recommitment of Mid-South volunteers. Pray that all volunteers will prayerfully consider their continued partnership with the ministry.
• Pray for God to open doors with new churches to partner with us as drop-off locations this year.
• Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour as it will be making a stop in Little Rock, AR on April 12th.
• Please continue to pray for the Connect conferences that will be taking place in San Francisco April 7-9 and in Atlanta April 28 – 30.
• Pray for OCC Leadership as they are very busy with Connect conferences and leading ministry.
• Pray for all Connect volunteers in Tennessee this month. For God to continue to use them to move the ministry of OCC forward in the state of Tennessee. Pray for God to open doors with churches and community groups were they have never heard of OCC. Pray for unity among all Tennessee area teams, pray that God would strengthen them, encourage them and protect them. Pray for our Tennessee Area Coordinators as they lead area teams.

OCC NEA Prayer Requests:

• Growth of our team in 2016
• Our 2016 NEA GOAL: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!! 
• Pray for our NEA Team as search for Relay Centers & Coordinators, new prayer team members, and new donor churches! Praise God for adding to our Area Team this year 
• Pray for those of us going to Atlanta Connect at the end of this month

Turning“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 18:3)

We would all like to have child-like faith. Remember when you first accepted Jesus as your Savior? Your heart was completely washed clean and you had never felt like that before.

There is a freedom in children. They laugh loudly, are in awe of their surroundings, and enjoy the simplest things. Teaching children is like dipping a sponge in a bucket of water. They soak up what you say and immediately try to put it into practice.

There’s a recently released Christian song with one line that captures this idea, “May we never lose our wonder.” Isn’t that a major aspect of what Jesus means when He says, “turn and become like children?” When we abide in Him and His words abide in us, our hearts stay tender before Him. Regardless of our circumstances, that abiding relationship sparks within us a wonder at His goodness, His faithfulness, His loving kindness, His compassion and whatever we need from Him today. When we turn toward Him in wide-eyed wonder, it keeps our hearts soft. We can hear Him more clearly causing us to more fully obey what He says.

God is moved by our child-like prayers to touch the heart of a young girl or boy in another country with the Gospel. May those prayers continually be upon our lips.


Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India Spiritual Impact Story Eurasia Sensitive Country: My name is Kajol Patro from a town in Asia. I am the eldest daughter among four. My parents work as a day labor in the tea garden and therefore we are an extremely poor as a family. Due to this extreme poverty, my parents sent me to the capital city to work as a maid servant in my childhood. Since I was working as a maid servant, I wasn’t getting proper wages or gifts from the owner’s. As a result, I was very sad with my parents. I could not figure out, why they had sent me to work as house maid in my early days, knowing that I will not have formal schooling and belong to my own family. I am a girl from a Hindu Family, but now I have received Jesus in my life and getting gifts abundantly. My family could not believe that anyone can give me such a beautiful gift. With this gift I realize that, I am not a deprived child and I am equally important to God moreover Jesus loves me. Today I am able to eradicate my sadness by means of Jesus. I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to all the kids who have presented me with such a wonderful gift this Christmas.

International Prayer Requests - General Prayer Requests each country faces:

• Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members. 
• Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

India:

Operation Christmas Child - India 2013

• Pray God will use the teams in India to fulfill His will. Pray the teams remain committed and open to serving Him.  
• Pray for wisdom for leadership.

MENA (Middle East – North Africa) - Sensitive Country

• Pray for the early arrival of the shoebox gifts. 
• Pray for the selection of areas for Outreach Events. 
• Pray for the safe storage of the shoeboxes.

MENA- Sensitive Country

• Pray for the upcoming outreach events that will be held in unreached villages.  
• Pray for the safety of the team in light of the political and security instability in the country. 

OCC Prayer: Peru, Suriname and Uruguay

WEEK 4: (March 27th-April 2nd)
OCC Mid-South Requests

1. Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in San Francisco-April 7-9, and Atlanta April 28-30. 
2. Pray for all Area Coordinators as they lead, equip and encourage their area teams. 
3. Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour; he will be in Arkansas for a Prayer Rally on April 12, 2016 at Noon on the Capitol Front Steps at 500 Woodlane Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.

OCC NEA Requests 

1. Pray for our NEA Team as search for Relay Centers & Coordinators, new prayer team members, and new donor churches! Praise God for adding to our Area Team this year! 
2. Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!! 

