Edwin and Lola Donahue’s granddaughter, Abby Reynolds, attended First Baptist Church in Natchitoches during Vacation Bible School and fell in love with Operation Christmas Child when she was 11. She made items, made and packed shoeboxes and learned the importance of them. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry that sends millions of gifts to children around the world to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
For Reynolds’ 12th birthday, she asked friends to bring gifts that could be packed in shoeboxes like stuffed animals, toys, balls, toiletries, school supplies, clothing and shoes. She and her friends packed 50 shoeboxes.
Last year, at 13, she packed 66 shoeboxes on her own. Her goal this year is 75. She organizes the collection of shoeboxes for her church, Oak Grove Baptist Church in Church Spring, Texas, which has an average attendance of 300. They collected nearly 300 shoeboxes last year.
A church in Waco, Texas, that collects over 2,000 shoeboxes annually, asked Reynolds to organize the collection of shoeboxes with the youth of their church.
Reynolds was featured in the magazine “Girls Like You” in Jan/Feb 2022. She stated that she enjoyed packing shoeboxes so much she would love to continue the endeavor throughout her lifetime. Her challenge is for everyone to pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.
For more information about the ministry go to Samaritanspurse.org or contact Brenda Ingram, Logistics Coordinator, 318-471-9415.
