Iglesia Nueva Generación in Cutuglagua, Ecuador, was predominantly a congregation of adults until they got involved with Operation Christmas Child. But when they coordinated an outreach event for children in June 2021, they were glad to see youngsters coming to the church, said volunteer Maria Yucailla. The event was successful and followed local health guidelines…
Surgical Teams Provide Life-Changing Operations
Being born with a cleft lip in South Sudan usually means a lifetime of shame. Many people in the country believe that the facial deformity is the result of a curse and treat those with a cleft lip as outcasts. Samaritans Purse began a cleft lip and palate surgical project in 2011 to send volunteer…
By Volunteering, She Became a Prayer Warrior
“Prayer is such a central piece of Operation Christmas Child. It supports all parts of the organization. It’s that underpinning to make sure everything else runs smoothly,” said Nancy Osborn, prayer coordinator for the Maine West team of year-round volunteers in the Portland area. A resident of Falmouth, Maine, Nancy works full-time as an inventory…
Cleft Lip Project Celebrates 10 Years in South Sudan
People in the village told the young mother to toss her newborn daughter into the nearby river. They said both the child and family were cursed and would always be despised. But Dakeech believed her daughter, Nyani, to be a precious gift from God. She refused to end Nyani’s life because she was born with…
Faith on the Front Lines of Coronavirus
UPDATE: A more recent story from Italy has published. See “Hands of Comfort, Care Reach Out During Pandemic.” — Twenty seconds. A lot can be accomplished in 20 seconds. As Samaritan’s Purse medical staff repeatedly wash their hands at our field hospital in Italy, they’ve also dedicated that 20 seconds to intentionally praying for each…
Missouri Volunteer Motivated by Jesus’ Last Words
Springfield area resident fulfills dream to reach children for Christ through Operation Christmas Child. Jill Cobb of Mountain View, Missouri, does what she does because she’s focused on Christ’s final words on earth, which begin: “Go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19, NKJV). She volunteers as an area coordinator for Operation Christmas…
Ukraine Response Press Kit
Apprenticeship Program
Restoring Families and Futures with New Livelihoods
A Father’s Struggle Considered the poorest family in their village, Chheng and his loved ones were often looked down upon by the community. For Chheng, a husband and father to nine children, the need to provide a stable income was dire, but finding a good job in rural Cambodia seemed impossible. “My family was so…
Working in Oklahoma After Storms; Finishing Well in Texas
Heavy hail and violent winds wreaked havoc on the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area, leaving hundreds of neighborhoods without power and thousands of homeowners with looming questions on what is next. In the wake of this disaster, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers and support staff are on the ground providing relief to those most in need through home repairs…