OCC International Prayer Requests - General Prayer Requests each country faces:

• Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members. 
• Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

Peru - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 258,816 children in Peru. Praise God that over 2,150,100 children have received a shoebox since 1996, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Peru has 30.4 million people and is located in western South America. 27% of the population is 14 years old or younger. 

Peru

Peru - The Greatest Journey

1. Pray for the procedures that need to happen with the government of Peru to free the shipping containers, especially for a favorable technical opinion so that they do not delay the containers in customs. 
2. Pray for the beginning of new work in different regions. Pray the Gospel will advance through the ministry of OCC and reach the children in the neediest areas of Peru. 
3. Pray for me and the mission team I will be traveling with – I am planning to go to Peru on a Medical Mission Trip June 22-29th. Melinda Dixon will be in Guatemala on a Mission Trip during this same time. Be in prayer for her team also. 
4. Praise God for the opportunity to reach out to the children living in the remotest places in Peru.
5. Pray for the new regions that are involved in OCC. 

• Spiritual Impact Story from Peru: The Discipleship Coordinator of Cajamarca tells us that Maria, who is 9 years old, has felt very happy during the discipleship. It has been a challenge for her to memorize the bible verses, but it has been of great value because she remembers them all the time and is able to share them with her friends at school. When they ask her where she learned them, she invites them to church. Maria says, “I like to invite my friends because I want them to know Him too, how beautiful it is to be able to feel Him when we pray or sing. I am happy I know him”. Rico’s family never went to church. He received a shoebox and, after participating in The Greatest Journey discipleship program (TGJ), became enthusiastic about God. He asked the TGJ leader if he could join her church. She went to see his parents, but they wouldn’t allow him to. Everyone began to pray for the situation; Rico prayed most fervently. The Lord answered. His mother surrendered her life to Jesus and allowed Rico to attend the church services. She even requested for the church leaders to baptize her son. 
• http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/peru/ 
• Peru Video: https://youtu.be/dP_-TyAx7AY

Suriname - Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 16,176 children in Suriname. Praise God that over 103,900 children have received a shoebox since 1997, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Suriname has 579,000 people and is located on the coast of South America. 26% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

Excitement in Suriname!

 

1. Pray that thirty churches will be motivated to participate in this year's project. 
2. Pray for financial provision for the customs process. 
3. Pray more Ministry Partners will start prayer meetings for and with children and that the MP’s will understand the mission of OCC and will be enthusiastic about reaching the children of Suriname. 
4. Pray that the children who don’t yet know Christ will be invited to participate in OCC and will become followers of Him. 
5. Pray for the formation of more regional volunteer leadership teams.

• http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/suriname/

Uruguay - In Uruguay, four children arrived at a shoe box distribution without any shoes, and each of the gifts they received contained a pair of shoes. The father and many people in the neighborhood accepted Christ when they saw the power of these simple gifts. 

1. Pray for the upcoming TGJ trainings. 

Children in Uruguay receiving their Shoeboxes!

For some great Praise Shoebox stories visit: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/giving-god-the-glory-for-occ-miracles 

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

WEEK 3: (March 22-29th) OCC March Prayer

WEEK 3: (March 22-29th)

OCC Mid-South Requests
· Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in San Francisco-April 7-9, and Atlanta April 28-30.
· Pray for all Area Coordinators as they lead, equip and encourage their area teams.
· Pray for OCC Mid-South staff as they travel to meet with area teams in our region.
· Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour; he will be in Arkansas for a Prayer Rally on April 12, 2016 at Noon on the Capitol Front Steps at 500 Woodlane Street, Little Rock, AR 72201.

OCC NEA Requests
· Pray for our NEA Team as we grow our team and look for Relay Centers & Coordinators, new prayer team members, and new donor churches!
· Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!

South America is where we will be focusing our prayer this month!
OCC International Prayer Requests
General Prayer Requests each country faces:
· Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members.
· Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

Guyana Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 32,352 children in Guyana. Praise God that over 314,900 children have received a shoebox since 2000, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Guyana has 735 thousand people and is located on the Caribbean coast of South America. 28% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

Guyana OCC Distribution

· Pray for the TGJ teacher trainings that are happening across Guyana. Pray the teachers will disciple each child that receives a gift box.
· Pray for the NLT. Pray for their health and strength as they cope with a large amount of work during the distribution period.
Video & Stories from Guyana: https://youtu.be/arqB4I97Y-o http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/guyana/

Panama is just north of Colombia. 40% of Panamanians live in poverty. 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.  

