The Other End of the Shoebox

I’d like to ask you to pray for my friends Joel and Heidi Hayslip. They are full time missionaries to Burkina Faso, West Africa. My wife and I have been supporting them for 6-7 years. They’re doing amazing work in one of the most unreached regions in the world. For years they raised money to provide a Christmas-like experience, giving thousands of kids their very first Christmas present while telling them about Jesus for the very first time. It was a small operation that saw thousands of men, women and children come to know Jesus in this mostly muslim nation.

Fortunately though, they’ve recently partnered with Operation Christmas Child of Samaritan’s Purse. Here’s the beauty of how this works. Samaritan’s Purse over the years has sent tens of thousands of gifts to kids in Burkina Faso without a strong presentation of the gospel (I think they would include written materials in the shoeboxes). However, my friends have developed half a dozen or so teams that can give crystal clear presentations of the gospel… specifically directed to children.

So, beginning this week, the Hayslips and their teams will be presenting the gospel message hundreds of times before tens of thousands of people. For thousands, this will be the first time they’ve heard a clear presentation of who Jesus is and what he did. So, please add the Hayslips and their teams and their efforts to your prayer lists for the next few weeks.

What I love most about all of this is that I know that many of you reading this post probably have been involved with Operation Christmas Child. You, your churches and volunteers/families lovingly send shoeboxes off to those in need, but rarely do you see what happens at the other end of the shoebox. The grateful hands that receive it… many who receive the gift of the gospel as well. When the outreaches are over, I’ll try to post an update with photos so you can see for yourself what great things were done!