Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to millions of children in need each year. For many years, Tate County families have packed shoebox gifts for boys and girls around the world. One of these gifts reached Schimea Nguessan in Cote d’Ivoire when he was a young boy. Nguessan is now visiting Tate County residents to share how the simple gift had a life-changing impact.
Nguessan will be telling his story to local groups and churches. He wants to encourage residents as they kick off the upcoming collection season to fill more than 16,750 shoeboxes with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items—contributing to the global goal of reaching 9.7 million children in Jesus’ Name.
Nguessan will speak about the love that a simple shoebox gift gives to children around the world on March 26, 2022 at 4 p.m. at Mt. Manna Baptist Church, 7805 Palestine Road, Coldwater, MS 38618.
Nightly in their home in Cote d’Ivoire, Nguessan’s mother said, “Even though we don’t see a father in this house, we have a Father in heaven. He loves and cares for us.” Nguessan asked if this Heavenly Father could also give gifts like he saw the other kids had. His mother encouraged him to pray and ask. After church one Sunday, Nguessan entered a big room that held red-and-green shoeboxes. He thought each box might be for two or three children to share, but to his delight, he got a whole shoebox gift all to himself! “I would feel the joy in tht box,” Nguessan said.
During Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week Nov. 14 – 21, Tate County residents can bring gift-filled shoeboxes to multiple curbside drop-off locations across Tate County to be announced in late October.
For more information, call 662-292-1052, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $9 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement. Boxes built online go to hard-to-reach countries.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 198 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
