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!

Operation Christmas Child Week 4 April Prayer Requests

WEEK 4: OCC Mid-South Requests

1. Pray for Connect volunteers and OCC staff as they travel to the Connect Conferences in Atlanta that starts this week!
   
2. Pray for our 2nd Quarterly Prayer Call of 2016 on May 9th – for the presenters and those joining the Skype session.
   

 NEA Requests

1. Pray for our NEA Team as we grow. Praise God that HE provided 9 new prayer partners, 2 new team members, and we have some new people Melinda has been talking to for other areas of our team!
   
2. Pray for our goals for shoebox collections for 2016: 11,222 Gospel Opportunities!!!!!
   

This week we will continue to pray for Sensitive Countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA):

1. Praise God the tax exemption has been granted.
   
2. Praise God the team members were able to attend the national volunteer training.
   
3. Pray for the safety of the team members.
   

 

A 2^nd MENA Country Request we as Prayer Warriors:

1. Praise God for the local partners in the south who are willing to cooperate in the Outreach Events.
   
2. Pray God will continue to open doors in the north and south of the country.
   
3. Pray the team will find the right consignee.
   
4. Pray for the upcoming Outreach Events.

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!