Stories From Moldova

Shoeboxes for Refugee Families

Local church partners have distributed many shoebox gifts to children who have fled from Ukraine. They have shared about a few such outreach events below:

There was an indescribable joy for the children of Ukraine who received these gifts from Samaritan’s Purse. I asked them if they had received such gifts before, and they all said that it was the first time they had seen and received such gifts. Glory to God that we can bring encouragement and joy in these times to those who are so desperate and need our help.

We hosted over 60 children from Ukraine. Each one of them received a special gift and heard of God’s boundless love. We enjoyed being able to bring smiles to their faces, as at least for a moment they forgot about the pain. Thank you for these gifts full of beautiful surprises. What an honour to be a blessing to others.

Every Ukrainian refugee child that has stayed at our partner church in Moldova during the past two weeks has been given an Operation Christmas Child shoebox of toys and other supplies. Giving the children the shoebox gifts helps calm the stress and anxiety of the parents and the kids. It shows them love and gives the kids and parents something to smile about. The children receive new toys and can play with the other refugee children staying there too. It helps create a happier environment and lets them forget the trauma of their circumstances for a little while. Thank you to Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child for this incredible ministry tool. Once parents and their children are in a safe, warm shelter, and have a good meal, and the children are settled with their shoeboxes, our church partners can share Jesus’ love with them.

Our Operation Christmas Child ministry partners have been supporting refugees at a church centre. About 60 refugees are staying there. We visited to support and encourage them and saw the beautiful work being done there.