Wills Point, Texas
On Saturday, December 2, 23 representatives from Gospel for Asia (GFA), including staff members, children of staff, and students in GFA’s School of Discipleship program, volunteered at the Dallas-area processing center for Samaritan’s Purse’s annual Operation Christmas Child outreach.
Operation Christmas Child is an outreach ministry of Samaritan’s Purse in which people pack shoeboxes of Christmas gifts, including toys, school supplies, clothes and hygiene supplies. The shoeboxes are prepared for bulk shipment at one of the agency’s eight processing centers in the US. The shipments are then sent to children in developing nations as a demonstration of Christ’s love for them.
During their four-hour shift at the processing center, the team from Gospel for Asia (GFA) helped with a variety of tasks, including:
- sorting shoeboxes by age and gender of the recipient
- inspecting boxes and removing any inappropriate items
- sealing shoeboxes with tape
- packing boxes into cartons
- scanning “Follow Your Shoebox” QR codes so donors can track their shoeboxes
- sealing and loading finished cartons onto pallets.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) staffer, Jonathan Loghry, said “My family and I have participated in Operation Christmas Child for many years by packing shoeboxes. We love this ministry and the impact it makes, so when we heard we could be part of the process a little further down the chain, we jumped at the opportunity. Samaritan’s Purse has really done an amazing job of creating a volunteer environment that enables the work to be both productive and enjoyable.”
Here’s an inside look at actual operations of an Operation Christmas Child Processing Center.
Another Gospel for Asia (GFA) staff member, Hope Harlacher, noted that she was “amazed at how smooth everything went at the processing center. There was a spirit of joy and enthusiasm. Smiles were frequently exchanged in the bustle of the assembly lines and there was a sense of true meaning in everything each volunteer was doing.”
Operation Christmas Child originally created by Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision. Dr. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, continued the ministry of Operation Christmas Child in 1979, following Dr. Pierce’s death. Over 80,000 people participate in the processing centers annually.
For more information about Operation Christmas Child check their website here.
About Gospel for Asia
Founded over thirty years ago, Gospel for Asia has brought humanitarian assistance and spiritual help to millions of people in more than 14 nations across Asia. Via their radio ministry, they have also spread the Good News in 110 languages.
