OCC Guyana
Thirty-two percent of Guyana’s 744,768 people are 14-years-old or younger. In the 2011-2012 season, 21,600 shoe box gifts will be delivered to children in Guyana, which first received the gifts in 2000. Since then, 214,527 children in Guyana 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 Guyana, these Bible lessons will be offered to 8,400 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
Wonderful Discipleship
From Norma, a Sunday school leader “We at St. Oswald’s Church realized that if there is no Sunday school, there will eventually be no church. That being so, last year we decided to resurrect our Sunday school program. We started on August 23 with a total of 12 children. Due to the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas gifts, we now have 23 children on roll.
We are working tirelessly with the children to show them the love of Christ. The children are eager to come to Sunday school to hear stories from the Bible, 'The Greatest Gift of All' booklet, and the The Greatest Journey program.
I take great pleasure teaching them the Word. They like the activities and participated well despite the other religions such as Islam and Hindu in the area. We hope to add more children to our Sunday school by the end of the year.
I teach the children how they can work for the Lord, and they are excited about it. To be a disciple of Christ is wonderful. As we go through the three books of The Greatest Journey, I am sure our children will be fully equipped to do their task to win souls for Christ."
A Joyful Heart
From Kemo, a 12-year-old shoe box recipient: “When I removed the cover of my gift box, my heart was filled with joy. The gift box was filled. I couldn’t imagine someone giving me all this stuff, so I shared them with my family. We all liked the things that were in the gift box. I now know that the love of Jesus is in the heart of those who sent it, and I express gratitude for the gift box you sent me. Thank you again for this wonderful gift. My prayer is that God continues to bless you.”
The Lord Loves Me
From Tiffany, a 14-year-old shoe box recipient: “My mom, who is not a Christian, discourages me from going to church. In fact, she wanted me to go to another religious place of worship. She had stopped attending church for no reason, and for a while we were not going anywhere to worship. Now, I’ve made a decision to come back to church, and I feel so comfortable and loved in Sunday school, and this gift makes me feel special. I know the Lord loves me.”
PRAYER REQUESTS
Praise the Lord for the opportunity to offer hope to children in conflict-affected communities.
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