· Pray the team is able to grow their prayer network and to continue to form active prayer warriors for the Gospel.
· Pray that OCC will be able to reach all of the indigenous groups safely and without influence from insurgent groups, politicians, and customs that can hinder the work of the Lord.

Video and Stories from Panama: https://youtu.be/KS8wbbV0r60 http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/panama/

Panama OCC Distribution

Paraguay is west of Brazil and only 6% Evangelical. Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 80,880 children in Paraguay. Praise God that over 555,300 children have received a shoebox since 2000, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Paraguay has 6.7 million people and is located in central South America. 26% of the population is 14 years old or younger. 

Paraguay OCC Distribution - The Greatest Gift

· Pray for Paraguay as the country is dealing with a time of flooding, in which more than 100,000 people have lost their homes and are now living in terrible conditions.

Stories from Paraguay: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/paraguay/

Deuteronomy 16:17 – "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you."  
We are so blessed in the U.S.A., please pray about how many Shoebox Gospel Opportunities YOU should pack this year! 
Join my Shoebox Challenge!
Join my "Build One With Me" Build A Box Online Challenge: Build One With Me Challenge Link and help me reach my goal by packing your own online boxes today!

Celebrating God's Provision

Good News...Great Joy...

Operation Christmas Child in 2015 asked all of our supporters to do 4 things:

1. Pack higher quality shoeboxes, as the value has been declining each year. 

2. For integration of The Greatest Journey. For more children to be discipled through TGJ. 

3. Increase in the number of people that include the $7 shipping in each shoebox. 

4. More shoeboxes gifts. 

I'm so excited that God blessed OCC and we succeeded in each of these areas!!!! 

1. Shoebox value went up 4.5%, so more people packed a "wow" item in their shoeboxes and better "quality" gifts!

2. 37% more children went through The Greatest Journey discipleship classes in 2015!!!!! Over 2 children per minute are saved through TGJ!!!!!!! What a ministry! My Vacation Bible School isn't that successful for sure. 

3. The $7 donation for shipping fee had a 10% increase in 2015!!! We collected an average of $4.60 per box in 2014.  We are thankful for this increase!

4. And the big #...total shoebox gifts...we asked for more Gospel Opportunities and we had a 10% increase over 2014! The USA packed 8,765,637 shoeboxes! Grand total all of our sending countries packed a grand total of 11,213,010! That's an 7% increase worldwide!!!

God is so good...really Awesome! 

We are so blessed to be allowed to be a part of such a great ministry!!!!! Since 1993 we have reached 124 million children around the world, but that is ONLY 5% of the children of the world.  There is still work to be done!

We asked for an increase and it was given.  Let's do abundantly more in 2016 to reach more children for the name of Jesus! I can't wait to see what God is going to do in 2016!

2016 GOALS:

Worldwide: 12,000,000. That's 12 million  Shoebox Gospel Opportunities!

USA: 9,500,000 - an 8% increase! 

NEA: 11,222

So what's your goal? Your church's goal? Your organization's goal? Pray and set one today if you haven't already! 

Interested in becoming a year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas Child? Click here http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/volunteer-with-occ/ to learn more about the multiple opportunities including Prayer Mobilization, Church Relations, Community Relations, Media Relations, Project Leader and more!

What goes into the box is fun...what comes out is Eternal!

Pray with OCC, March, Week 2, Chile, Colombia & Ecuador

WEEK 2: (March 15-22)
OCC Mid-South Requests

1. Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in Washington DC-March 17-19, San Francisco-April 7-9, and Atlanta April 28-30.
2. Pray for all Area Coordinators as they lead, equip and encourage their area teams. 
3. Pray for OCC Mid-South staff as they travel to meet with area teams in our region. 
4. Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour.

OCC NEA Requests

1. Pray for our NEA Team as we grow our team and look for Relay Centers & Coordinators, new prayer team members, and new donor churches! \
2. ray for Josh McCarty as God is leading him in a new direction in his life! 
3. Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!

