As Christmas approaches for another year, Samaritan’s Purse reflects on the impact a shoe box can make to a child’s journey of faith.

In December 2011, Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child, distributed gift-filled shoe boxes to 80 children in a desperately poor village in Labasa, Fiji.

Soon after the distribution, 30 children enrolled in a children’s Christian discipleship program run by the organisation, The Greatest Journey, with the consent of their parents. Melvin, a ten year old boy who lived with his grandparents, completed the program and graduated with 18 other children.

Fifteen of these children gave their lives to Jesus, and Melvin was amongst them. Melvin’s grandfather was known throughout the village as a religious leader and a witchdoctor by the local villagers.

While a pastor from a neighbouring town was teaching the Greatest Journey classes, some of the children’s parents came to see what their children were learning.

The classes were completed in 14 weeks but the children asked the pastor to continue the classes to teach them more about Jesus. A small Bible study group was established at Melvin’s grandparents’ home. The group grew steadily over a three month period and five adults accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, including Melvin’s grandparents, to the astonishment of many neighbours.

Melvin’s grandfather then asked the pastor to open a church in his home, which has grown steadily over the past seven months and now has 25 people attending regularly.

Melvin’s grandfather and the pastor, Pastor Waisea approached a local landowner to purchase some land to build a church. In September, the first church service was held under a temporary shelter on the land with forty people attending.

Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes are given to children in need, distributed by the local church and sent from countries all over the world. This year, Samaritan’s Purse in Australia and New Zealand hope to provide shoe boxes full of gifts to 320,000 children and 21,000 children are expected to enroll in The Greatest Journey discipleship program.