Boys and girls who live more than an hour outside of Ulaanbaatar experience God’s love through gift-filled OCC boxes sent from Korea.
Over the past two years, Korean churches began participating in Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse that delivers OCC gift boxes filled with toys and other fun items to children in need around the world. Every OCC gift box prayerfully packed full of toys, school supplies, and personal care items is delivered together with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to give a child a tangible expression of God’s love. In addition, gift box recipients are invited to participate in a 12-lesson follow-up discipleship program called The Greatest Journey. As a result of these efforts in evangelism and discipleship, believers and churches are multiplying globally.
Earlier this month in Altanbulag, Mongolia, more than 20 children eagerly attended an Operation Christmas Child outreach event at Spring of Blessing Church that meets in a traditional Mongolian ger. Surrounded by pink balloons that decorated the ger for the occasion, three Mongolian teachers led the children in a time of singing before sharing with them the story of creation, sin, and Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Enkhtsetseg, the leader of the church, invited the children to put their faith in God and also attend The Greatest Journey. She then surprised the children with the OCC gift boxes.
“These gifts are from Korean people who believe in Jesus,” Enkhtsetseg said. “Those Korean people put their heart and money and mind into every gift box.”
Thirteen-year-old Amartuvshin rejoiced to find a flashlight, jump rope, toothbrush, and pencil case in his box, but his favorite gift was a soccer ball because he likes to play the sport. His father is an officer in the army and he lives in a house together with his parents and three brothers. He had never heard the Name of Jesus before the outreach event, but now said, “Jesus is very powerful and great!”
This was a very specific answer to a prayer. Tucked inside his box, a card from the Korean person who packed his OCC gift box said, “My dear friend, this is for you because Jesus loves you. May you know about Jesus through his present. God bless you.”
Sarangoo, 13, loves to play basketball and lives in a ger with her mother, father, and two younger brothers. She really loved her Korean stuffed toy she found in her OCC gift box “because it’s soft and beautiful.” She, too, had never heard of Jesus before the event, but now said, “Jesus is the most important person in the world.” When she looks at her OCC gift box, she is so thankful for the Koreans who worked hard to prepare the gift box for her.
Enkhtsetseg is grateful for this outreach to her community and knows that the gift boxes influence more than the just the recipients. Not only do children start coming to church as a result, but their parents do, too.
“The gift helps them come,” she said.
As a result of simple gift boxes like these, children in more than 100 nations are coming to Christ and their families and communities are being transformed as well. You can be a part of this exciting process of bringing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children simply by prayerfully packing a gift box. Join us in this ministry and order your gift box for free today!