South America is where we will be focusing our prayer this month!
OCC International Prayer Requests
General Prayer Requests each country faces:

• Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members. 
• Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

Chile 

1. Pray for the father of a team member who is very ill with kidney problems. 
2. Pray for the Easter Island project. Pray God will continue to guide the team and will use the shoeboxes to open more doors of opportunity. 
3. October 2013: A pastor in Chile said a little girl from his community visited a sick friend. Her friend had many dolls, and the girl began wishing for one in particular—a doll dressed all in pink. She stole the doll, but when her mother found out she made the girl return it to her sick friend. Later, the girl attended an OCC distribution and received a Barbie doll dressed all in pink in her shoebox. She could not believe it, and realized that it was a great lesson to trust God to provide rather than steal what she wanted. Do you trust God to provide for you? 
4. Easter Island is a remote Chilean territory in the South Pacific, but not too remote for Operation Christmas Child. Almost 1,000 Canadian shoebox gifts were sent to Easter Island in 2009. http://samaritanspurse.ca/rss/operation-christmas-child/impact/shoe-boxes-of-hope-on-easter-island.aspx#.VumTwFUrLIU

Colombia. For stories from Colombia click here: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/colombia/

Colombia Operation Christmas Child

1. Pray for the evangelistic events and TGJ discipleship that have started among several Ministry Partners. 
2. Praise the Lord that 2 children per minute are accepting Jesus as their personal Savior through TGJ!!! 
3. Shoe boxes collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 291,168 children in Colombia. Praise God that over 1,254,200 children have received a shoebox since 2002, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here.Colombia has 46.7 million people and is located in South America. 25% of the population is 14 years old or younger. 

Ecuador. Shoeboxes collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 299,256 children in Ecuador. Praise God that over 1,475,000 children have received a shoebox since 1997, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Ecuador has 15.8 million people and is located in northwestern South America. 28% of the population is 14 years old or younger. 

Ecuador

1. Pray for the teams in Ecuador as OCC is working in each province of the country. Pray that more children will be reached with the message of salvation through this ministry. 
2. Pray that each child who receives a shoebox will also participate in TGJ and that God will provide many teachers to lead these classes. 
3. Pray for the NLT. Pray that the NLT and regional volunteer leadership will prioritize prayer not only in speech, but also in practice. 

• Ecuador distribution video: https://youtu.be/kJnGNU14buM 
• Ecuador OCC information: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/ecuador/

"Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established" Proverbs 16:3

March Operation Christmas Child Prayer Requests

March Prayer Reminders:
· Praise God for the 40 countries that have received shoeboxes and volunteer teams are now working hard in Outreach Events to share the Good News with children.
· Pray for the shoeboxes still enroute on ships to children in 32 countries.
· Pray for tax exemption of shoeboxes in fifteen countries in East and South Asia and Madagascar.
· Pray for customs clearance of sea containers filled with shoebox Gospel Opportunities in 40 countries.

OCC Mid-South Requests:
· Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in Wichita-March 3-5, Washington DC-March 17-19, San Francisco-April 7-9, and Atlanta April 28-30.
· Pray for Connect volunteers in Kentucky this month. For God to encourage new volunteers to join the area teams and to rise up Ministry Coordinators. Pray for unity among the area teams, for protection for them, wisdom, strength and energy. Pray for God to open doors with churches and community groups. Pray for all Area Coordinators as they lead, equip and encourage their area teams.
· Pray for OCC Mid-South staff as they travel to meet with area teams in our region.
· Pray for Franklin Graham and the Decision America Tour. The next prayer rally is in Denver, Colorado March 15th.

OCC NEA Requests:
· Pray for our NEA Team meeting on Tuesday, March 15 6pm at Ironhorse Steakhouse & BBQ in Paragould. The address is 2108 Linwood Drive(Hwy 49). REMINDER: Please take time to watch the webinar before March 15th. This would be a perfect time to invite anyone that you are trying to get to join us.
· Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!

South America is where we will be focusing our prayer this month!
OCC International Prayer Requests:
General Prayer Requests each country faces:
· Wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteer leadership team members.
· Provision of resources to reach their God-sized goals for the current year.

WEEK 1: (March 6-12) This week we will be praying for Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil.

Argentina: Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 10,000 children in Argentina. Praise God that over 402,700 children have received a shoebox since 2001, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here. Argentina has 43.4 million people and is located in South America. 25% of the population is 14 years old or younger.

