Letter from Franklin Graham

Dear Friend,

There’s nothing better than to know that our children or grandchildren have understood the Gospel message and trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Through our Operation Christmas Child project, we are able to have the joy of knowing that the Lord is using our simple shoebox gifts to spread the Good News and build up His Kingdom as millions come to faith in Him. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

This year at Samaritan’s Purse, we are trusting God for enough shoebox gifts to reach 12 million boys and girls who may have never received a present before. It’s time to start filling shoeboxes with toys, school supplies, and other items that help children understand how much God loves them. National Collection Week will be Nov. 17-23 at hundreds of locations across Canada.

Our church partners around the world will be handing out these shoebox gifts at evangelistic outreaches where they share the Christmas story and invite children to welcome Jesus into their hearts. In the weeks following, they will invite children to enroll in our discipleship program, The Greatest Journey, a series of dynamic lessons developed by Samaritan’s Purse and taught by trained local volunteers.

Last year, 4 million children received their own Bibles as they graduated from The Greatest Journey, and 3.2 million of them made decisions to follow Christ. They learned how to share the Gospel message with friends and family members. We praise God that we have seen whole communities transformed by the witness of these child evangelists!

Thank you for your prayers and support for Samaritan’s Purse as we work around the world to help those suffering because of disaster, disease, poverty, famine, or war.

Sincerely,

Franklin Graham

‘I Saw Children Coming to Hear the Word of God’

Diego buried his face in his hands—overwhelmed by the Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift on his lap. It was a hot day in a tiny community center on Maio, an island in Cape Verde, about 600 kilometers off the west coast of Africa. As other children dug into shoebox gifts around him, Diego finally lifted his head and looked at his. He saw a magnifying glass, a calculator, and other school supplies, but it was a flash of green fabric that caught his eye. Pulling the item from his shoebox, Diego held bright green athletic socks for all to see.

“I’m going to train with these tomorrow!” he said joyfully. The socks were perfect for soccer, and if there is one thing Diego loves, it’s kicking a ball with his friends. He had even worn his favorite soccer T-shirt to the Operation Christmas Child outreach event, but he had never owned socks like those in his shoebox—a tangible expression of God’s love for him. “Today, I heard about Jesus and received a beautiful gift. Thank you!” Diego said.

Those words fill Pastor Silas’ heart with joy. As the only pastor on Maio, he brought the shoebox gifts from his town to Diego’s village, which has no church. “Seeing the children open to receive the Gospel is a great joy for me as a pastor and leader. I saw children coming to hear the Word of God, and I see them smiling and opening their hearts to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord,” he said.

Silas and his small church are now teaching The Greatest Journey follow-up discipleship program in Diego’s village. The 12 lessons teach children who Jesus is, how to follow Him, and how to share Him with others.

“Our goal is to plant a church here,” he said. “What we are planting today will have fruit tomorrow.” Pastor Silas is also praying for more children across his country to receive shoebox gifts and hear the Good News. “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 19:14).

NEW CHURCH IN AN EMPTY FIELD

Across the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Verde—in a hard-to-reach nation—a new church started after an Operation Christmas Child outreach in a place where few people have heard the Gospel. National volunteers took 300 shoebox gifts to three isolated communities. Travel to this region is dangerous because of rampant highway robberies. But our courageous volunteers went anyway, prayerfully going to reach the children with God’s love.

Without a church in the area, the team hosted an outreach event in a field near one of the towns. Three boys who are deaf and unable to speak were among the children who came and joyfully received a shoebox gift. Afterward, they chose to enroll in The Greatest Journey. One of our teachers knew sign language and taught the boys, who completed all 12 lessons. Best of all, they put their trust in Jesus Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

But that was just the beginning. The boys and other children didn’t want the Bible lessons to end, so they started a small church with their parents. “After the children’s classes, adults started to attend,” said Helda,* one of The Greatest Journey teachers. “The children started taking the adults,” and a new church is being built. On average, over 1,000 churches are planted each year through Operation Christmas Child. We praise God.

A BRIDGE TO KNOW JESUS

Now, the 2025 shoebox season is here, and National Collection Week, Nov. 17-23, will arrive before we know it. Will you join in packing with your church, group, or family? Every prayerfully packed shoebox is another opportunity to reach a child and their family with the Gospel.

“When my son received the box, we thought it was just a simple gift. But it wasn’t just a toy or a material thing—it came with love and an invitation,” said one mom in the Philippines. “Because of that, our whole family started attending [church]. Now, we go to church regularly. The Operation Christmas Child box became a bridge for us to get to know Jesus better.”