During the follow-up program, Samaritan’s Purse Australia had an opportunity to share the Gospel with and pray for them. As Simran’s life was transformed, she had so much joy to share with the other children on Sunday that her parents also started attending church. Three weeks after Simran received the shoebox, her parents became Christians.

Simran’s family is attending Grace Samaritan Church. Their hearts and lives have been touched, and they have been blessed in many ways. Her mother Vinita was healed and Dinesh, her father, found a good job. The peace of God came into their lives.

This family is now a living testimony among their family and community where they are boldly sharing the good news and salvation of God with them at every opportunity. And it all started with a little shoebox. What an amazing impact.

“Someone in Canada gave me this stuffed cow and probably never imagined it would be so special,” she said with a smile. “Even though I’m older now, I’m still very attached to Lula. She stays in my bed.”

At the time she received her shoebox, Maria’s parents were leaning heavily on their Christian faith. Her father had been unemployed for four years, and the family had no money for gifts.

Her parents’ situation has improved dramatically since then and Maria, seeing first-hand how their faith in God helped them through hard times, made her own decision for Christ and was baptized at age 12.

As she looks back on receiving her shoebox all those years ago, Maria says: “It was God’s plan for my life to get Lula when I was a child. His plan started with that, and hasn’t finished yet.”

“When the teachers gathered us together in our classroom and told us about the gifts we were super excited. I remember that my shoebox had everything purple! I got a little doll, little notebook, toothpaste/toothbrush, soap, colouring book, a letter and a picture of a family. I also received chopsticks, hairbands, hairbrush, pencils, pen candy and a little soft bear. It was awesome.

“Now it’s been almost 7 years since I started making shoeboxes to send to other children all over the world. I’ve been receiving emails and pictures from a 12-year-old girl in Uganda who got my shoebox last year.

“I can’t describe in words how blessed I am to be a part of this ministry. I’ve been there and I know what it feels like to have no parents, to have nothing. God is an awesome God, and I would like to encourage each one of you to take a little time and make a shoebox. To share hope and love with all these children around the world.”

The pens, pencils, eraser, notebook, and ruler she received blessed her Muslim family. Angella needed these items for school, but her parents could not afford them.

“It was a great relief to the family,” said Angella’s mother Dorothy.

The flashlight inside the girl’s box also meant a lot, but it was only a shadow of the Light they received from The Greatest Gift.

“When I read the book, it proved to me that truly God is there,” Angella said. “That encouraged me to start going to church. I started going alone because I thought my family may not be convinced and accept Christianity.”

The truths she learned at church began to change her. Angella said: “As I went to church and learned about the Bible, I was being transformed by the verses we learned. I felt sweet in my heart because I was filled with the Word of God. It surprised me in my heart to find out that Christianity is good and that God is present and real.”