· Pray for the volunteer National Leadership Team (NLT) as they plan for the upcoming season and the distribution of 13,000 boxes. Pray God will continue to open doors for OCC to reach the children who don’t have access to the Gospel.
· Pray God will provide more The Greatest Journey discipleship program (TGJ) teachers so that more children can participate in the program.
· Praise God for His provision this past year.
· Pray as the team continues to extend OCC into new areas.
· Here is a link about OCC and Argentina: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/argentina/#ooid=9yZG0wbjrjlDN1_Z6_XZ7KNFL5-82qkj

Bolivia has 10.8 million people and is located in western-central South America. 33% of the population is 14 years old or younger. Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 10,000 children in Bolivia. Praise God that over 564,800 children have received a shoebox since 1998, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here.

· Pray God will provide capable volunteers to build shoeboxes in Bolivia and that the God will give the team a strategic plan for distributing these boxes.
· Pray God provides likeminded Ministry Partners (i.e. local partners who hold Outreach Events for children receiving shoeboxes) who will carry out TGJ.

Brazil makes up half of the land surface and population of South America. Of the 315 People Groups 18% are unreached. There are 193 languages spoken there. Only 26% of the population is Evangelical Christian. 23% of the population is 14 years old or younger.
· Pray for the customs agent and that the government will grant permission to release the containers.
· Praise God for His provision this past year.
· Pray God provides the right contacts, who will open the doors of this country to OCC, so that the Brazilian children can hear and respond to the Gospel.

· Shoebox gifts collected in the United States in 2015 will be delivered to 10,000 children in Brazil.
· Praise God that over 246,200 children have received a shoebox since 2002, when Operation Christmas Child began distributing gifts here.
· Pray that future governments would not shirk from the painful but necessary process of excising all that is putrid and corrupt.
· Pray for the poverty that still affects 10s of millions. The poor, especially street children and indigenous peoples, often suffer terrible discrimination and exploitation. Debt slavery affects up to 250,000 people.
· Pray for the crime problem. Brazil is the world’s 2nd highest consumer of illicit drugs and the world’s highest rate of firearm homicides. Unprecedented breakthrough, spiritual and social, is needed to turn this around.
· Follow this link for pictures, stories of OCC Brazil and video of OCC: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-countries/brazil/#ooid=9yZG0wbjrjlDN1_Z6_XZ7KNFL5-82qkj

“So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” Acts 12:5 ESV

They prayed without ceasing. Fervent, persistent prayer sent an angel of the Lord to unlock prison chains, wake up Peter, get him to put his clothes on, slip past guards, and open iron gates. 

This is the power of prayer. This is why we pray for Operation Christmas Child, we believe in this same power of prayer! ​It is unlocking doors around the world for us to share the love of Jesus through the power of a simple gift-filled shoebox!

OCC Prayer, Slovakia, & Pastor Saeed

This week will you pray for Slovakia.  It is a locked central European state south of Poland. Only 1% of the over 5 million population is Evangelical Christian.  There are 20 different people groups that speak 13 different languages.  

1.    Pray that the ministry partners will understand the Operation Christmas Child vision.  

2.    Pray that mission agencies and local churches cooperate to the best effect, with joy and humility. 

3.    Pray for those reaching out to them, for love that will overcome all barriers and stereotypes.

WORLD REQUESTS:

1.    Pray for Pastor Saeed Abedine.  It's been nearly three years since Pastor Saeed, an American citizen, was imprisoned in Iran for his faith in Jesus Christ. His wife Nagmeh, who lives in the U.S. with their two young children, is calling for Christians worldwide to join her in a prayer vigil at noon on September 26—the third anniversary of his imprisonment.  Pastor Saeed has been repeatedly beaten and denied medical care, yet he continues to be a beacon for the Gospel among his fellow prisoners. Please pray for his health and that he will be released soon.  Please remember Pastor Saeed, his family, and persecuted believers around the globe. We can be assured that our God hears the prayers of His people: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).

REGIONAL REQUESTS:

1.    Pray for wisdom to recruit, select and lead new and/or transitioning volunteers. 

2.    Pray for provision of resources to reach God-sided goals for the current year!  Our Mid-south shoebox goal is 737,500 boxes.   

3.    Pray for the Collection and Relay Center Coordinators as they prepare for collection week. 

4.    Pray for Media relations volunteers that they will find favor with newspapers, TV, and radio. 

5.    Pray for Church and Community relations volunteers as they share about OCC.  

6.    Pray for the Full-Circle Tours as they continue.

SHOEBOX SIMULCAST PRAYERS September 22 @ 6:30pm, 24 @6:30pm, and 25th @11:30am.  Our Shoebox Simulcast series is THIS WEEK! We would love each of you to BATHE these three simulcasts in prayer. We want you, our prayer army, to mobilize and build a wall of protection around these simulcasts set for TODAY, the 24th and 25th.

