and Beverly Starr, Collection Center Coordinators; Greg Boldebuck, Media Coordinator; Teresa Boldebuck, Community Relations Coordinator; and Gerald Wagstaff, Prayer Coordinator, as well as several other team members. “You’ll notice that we have several couples involved in the ministry together, and I think that’s because once you get a vision of what this is all about, then you get fired up,” Carolyn says. “All of this is just a means to an end…to share the Gospel.” The third week in November is always OCC collection week, and this year the date falls on November 12-19. During this important week, anyone who has filled a shoebox will bring it to 7th and Lake Drive in Texarkana, the former Rose Hill Baptist Family Ministries building (now House of Refuge) from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. It is here that the team and other volunteers will pray over boxes and then load them onto trucks. Last year, they sent 31,260 boxes from area donors, and this year their goal is 35,000. “It really is a team effort,” Carolyn says. “Everyone is so passionate and excited about how many boxes are coming in. However, this is where we could really use some help. The only people off during the day to help with collections are mainly retired people like us. Last year we had the Hooks Gifted and Talented Program and New Boston’s Fellowship of Christian Students come in and volunteer, and they were such a big help! If any other groups
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want to get involved, then we would love to have them!” From the collections in Texarkana, the boxes will be taken to an OCC Processing Center. The past few years, the Sparkman’s have traveled to Boone, NC, one of seven shoebox processing centers in the US, and have helped thousand of other volunteers pray over boxes, remove the shipping money, and prepare them for final shipping to over 130 countries. When the children receive their shoebox gifts, they receive a Gospel booklet, “The Most Important Story Ever Told,” which is printed in over 70 different languages. “The book starts with Creation and then goes through the Resurrection and explains how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” Carolyn says. “We’ve seen videos of the children opening their boxes. They are so excited about the toys and candy, and then you can see them pick up this book. As the camera spans the area, children are sitting down and reading the story of Jesus and of His love for them. It’s so amazing.” “As we fill each box, I wish I could see them open it,” Billy says. “I want to see that smile on their face, but more than that, the whole point is that they receive the hope and love of Jesus Christ.” Operation Christmas Child doesn’t just give the children a book and then hope that these children continue in the Christian faith without support. In fact, they have started “The Greatest Journey,” a twelve-step discipleship program for these children. At the end of the program, the children graduate at a local church, receive a discipleship graduation certificate and a Bible. “It’s not just like, ‘Here is a shoebox filled with something nice.’ This program shows them the gospel and then follows up,” Carolyn says. “Also, research has shown that every shoebox affects not 1 but 10 people. Most of these children live in clans and families, and they share what they receive.” From the OCC Processing Center, the boxes will be taped up, loaded up and put on ships or planes and then carried by trucks, boats, canoes, camels, horses or on the backs of willing volunteers to remote areas filled with destitute children who have no hope of receiving anything for Christmas this year. Many have never received a gift before in their lives. “I want to encourage anyone reading this article that filling one shoe box is not going to take you a lot of time or cost you a lot of money, but you WILL change the life of one child and their family,” Carolyn says. “There have been churches started up because of these shoeboxes. We will never know on this side of heaven how many were touched.” If you would like more information about how you can get involved with this ministry, please contact Billy Sparkman at 903-908-5585 or 903-277-0124.