Operation Christmas Child...A Story of Simple Gifts by Franklin Graham and Donna Lee Toney

I finished this book weeks ago but you know, life just sorta got hectic and I just haven't put my brain together to write a review.  What can I say about this book?  My heart has been connected with this ministry from the first time I saw Franklin Graham talk about sending shoeboxes to Bosnia in the 1990's.   Our family has been sending shoeboxes since then and I've been the co-ordinator at my church for years.  It is very near and dear to my heart.  So when this book came out to celebrate 100 million shoeboxes packed and given to needy children I had to read it.

From the cover:  It was a simple idea that became the worldwide outreach of Operation Christmas Child - a project of Samaritan's Purse- to minister to children in war-torn and famine-stricken countries.  In just two decades it has inspired everyday people to provide more than 100 million gift - filled shoeboxes to needy children in 130 countries.  This beautiful book weaves the moving, God-saturated story of the ministry's beginning with the soul-stirring, Christ exalting stories of lives that have been forever changed by a simple shoebox.

This is the beautiful history of this ministry, from the inception of the idea, to the excitement, the joy and sometimes danger of delivering the boxes, to the incredible stories of the perfect box miraculously being placed in the hands of just the right child and how it spoke to them of God's love and let them know that somebody somewhere cared about what they were going through.  The story is told, fittingly, in the voice of Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, who heads the world wide emergency relief organization Samaritan's Purse under which Operation Christmas Child operates.  This book is touching and I recommend a big ol' box of kleenex to be handy when you delve into the pages.  You'll cry as you read the plight and conditions of the children the boxes are for, how God has led and blessed the delivery of the boxes, how everyday people have caught the vision and excitement and sought God on what to pack and how certain boxes have made it to children who needed or asked God to show His love by having a certain item within a box.  In other words, you'll do a fair bit of crying.  It is truly a miraculous story and one cannot fail to be touched by what goes on in this organization.  I highly recommend reading this is you've ever wondered about Operation Christmas Child or Samaritan's Purse, ever been curious what happens to the boxes, ever packed a box and thought about the children or if you love an encouraging story of a simple idea touching kids around the world.

The book can be purchased here and proceeds go to Operation Christmas Child to continue the work it celebrates.


To pack a shoebox in your city or to pack one online you can go here (Canada) and here (USA) and here (Australia) .


Linked with Semicolon Saturday Review of Books