Written by Alex Nsengimana with Samaritan’s Purse. This is a paid partnership.
As pastors and leaders in children’s ministry, I suspect you have heard of Operation Christmas Child. Maybe you know that children all over the world get to hear the Gospel message before receiving a shoebox gift, or you’ve even led kids in packing these joy-filled shoebox gifts with toys, school supplies, and personal care items.
Out of millions of shoebox gifts, one of them ended up in my hands when I was an orphan in Rwanda at a time when I desperately needed hope.
When I was only six years old, my grandmother and uncle – the two relatives who were taking care of me – were both killed by our neighbors when tribal unrest broke out in Rwanda. My whole life shattered. The little faith I had was gone and I often wondered why my life was spared in those three months of horror.
I found myself in an orphanage with many other displaced children. We had lost it all.
My First Glimpse of Hope
A first glimpse of hope came into my life when I received my Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. Having my very own gift with toys to play with and a comb which I kept for years was so special. Joy overwhelmed me, but the most profound impact was realizing someone around the world was thinking about me. That planted a seed of hope during a time when I felt lost.
A year later, God began revealing the miracles He had done to save my life. I gave my life to the Lord and began abiding in Him daily. But my heart was still filled with bitterness towards those who killed my family. These were not just random people. I knew them by name. But the more I chose to abide in God, slowly understanding Who He truly is, the more God started to prune away my bitterness and anger.
Over the years, people came into my life who challenged me to abide in God – that was the only way I could heal from the pain I had experienced in my childhood. John 15:16 became my lifeline: “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
The Opportunity for Forgiveness
I also prayed that if I ever got the chance to see the ones who hurt my family, God would give me the strength to forgive. God diligently weeded out bitterness in my heart, making room for His fruit of forgiveness.
In 2013, when I had the opportunity to return to my orphanage in Rwanda to hand out Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, God surprised me by answering my prayer. Within prison walls, I was given the chance to visit the man responsible for taking my uncle’s life. By God’s grace, I was able to share honestly that I forgave him.
A shoebox opened my heart to God’s Word and eventually forgiveness, and for that I am grateful. Jesus transformed my heart.
The Role You Play
As you minister to the children set before you, I pray you will give them the opportunity to plant a seed of hope in other children around the world through packing Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts this year.
This project is a fun, practical way to teach children about the importance of sharing the Gospel and showing God’s love with others. Your children’s ministry can bring hope to another child around the world – a child just like me – who desperately needs to know that God loves them.
Start planning now and change the world one shoebox at a time.