We hope to reach a very big audience to get people inspired to advocate for our shoebox recipients and cast the vision for The Greatest Journey. We believe the enemy hates this and will do anything possible to stop this ministry from moving forward. We ask you to pray and pray specifically over these three dates and times listed above. We ask you to spend devoted time asking God to do great and mighty things through these simulcasts to get more people packing shoeboxes!

You can pray specifically seven ways:

1.    That technology will work excellently for each of the simulcasts. That all people who want to join in will not be hindered or frustrated by using Skype. That our staff will have no issues with our systems, our programs, or our sound. That all participating can hear clearly and fully and see their screen to follow along.

2.    That people will make a concerted effort to join in and be fully attentive. That no hindrance or scheme will keep those intended from being available to participate.

3.    That our OCC Connect volunteers will be better equipped, well-versed, and encouraged by new updates and concrete their knowledge in the basics of OCC.

4.    That our project leaders would learn new ways to implement OCC in their churches, community groups, and prayer groups. That they would be inspired to reach even more children and advocate more passionately for the children of the world.

5.    That individuals who have packed boxes will be encouraged to go deeper with OCC and learn more about how to get further involved.

6.    That church leaders and staff would truly grasp the depth of this project and the worldwide disciple-making movement that it is.

7.    For our goal of 737,000 shoeboxes to come from TN, AR, and KY in these next few months. We ask for God to do it and to do it marvelously! “For you are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God!” Psalm 86:10 NIV

Sweet Hour of Prayer & Romania

Aren't you so thankful that we can go to our Heavenly Father for a sweet time of prayer! As the old hymn says "I'll cast on Him my every care and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer." Prayer is essential to give us the strength, guidance, knowledge, and protection as we go into spiritual warfare every day. I am so thankful that my prayers are heard and answered.  He always hears and He always answers. Ask Him to guide you in whatever you need then wait, expectantly, for Him to answer you in your sweet hour of prayer. 

This week join Operation Christmas Child in praying for Romania.  5.4% of Romanians are Evangelical Christian. There are 23 different spoken languages in Romania. Stories of the hundreds of thousands of orphans and abandoned children in the 1990s broke the hearts of many. While this is still a great need, churches and missions do an increasingly good job caring for these young people, praise the Lord! The relevance of Christianity to youth is a challenge – this is more an issue of church culture and tradition than openness. Churched youth are often dedicated and effective in ministry. Unfortunately, most church programs are not attractive to unbelieving young people. Pray for effective programs and pastors who are willing and able to mobilize the youth into ministry, an area of ministry surprisingly lacking until now.

Specifically:
1. Pray for the regional volunteer leadership team. Pray they are able to find solutions to the challenges they are facing.
2. Pray The Greatest Journey discipleship program will have a great impact in Romania.
3. Pray for the children who have graduated from the program this year.

Give thanks to God for Alina and her story. We are thankful that she is now living in the USA instead of Romania and that God is using her story to touch lives!

NEA Requests:
1. Our 2015 goal of 10,200 - it's shoebox time!!!! Pray we will do abundantly more this year, in Jesus' Name!  National Collection Week is November 16-23.

2. All of the year-around volunteers to be rooted and strengthened as the season is quickly approaching.

3. Pray for the churches that are participating in packing shoeboxes, that they will have success and see good fruit in their efforts!

4. Hobby Lobby will be promoting OCC in their 700 stores nation-wide Labor Day through National Collection Week. Pray for God to multiply this effort.

5. Upward Sports is sending OCC promotional communication to the 625 churches that have a Fall Upward League.  Pray for this to multiply Gospel Opportunities (Shoeboxes).

6. War Room will send an OCC crafted and dedicated eblast to 7 million to promote National Collection Week. When the War Room releases on DVD, it will include at least one OCC/TGJ bonus feature. War Room was the #2 movie at the box office opening weekend and #1 the following (Labor Day) weekend. Praise God for the power of prayer!

7. Lifeway and 5 other bookstores will have Go Boxes and "How to Pack Your Shoebox Gift” brochures, and Jesus Loves Me musical lambs for purchase as a shoebox items this year!  Pray this produces abundantly more shoeboxes than we can imagine!

"But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!" (Psalm 66:19, 20 ESV)