Sarah Shoop, a Samaritan's Purse volunteer, blogs from Haiti.

This December I traveled to Haiti for my third trip to volunteer as a nurse with Samaritan’s Purse in the Cite Soleil medical clinic.

While there, I had an unexpected opportunity to also be a part of Operation Christmas Child. I was beyond excited to have the chance to be a part of this awesome once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Our journey began at 4 a.m. as our small team awoke from our slumber outside under the stars to the voice of Bill Montgomery, an American missionary, praying for blessing over the day. He serves in the mountain community of Pays Pourri (meaning rotten country) where we would soon be heading. Bill had asked SP for help establishing a cholera clinic in the mountain village, where medical care is scarce, during the height of the cholera outbreak. Several months later the OCC gift distribution was organized.

Our team was filled with excitement to begin our journey and show these children love!

We were joined by Yvrose (pronounced Eve Rose) and the 24 orphans that she has taken in. Although they have close to nothing themselves, she teaches them to have a servant’s heart and show Christ’s love to others. Dressed in Santa hats, they couldn’t wait to share their joy and faith with the children of the village.

We each took our backpack of supplies and headed to the base of the mountain, where we packed 15 mules with over 500 shoe box gifts and extra water! Six containers of shoe boxes that didn’t fit on the mules were gathered up eagerly by several Haitian women who balanced them on their heads for the entire hike up the mountain! I was so impressed with their poise and balance. I was nervous of slipping off the edge with only my backpack and they managed this incredible feat wearing old flipflops, guiding mules, and rarely stopping for water!

I had never climbed a mountain and had certainly never traveled with a pack of mules carrying supplies. It was absolutely amazing! The hike was over 3,500 feet and took more than four hours. The views were breathtaking; God’s beauty in nature is indescribable in the mountains of Haiti.

When we reached the village—which consisted of two schools, a cholera treatment center, and a church—hundreds of children came running down the path to greet us. They knew they were having a special Christmas party, but they had no idea they would be receiving presents.

We gathered everyone into the church where they sang Christmas songs, played games, listened to a very moving sermon, and also had a special feast. The children were counted as dinner was being prepared. We realized there were well over 500 children. We wondered if we would run out of food and presents, but rather than let fear rule our hearts our team prayed and remembered Jesus multiplying loaves of bread and fish and trusted His provision would be enough.

Yvrose’s children helped serve the dinner—there was plenty for all the children—and performed Christmas carols. Their love and joy to serve was overflowing; we were all so touched by these precious children.

After dinner it was time for the shoe boxes. Many children were shocked at first when they received their present and couldn’t believe it was theirs to keep. Some came running and skipping out of the church filled with laughter and joy. Others were crying as they were overcome by the reality that the gifts belonged to them. Most had never received a gift in their lives and had no real possessions of their own. These presents were life changing for them.

God had known far in advance how many children would be there and we had enough presents for each child—including Yvrose’s orphans, who never expected anything.

Everyone was full of excitement as we watched the children, until we saw one little boy crying with his grandfather. He had been helping take care of the mules and wasn’t in the line of children to receive gifts and no present had been left for him. When one of Yvrose’s children saw the little boy crying he handed over his shoe box gift. How amazing to show such love. These kids were truly living as examples of Christ.

As I watched the children during the church service and gift distribution I was brought to tears as a worship song from my home church, Fellowship Bible, in Nashville came to mind. Our worship leader, Ronnie Freeman, recently shared a new song he had written called Orphan, and it became a reality for me during this unforgettable day.

These children are not orphans anymore. They may have nothing according to the standards of the world but they have everything through Christ, who has adopted them. He is their father!

Special thanks to Mike Dytynyshyn for helping me write this story and allowing me to be a part of this special day with Samaritan’s Purse, and Ronnie Freeman for allowing me to share this song. I’m so honored to be able to volunteer with Samaritan's Purse, which is such a wonderful organization that is truly doing God’s work.

Samaritan's Purse , A Special Day

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