LaSalle Parish once again opened their hearts and pocketbooks to help spread Christmas cheer and the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.
On Monday, November 25, trailers were filled with boxes of Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes gathered from churches and individuals from LaSalle Parish and carried to the regional collection center at Kingsville Baptist Church in Ball.
From there, the boxes will go to other locations in the United States where they will be shipped around the world sharing the love of Christ.
Tasha Chatman, OCC Pick-Up Coordinator for the Jena area, noted that this year a total of 1,816 boxes were received at the Jena First Baptist Church drop-off location. In north LaSalle, OCC Pick-Up Coordinator Jennifer Smith said another 699 boxes were received at the Tullos First Baptist Church drop-off location. This brings the total number of shoeboxes received in LaSalle Parish to 2,515.
Chatman said that 39 volunteers worked a total of 227 hours during the past few months, all donating their time and services to share the love around the world.
“A total of 14 churches and eight individuals donated shoeboxes,” she said. “We are very thankful for everyone who donated and gave of their time.”
Each shoebox contains a quality toy, school supplies, personal care items and the Gospel message.
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Through this project, Samaritan’s Purse partners with the local church worldwide to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations.
Since its beginning in 1993 with 28,000 shoeboxes being sent to England, more than 220 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. The project delivers not only the joy of what, for many kids, is their first gift ever, but also gives them a tangible expression of God’s love.
The national collection week was held November 18-25.
For more information about Operation Christmas Child, please visit samaritanpurse. org.
