OCC Botswana
Thirty-four percent of Botswana’s 2 million people are 14-years-old or younger. In the 2011-2012 season, 43,200 shoe box gifts will be delivered to children in Botswana, which first received the gifts in 2000. Since then, 545,021 children in Botswana have received a shoe box gift.
In 2010, Operation Christmas Child began offering a new, follow-up discipleship program to our ministry partners in conjunction with the shoe box gifts. This year in Botswana, these Bible lessons will be offered to 5,600 children who receive a shoe box gift.
The Greatest Journey begins when children are freely offered Gospel storybooks along with their shoe boxes. The Greatest Gift of All booklets—printed in over 70 languages—contain colorful illustrations that explain the Good News of Jesus Christ in a simple, engaging style.
After receiving a shoe box gift, boys and girls are invited to participate in the voluntary Bible study course produced by Samaritan’s Purse. The 12-lesson set guides children through a study of who Jesus Christ is, what it means to follow Him, and how to share this exciting message with others.
To help these boys and girls continue to grow in their faith, we also want to provide them with their own copies of the Greatest Gift of All New Testament. This special edition also includes select Old Testament stories, a dictionary, and a section that encourages the children to memorize Scripture.
Spiritual Impact Stories
Precious Pencils
In a small rural village called Mohimbo, 565 gifts were given to children during an Operation Christmas Child distribution. Finding four wooden pencils packed in his shoe box was an answer to prayer for 9-year-old Koto. Comparing the old 1-inch pencil he kept in his pocket to his new full size pencils, Kota’s excitement was a reminder that every gift is significant.
After the Boxes
After distributing gift-filled shoe boxes at his church, a pastor invited 10 children from his village to participate in the Operation Christmas Child discipleship program. Two years later, 60 new families have joined the congregation!
The discipleship program is offered by local churches in 66 countries. Boys and girls study an overview of the Bible, which includes the story of creation and the origin of sin, as well as God’s plan of salvation through Christ. Upon completion of the Bible lessons, children receive personalized certificates. But the best reward is the transformed hearts of children and family members who have accepted Christ’s gift of salvation.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Pray for the volunteer National Leadership Team as they make plans to distribute gift boxes.
RELATED STORIES
Christmas Joy in the Dominican Republic
Fox News hosts Greta Van Susteren and Sean Hannity join Franklin Graham to distribute shoe box gifts to children in the Dominican Republic and Haiti
A Valued Treasure
A shoe box gift showed comfort and the love of God to a young man while he was an orphan living in Russia
A Celebration of Service
Franklin Graham thanks Operation Christmas Child volunteers for helping spread the message of God’s love through shoe box gifts
