NEWPORT NEWS, VA — The nonprofit organization formerly known as Orphan Helpers announced today a name change to Counteract International. The new name and brand reflect the faith-based nonprofit’s broader mission to address urgent needs of incarcerated and released youth in incredibly challenging conditions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. “At Counteract International, we believe…
MEXICO — A mother, daughter, and children in Acapulco, Mexico, praise God for the hope and joy they received through an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift after their home was destroyed in a hurricane. Esmeralda: It was 10 pm. A hurricane was announced. A hurricane became more powerful. It became a category 5 hurricane. I…
ISRAEL — Samaritan’s Purse airlifted and distributed 24,000 boxes of gifts over Christmas for Israeli boys and girls. Ken Isaacs – Vice President of Programs & Government Relations Samaritan’s Purse: And today I’m in Moshavim, Israel. We brought 24,000 gifts into the country and we’re distributing them primarily in two of these regional council areas….
GREENSBORO, NC — Packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child is one of the many activities Lela Mae Cummings enjoys in her still-active lifestyle at “98 and a half years old.” Leila Mae Cummings: I’m Leila Mae Cummings , and I’ve lived in the Guilford College area all my life. And I’m at Friends Home Guilford,…
HONDURAS — Ivanna, a 12-year-old girl in Honduras, shares how receiving an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift gave her hope and introduced her to Christ’s love.
POLAND — An Operation Christmas Child volunteer in Poland started a Christian club for children who wanted to continue to meet for Bible study after they received shoebox gifts and graduated from The Greatest Journey. Wiestawa Szymczak – Volunteer: One day God laid it in my heart that if the children come to know Him…
EASTON, MD — As a young girl, Christina Issa found a way to block out the horror of war raging in her homeland of Syria — by watching a faith-based television channel for kids, broadcast in her native Arabic. She never dreamed that a few years later she’d be a presenter on the same channel,…
POLAND — “The war started suddenly,” Elena, a fine arts teacher in Ukraine, said. “I prayed every day, ‘Lord, I trust in You. Give me strength, patience, and humility for this day.’” Soon, she and her daughter fled to Poland to escape the increasing violence. They arrived close to Easter and moved into a hotel…
MINYA, EGYPT — Jessica gave her life to Christ after receiving an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift and attending The Greatest Journey course in her Egyptian village. When COVID shut down the churches, Jessica started her own discipleship group and led her friends to the Lord. Jessica – Shoebox Recipient: My name is Jessica and…
MATAMOROS, MEXICO — Thousands of migrants continue to arrive at the United States border seeking asylum. In an improvised migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico, a gifted Bible changes the life of a Venezuelan child. Joseph Rendón: I learned that if one has confidence in God, everything is possible. The faith in Christ Jesus reaches the…
BOLIVIA — A young Bolivian mother and her daughter suffered from the same fatal heart condition. With only years to live, they received lifesaving surgery through the Children’s Heart Project run by Samaritan’s Purse. Fatima Ramos Cardozo – Children’s Heart Project Recipient: It is very difficult to learn your child is very sick. Especially…
NAMIBIA — As God works through Operation Christmas Child to reach the remote Himba tribe in Namibia, southwest Africa, they are hearing, believing, embracing, and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. Pastor Rizera Hipakua – Volunteer: Jesus Christ is my Savior. He’s my personal Savior. I really love Jesus. I want to follow Jesus…
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — YouVersion and OneHope created the free Bible App for Kids in 2013 to encourage children to engage with God’s Word. Since then, the app has been installed by families in every country in the world. While it took seven years to reach the first 50 million installs, the app saw another…
POMPANO BEACH, FL — OneHope, an international Christian ministry, has crossed the threshold of sharing God’s Word with two billion children since 1987. To commemorate this incredible milestone, Bob Hoskins, OneHope’s founder, traveled to El Salvador, where OneHope’s programs launched in 1987. Watch the live recording of this special moment here. The vision of OneHope…
ALBUQUERQUE — Calvary Church’s Reload Love ministry raised over $208,000 during its annual “Love Bomb” weekend (Feb. 11 and 12), with proceeds benefitting the ministry’s 2023 highlighted project: children caught in the crossfire of the yearlong conflict in Ukraine and decade-long civil war in South Sudan. Hundreds of people joined Calvary Church at their flagship…
UKRAINE — Elizabeth Groff praises God for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift she received while living in an orphanage in Ukraine. It softened her heart for the Gospel to take hold. Elizabeth Groff: When I was about one year old, my father was killed. After his passing my mom just really could not deal…
EASTON, MD — A U.S. organization focused on the Middle East and North Africa is casting the spotlight on what it calls the region’s top 5 “evolving crises” at the start of 2023. With the world’s gaze fixed on Ukraine-Russia and muscle-flexing in China, “seismic events unfolding in the Middle East are simply off the…
