When the local church arranged an Operation Christmas Child shoebox distribution at young Fatou’s village, the impoverished teenager had never received a gift in her lifetime, nor had she heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.
“I am from a very poor family, and my father struggled to get food for me and my siblings,” Fatou said. But despite the hardships that she had endured, Fatou refused to receive a gift-filled shoebox at first. Raised in a Muslim community, the teenager was wary of the Christians who came to her village.
“The people around me always called Christians wicked people,” she said. “This hatred invaded me.”
At the last minute, Fatou decided to attend the distribution. And God began to work in the young girl’s heart.
“When I received my box, I cried,” Fatou said. “That’s when I realized that those people were wrong about Christ.”
After the distribution, the teenager chose to attend “The Greatest Journey,” Operation Christmas Child’s voluntary, follow up discipleship program.
“While I was there, all these barriers fell around my heart and I was filled with joy,” she said. “Now I understand the Christian life.
The Greatest Journey is an exciting evangelism and discipleship program designed to teach children how to become faithful followers of Christ and to share their faith with others. We offer the program to children who have received Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. Boys and girls who complete The Greatest Journey course receive graduation certificates and New Testaments in their own language. We’re able to provide all the study materials, a graduation certificate and New Testament for only $6 per child.