Laying in a hospital bed in Panama City, Panama, Maykel only had a few days to live—or so the doctors told his parents when they informed them he had Stage 3 leukemia. Their precious son, only 11 years old, had recently heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ when he received a gift-filled Operation Christmas Child…
Operation Christmas Child
Young Central Asian Shepherds Receive Shoebox Gifts
A simple drive through the countryside can become something special. Yusif*, a volunteer leader in Central Asia with Operation Christmas Child, was traveling with several team members to a ministry meeting when he spotted two shepherd boys tending their flock near the highway. Remembering that he had some gift-filled shoeboxes as well as copies of…
50 Years of Ministry
Good News and Great Joy for Children Around the World
The summer of 1993, Franklin Graham received a call from England asking if he would fill shoeboxes with gifts for kids in war-torn Eastern Europe. Familiar with the suffering there from his recent visits to the region, Franklin agreed. Around Thanksgiving, his office received another call from England asking about the gifts. Franklin remembered the…
Operation Christmas Child
Twin Sisters Pack Hundreds of Shoebox Gifts
Twin sisters Leabele McLeod and Laralea McLaughlin grew up in a poor family that struggled to make ends meet. They were so thankful any time a friend or neighbor offered them food or other essentials. Now, at age 88, Leabele and Laralea are giving back to children growing up in difficult situations. The sisters have…
Franklin Graham
Newsletter March 2024
Franklin Graham Update | March Franklin Graham Update | March Marching Ordersin the Army of the Lord Dear Friend, The Operation Heal Our Patriot reunion is always a powerful testimony of how our Lord is working in the lives and marriages of wounded veterans. This year, 700 couples joined us in Aurora, Colorado— our largest reunion ever. On the first night, Pastor Greg Laurie gave…
Annual High Country Warrior Ride Supports Military Couples
Almost 200 riders on 160 motorcycles rode down backroads and the Blue Ridge Parkway on Saturday, May 20, to support Operation Heal Our Patriots. The group departed from Samaritan’s Purse International Headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, for the roundtrip route to and from Grandfather Mountain. This was the 12th Annual Warrior Ride, an event that…
Operation Christmas Child
An Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gave Hope to an Orphan in Honduras
Yuri Lopez grew up in 14 different orphanages in Honduras, after being separated from her family when she was 2 years old. Her life seemed hopeless. But when she was 6, Yuri received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift and “experienced hope for the very first time,” she said. “Everything in my shoebox was special,”…
Operation Christmas Child
Volunteers Know ‘Each Shoebox Is a Missionary’
When Carol and Pat Nelson volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, they know first-hand how much each gift can mean. Twelve years ago, the Nelsons packed their first shoebox for Operation Christmas Child and sent it off with a letter and a picture. Seven months later, they received a thank-you letter written in French from a…
Media
Fact Sheet: Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan's Purse Facts President & CEO William “Franklin” Graham III, son of the late Billy Graham Founded 1970, by Bob Pierce Purpose Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to victims of war, natural disasters, disease, famine, poverty, and persecution in more than 100 countries, with the purpose of sharing…
Operation Christmas Child
Families Learn About Jesus Together in Mexico
As children around the world receive Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts and are invited to learn more about Jesus Christ through The Greatest Journey discipleship program, many parents are curious to find out what their children are learning. This is especially true if the adults themselves know little about Him. Soon, whole families are studying…