SURINAME — Charahja began teaching the discipleship course The Greatest Journey to other children in her native Suriname on the northeastern coast of South America. When she was just 14 years old. Working with her mother, the two are passionate about seeing children reached with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Charahja Van Broekhoven –…
CHARLOTTE, NC — Celebrating the 200 millionth shoebox gift collected since 1993, Franklin Graham encouraged staff and volunteers at the Charlotte Processing Center this Christmas. These shoeboxes represent opportunities to tell boys and girls about the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Greatest Gift. Franklin Graham – Samaritan’s Purse CEO and President: 29 years ago right here…
BAYANKHONGOR, MONGOLIA — Baljinnyam praises God for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift he received when he was 13 in Mongolia. Through that gift, he gave his life to Christ. Now, Baljinnyam is an adult and saw his young daughter receive her own shoebox and learn more about Jesus. Baljinnyam: My name is Baljinnyam. I…
WADSWORTH, OHIO — Kristel and Matt Stone praise God for the thousands of Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts they have been able to pack at their Ohio farm over the years with help from family and friends. They are grateful that, through these gifts, boys and girls in need around the world are hearing the…
LOVES PARK, IL — A U.S.-based Christian charity is ramping up its efforts to bring hope to more than 60,000 children and orphans across Ukraine, Russia and the former Soviet Union this Christmas – 10,000 more children than last year. The huge-scale, church-led Immanuel’s Child outreach supported by Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org) gives…
BENIN, AFRICA — Nine-year-old Gladys flashed a big smile as she recounted the day she received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. It all started with a friend’s invitation. “You have to go to my church,” her friend, Kemi, told her. “There are good things going on, and I want you to hear the Word…
LOVES PARK, IL — A U.S.-based mission to the former Soviet Union aims to help give 50,000 disadvantaged boys and girls a “life-changing” summer camp experience this year, including children suffering because of the war in Ukraine. Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org) partners with thousands of local churches across the vast region to provide…
KIGALI, RWANDA — During the Spring of 2022, Christ for All Nations (CfaN) evangelism teams held more than 1,145 Kids Crusades throughout Kigali, Rwanda, in just nine weeks. The staggering number of outreaches yielded tremendous fruit as 695,699 young people chose to make Jesus their Lord and Savior. Jimmy Walsh – Bootcamp Graduate: In the…
NORTH WILKSBORO, NC — Samaritan’s Purse is delivering backpacks filled with special gifts to displaced children in Ukraine. These backpacks are filled with carefully selected items such as winter caps, simple toys, sketchpads/notebooks, crayons, and small teddy bears stenciled with a message of God’s love written in Ukrainian. These supplies are accompanied by booklets translated…
WARRENTON, MO — CEF has 69 national workers in Ukraine who were ministering to children on a daily basis, reaching 133,000 children in 2021. Only 12 workers have fled the country thus far. Of the remaining, half are sheltering in place and the other half have moved to western Ukraine. One reported that in the…
NASHVILLE, TN — Since SAT-7 launched the first ever Arabic on demand Christian video platform, they’ve seen countless young lives transformed in some of the most restricted parts of the Middle East including Afghanistan and Iran. Their Arabic Channels Digital Director Shady Francis brings this update. A Christian broadcast ministry, SAT 7, is having an…
BOONE, NC — Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, has impacted the lives of 188 million children in more than 170 countries.[1] Samaritan’s Purse recently released a report highlighting the success of the program’s 2021 Christmas season, during which 9.1 million children in need received shoebox gifts—containing various gifts such as…
MURRIETA, CA — Today, Russian soldiers walked through crowded streets in Konotop, Ukraine, threatening to release hand grenades if the people of this city in northeast Ukraine did not submit to them. Mayor Artem Semenikhin, rallied the people in this town in Sumy Oblast, just 100 miles from the Russian border, and they resisted the…
SAN FRANCISCO — Global non-profit organization Room to Read recently released their 2021 Girls’ Education Program Report, showing impressive results even amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of Room to Read’s efforts to support girls in their development of key life skills, the Girls’ Education Program focuses on keeping secondary-school-aged girls in…
SANTA CLARITA, CA — ZOE International celebrates 20 years of reaching those who have not yet heard about Jesus and rescuing children from the horrors of human trafficking. ZOE is named after the Greek word for LIFE in the Bible. Jesus said, “I came that they may have LIFE (ZOE) and have it abundantly.” ZOE…
BEIRUT, LEBANON — Five Syrian refugee children have received a new way to access learning from Christian broadcast ministry SAT-7 from the comfort of their home. “They cannot go to school, so we took school to their home,” explains Mostafa, one of the young visitors. Three Syrian boys from SAT-7 ACADEMY program Puzzle visited a…
