Operation Christmas Child event in Holmes County highlights global impact of shoebox gifts

On Saturday, Aug. 23 at Carlisle Inn Walnut Creek, more than 500 guests united to celebrate Operation Christmas Child’s ability to reach children around the world and share not only the precious gifts inside each box, but also the Gospel of Christ.

Last year Samaritan’s Purse, which organizes Operation Christmas Child, presented nearly 12 million shoebox gifts worldwide to children, many of whom never have received a gift like this before. Since 1993 more than 230 million shoeboxes have been delivered around the globe.

Guest speaker Basit Hammad’s life was touched in a dramatic way by the giving of someone who took the time to personalize a shoebox gift and send it overseas.

“The impact goes beyond the number of shoeboxes delivered,” Hammad said. “Every shoebox is the Gospel, an opportunity for every child who has never heard the Gospel before.”

Hammad said coming from a country in which nearly 99% of the population is non-Christian, he faced many hardships growing up in a family of faith in the Gospel. He and his family faced religious persecution, and he knew people who were killed for their faith.

Surrounded by a life of poverty with little food, Hammad said he had little growing up, let alone receiving a gift for Christmas. He would often ask his parents why he was being shunned at school by the other children for his faith.

They continued to encourage him to stand strong in his faith.

Then one day he received something of his very own in the way of a shoebox gift from someone he had never met before, thanks to the kindness of Operation Christmas Child.

“A Sunday school teacher told me we would be receiving a special gift coming from the United States,” Hammad said. “I was so happy, but I grew up with a lot of broken promises and thought this might be another one of those broken promises.”

It wasn’t, and he was so excited when the day came and there was a mountain of shoeboxes.

“I was so excited,” he said. “I remember thinking I was just going to go and get as many shoeboxes as I can.”

He nervously waited for his turn in line, and it was a treasure to receive the gift.

Scared to open it at school because he might accidentally lose some of its content, he held it tight to his chest and thanked God.

He finally got home, opened his box and poured out a wealth of gifts.

“What has always stood out to me was that someone took the time to pack a shoebox for someone they had never met before,” Hammad said. “It was a symbol of love and hope for me.”

Simple gifts became treasures, and one of the most defining things found was a picture Bible.

“I was amazed by these pictures,” he said. “Christian resources were so hard for us to get in my country.”

That encouraged Hammad to pursue life with God.

It helped inspire him to learn more about Christ. He was later baptized, and he later felt led to take the Gospel into unknown areas of the world.

“That thought was so strong it wouldn’t let me sleep,” Hammad said.

He joined a small team that went on hiking treks to share the Gospel in small villages. He prayed to God he would open doors to expound on that effort, and not long after, one opened — a chance to invest himself into mission aviation.

“I kept praying to God that he would make a way for me to take the Gospel into these unreached people,” Hammad said.

Doors continued to open, and he eventually was able to go to the U.S. to attend training, and nine years later in 2021, he was admitted to Bible College and became a missionary pilot.

A gift of faith years ago became a launching point to what Hammad does now in reaching people around the world with the Gospel.

Ohio East Area coordinators Brian and Alicia Zaugg have coordinated this gathering the past couple of years, and it has quickly become popular enough that it requires them to create two separate events to make sure everyone can make it.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to bring the community together to share the heart of Operation Christmas Child and how people can get involved,” Brian Zaugg said. “Our main goal is to create more shoeboxes to share Jesus’ love for kids around the world.”

The Ohio East Area includes Holmes, Tuscarawas, Carroll, Harrison and Coshocton counties, and Brian Zaugg said it is always exciting to see people from all five counties come together for this event to learn, give and fellowship.

He said this year has been their biggest events yet, with more than 250 guests attending both the luncheon and dinner.

The husband-and-wife duo have enjoyed uniting to lead this area effort, especially because the purpose is near to their hearts.

Alicia Zaugg said their respective gifts mesh well together in completing everything necessary to pull off such a huge endeavor.

She said bringing in Hammad to speak came courtesy of a speakers’ bureau for Samaritan’s Purse, a group that features an array of people who have experienced the joy of receiving a shoebox full of gifts firsthand as children.

“It’s an inspiration and a blessing to have these speakers give us a firsthand account as to how these gifts have changed their lives because it shows God at work through people,” Alicia Zaugg said.

Both the luncheon and dinner featured welcomes and a prayer from Jon and Belinda Mach of Carroll County, along with a poem written by Belinda Mach about the importance of the shoeboxes.

Each also included a performance from a group of actors from the Mach’s home church at Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church.

Norma Sullivan from Berlin said coming to support this effort is something she cherishes, and it’s more than just the great meal at Carlisle Inn.

“I love to shop, and I love kids, and I love Christmas and the idea of sharing with these kids all around the world,” Sullivan said. “But it isn’t just giving gifts out; they are also introducing these kids to Jesus as the real gift.”

Like many of those in attendance, making and donating boxes for Samaritan’s Purse has become a Christmas activity, as this holiday time of giving and sharing has continued to grow to great proportions in this area.