Submitted
North Oak Community Church, 3000 Oak St., will host an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox recipient at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 28.
Area churches, organizations, and individuals will have the opportunity to hear from Lorena Surducan, who, as a young child in Romania, received a shoebox gift. “This gift, which included a toy that Lorena had been praying for, confirmed Lorena's trust in God and sustained her through a childhood of hunger and poverty,” a news release said.
Light refreshments and door prizes will be a part of the evening.
Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization headquartered in Boone, N.C.
Each year thousands of individuals fill simple shoeboxes with small toys, school supplies, and hygiene products. These shoeboxes are then collected and shipped to needy children around the world. For many children, this is the first gift they have ever received, said Rachel Albin of Hays, Northwest Kansas area director for OCC.
Each shoebox also contains a pamphlet telling the child about Jesus. For many children, this is also the first time they have ever heard of Jesus, she added.
Those planning to attend the Hays event are asked to RSVP to Albin at [email protected].