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Members of Compassion International’s Fill the Stadium team are extremely grateful and honor those who have participated in this life-saving initiative as they share remarkable news: this week, the $35 million goal has been surpassed for the Fill the Stadium effort, which has provided critical food, medical care and support for…
WILLS POINT, TX – GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, whose heart to love and help the poor has inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, to serve the deprived and downcast worldwide, reveals on a shocking new report, from U.S. border to South Asia, 1.2 billion children in crisis face ‘horrors,’…
SYRIA — How do children of the persecuted church celebrate Christmas? Despite conflict and persecution, children around the world are determined to celebrate Christmas. What are you doing for Christmas this year? It’s a question many of us are asking around the world. For children living in countries where believers are persecuted, it’s a question…
STONEY CREEK, ONTARIO – One of the core values of GFA World (Gospel for Asia) founded by K.P. Yohannan, which inspired numerous charities like GFA World Canada, is being a people who work together with the body of Christ. In the week of November 15-22, 2021, GFA World was able to demonstrate this value by…
PERU – In the midst of the health crisis surrounding the pandemic Christian charity Compassion is providing practical and support to more than 86,000 children in Peru through their sponsorship program. One sponsor went the extra mile to help to radically turn around a very challenging housing situation for Joshmael and his family. Elia Sipan…
IRAQ – This Christmas, there will be an empty chair at the table for Rafif’s family in Iraq. Everything Rafif knows about her dad she has heard from her mum, and other people who knew him. Because when Raddif ran towards that bus filled with Christian students, warning them of the planned bombing, he saved…
CRETE, IL — A ministry that shares the Bible with people in far-flung corners of the world is embarking on a new faith outreach — this time, in the heart of America’s own Bible belt. As desperate migrants from Central America and other countries flood into Texas, Bible League International (BLI, www.bibleleague.org) says thousands of…
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – “There are times that bad stuff is going to happen, no matter how much you try and prevent it. It’s what you do afterward that makes a difference.” – excerpt from the opening of the documentary movie, “Triggered.” All Things Possible is a unique faith-based organization founded by Victor Marx. Marx…
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – The premature death of a spouse threatens the stability of a family and leaves a gaping emotional hole for the surviving wife or husband. An Israeli organization is reaching out to families, widows, and orphans using the Bible as their guide. Chris Mitchell, CBN News: Once a week this home is filled…
MIANGO, NIGERIA – Sunni Muslim Fulani Herdsmen invaded the Christian orphanage in Miango, Nigeria and burned every building. The 147 children and staff evacuated a few hours before the August 2, 2021 attack. The children were made orphans in previous attacks by Sunni Muslim terrorists such as the Boko Haram. As Fulani herdsmen advance in…
KAZAKHSTAN – Is it possible that three little words can heal the life of someone sexually assaulted as a little girl? That “God loves you” is really that powerful? Impossible? I can say that, with God, even this is possible. Growing up in the former Soviet Union, I was shunned by my parents, both abusive…
NASHVILLE – In May 2019, One by One – a UK-based global missions organization with a heart for the poor and broken across the Third World – opened King’s Children’s Home, near Lahore in Pakistan, to rehouse and give hope to children rescued from brick factory bonded labor in that country. The home opened with…
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Some of us are old enough to remember when the late-evening local news was preceded by a voice asking, “It’s 11:00. Do you know where your children are?” The answer hoped for was, “Yes. They are home, safely tucked into their beds.” No reply was expected. The question was an early form…
NEW YORK, NY – Not only is June 12 the World Day Against Child Labor, but 2021 has also been proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. The United Nations Global Compact is focusing on the issue of child labor. The Compact is a voluntary…
ZIMBABWE — CURE International (CURE), a global provider of surgical treatment for children with treatable disabilities, has opened CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, a first-in-the-nation facility providing life-transforming medical care to thousands of vulnerable children. At CURE Zimbabwe, surgeries are free to children under 18 regardless of race, religion, or gender. Conditions that…
KOLKATA, INDIA — As we observe World Hunger Day this week (Fri May 28), a recent report from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) predicts a steep increase in food insecurity over the coming months across 20 ‘hotspot’ nations – with more than 270 million people at risk of starvation – doubling the pre-pandemic figure….
NEW YORK – Lift Up the Vulnerable (LUV) leads the only indigenously-directed anti-human trafficking network spanning Sudan and South Sudan. Overview of Sudan and South Sudan The residents of the two countries have suffered decades of instability, military conflict, food scarcity, and economic hardships. Nearly four million South Sudanese have been displaced as a result…
