Once again the Operation Christmas Child campaign was a great success in this little town with a big heart. A total of 389 shoebox gifts, pictured here with volunteers Stella McGruder (left) and Karen LaBonte (right), were packed and donated this year by local churches and individuals. These donations will be shipped, literally, to the ends of the earth, whether in deep jungles, city slums, steep mountainsides, or one of 1,000 remote Pacific islands. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, a non-denominational international relief organization. The project delivers not only the joy of what, for many kids, is their first ever gift, but also gives them a tangible expression of God’s love. | GERRY LABONTE PHOTO
