{"id":102862,"date":"2019-02-12T15:04:14","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T20:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samaritanspurse.org\/?p=102862"},"modified":"2019-03-05T11:10:17","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T16:10:17","slug":"special-report-article-occ-mexico-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samaritanspurse.org\/es\/our-ministry\/special-report-article-occ-mexico-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"OCC Special Report – Feature Article – OCC – Mexico – UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n

X<\/h4>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t
Operation Christmas Child<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t
REPORTE ESPECIAL<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n
\r\n \t

Sharing the Greatest Gift<\/h1>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

Football Boosts Evangelism<\/h1>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t
\r\n
\r\n\t\t\t

E<\/span>hrowing a punch in a school playground fight nearly caused Ernesto to be expelled from school.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

It wasn\u2019t the first time that the pre-teen had got into trouble at his school in Mazatl\u00e1n, Mexico. If one of the boys at school taunted him by taking his backpack, kicking him, or calling him names, Ernesto would strike back.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

\u201cI wasn\u2019t fighting just to attract attention or get respect, I got into fighting because I felt alone,\u201d Ernesto recalled. \u201cI felt sad because I was ashamed of the fighting, but that only caused me to fight more to push the sadness away.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t

M\u00e9xico<\/h4>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\"\"\r\n\t\t\t

Ernesto didn\u2019t see an end to his sadness until friends told him about the hope and love of Jesus. Now Ernesto tells others about the great joy of following Him.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t

\r\n\t\t

Momento decisivo<\/h1>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t
\r\n
\r\n\t\t\t

Playing football with friends in his neighbourhood helped distract Ernesto from the trouble he was experiencing at school. Still able to see how miserable he was feeling, Christians within the group began talking with him about God and invited him to church.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

Wanting to experience the peace of the Lord that he had been hearing about, Ernesto asked Jesus to be his Saviour two weeks after starting to attend church.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

Two weeks after that, the new Christian received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift at the church.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

The shoebox contained a variety of school supplies, hygiene items, and toys\u2014including a football with a pump. Ernesto was thrilled to have his own ball. He also appreciated the school supplies because for many families the items are expensive, he said.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

\u201cI was excited when I saw the school supplies in the gift because most of mine were broken or used up,\u201d Ernesto said. \u201cThey helped me improve my grades.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

His teacher recognized him as a top student as his grades continued to improve.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t

Not only did his shoebox\u2019s school supplies help him with his homework, the football would play a key part in Ernesto\u2019s discipleship as a new believer in Jesus Christ.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

\r\n\t\t\t

\u201cI ask them to join me and my friends talking about Jesus.\u201d
\u2014Ernesto<\/span><\/p>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\t

\r\n
\r\n\t\t\t\r\n
\r\n
\r\n