Stories From Liberia

The First Gifts In Over A Century

Recently, Operation Christmas Child was delighted to take shoebox gifts to the remote village of Bomie for the first time. Bomie in the local Vai dialect means ‘mud’ and the road that leads to it certainly reflects this, making it hard to navigate. When our local church partner, Pastor Emanuel and the team finally arrived, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, they were welcomed by the main elder of the village.

Mr. Bondo is thought to be well over 100 years old and is greatly admired by the whole village and the wider clan. Speaking through the interpreter the elderly man said, “We are happy to receive you and thank you for the gift boxes. I have never seen this in all my years, and I wish to have been one of the children. For in all my years, I have never received any gifts.”

Pastor Emanuel and his wife had been hoping to reach this village for some time and were overjoyed to be able to share God’s love and the Good News of Jesus with the children and the wider community there.

The elder was so pleased by their visit and the joy it brought that he donated some land to Pastor Emanuel for whatever activities the church wished to do locally. Pastor Emanuel also reported that on Sunday their church meeting was packed with new people who were keen to learn more.

A Message Of Thanks

“My Name is pastor Dean, I am the National Coordinator of Operation Christmas Child in Liberia. As we look back at 2021 we would say it was a blessed year despite the pandemic. Thank you for the containers of shoeboxes you sent. They were a great help to us. The gifts you have sent to Liberia are changing lives and your partnership is opening doors to reaching new communities. God bless you for your support.”

Patrica’s Shoebox

Patricia lives in Liberia with her mother who runs a grocery stand selling dried peppers and other vegetables. She was delighted to receive such a special gift and excited to discover so many treasures inside – a pair of sunglasses, some toothbrushes, a beautiful necklace, as well as her favourite item; a pack of colourful crayons. Both mother and daughter were filled with joy to hear of God’s love for them and to learn of His Greatest Gift at Christmas time – Jesus.

Shoeboxes Create New Opportunities

In Montserrado county, Operation Christmas Child ministry partners shared shoebox gifts with children of former members of the Liberian armed forces, at the 72^nd military barracks community.  As a result of this outreach, a day-care/primary school has been started! The need for the school was established when the team realised that the The Greatest Journey classes were the only form of children’s activity or education in the area. They discovered that the former armed forces families could not afford to send their children to any public or private schools.  The Operation Christmas Child regional team consulted parents and community leaders, who welcomed the idea, and found a place for the school to start. Now the ‘Kingdom Kids’ day-care and primary school has 164 children attending!

Shoebox Gifts for Remote Bolo

There is no road to Bolo, only a footpath. When ministry partners sought to deliver Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts there, one local volunteer, a student named Francis, offered to make the hour-and-a-half walk from the main road to this isolated village. The local chief was pleased by his visit and Francis registered 80 children from the ages of 2 to 14 to receive Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts.

Fifty students (from the local university ABCU) volunteered to carry the shoebox gifts through the jungle to the children of Bolo. In partnership with another organisation, they also brought food, medicine, and a digital player with an audio recording of the New Testament in the Mano language.

Under a tarpaulin shelter put up especially for the occasion, the students led the children in a time of singing. Next, a student began to share the Good News of new life and hope in Jesus with them using the Ministry Partner Guide, and Francis translated into the local dialect.

The children were delighted to receive shoebox gifts and to hear that God knows every person in Bolo by name. The village chief told the delegation that Bolo had never received gifts like this before and he thanked God for Samaritan’s Purse coming.

When he explained that they had no church, one of the village elders offered land for the construction of a building for worship. As a result, the chief requested that ABCU send students to lead the new congregation each Sunday. Just two days later one of ABCU’s students volunteered to start the new church in Bolo.