Ellis County Ministerial Alliance
A recipient of an Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoebox will be sharing how God used that shoebox to open her heart to him.
The virtual event will feature Vanessa Mejia-Hutchinson, originally from Honduras, at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 2000 Main St. A soup supper will follow.
To RSVP, please contact Rachel Albin, Northwest Kansas OCC director, at ralbinmk@yahoo.com or call or text 785-639-1325.
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization headquartered in Boone, N.C.
Each year thousands of people fill simple shoeboxes with small toys, school supplies, and hygiene items. These shoeboxes are then gathered and distributed to children in need around the world. Albin said for many children this is the first gift they have ever received.
In each shoebox is a pamphlet in the child’s language, telling the child about Jesus and his love for them. Albin said for many children this is also the first time they have ever heard about Jesus.
According to the OCC website, “Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 244 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.”
The OCC Shoebox National Collection Week this year is Nov. 16-23.
Those wishing to know more about Operation Christmas Child may visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.