Hands clasped and heads bowed, children whisper their first prayers to the Creator they’ve just learned about. This moment of surrender happens at tens of thousands of Operation Christmas Child outreach events around the world each year.
For a boy named Samay in Cambodia, watching children pray at a recent event was especially meaningful. Only a year ago, he received a shoebox gift himself and heard for the first time about a God who loved him so much He sent His Son to die for his sins.
Sitting behind him is his mum, Bopha, reflecting on the journey their family has taken. Samay, the youngest of three, is the only child still at home—and the one God used to speak life and encouragement into her heart after his own encounter with Christ.
“Samay told me to be courageous and to be strong in the Lord,” Bopha said. “He told me to go to church, to pray for him to grow in faith, and to have love so that he can teach other kids about Jesus. I never thought that God would do this miracle in my life through my son.”
Samay and Bopha pray together at an Operation Christmas Child outreach event, grateful for the journey of faith God brought them on over the past year.
Last year, Bopha and Samay attended an outreach event simply out of curiosity. She didn’t expect her son’s decision for Christ to spark a transformation in their home.
“I remember there was praise and worship that the children danced to and a Gospel presentation where the teacher spoke about the love of God,” she said. “Many children were there, and they wanted Jesus to be in their hearts.”
This year, Samay is on the other side of the experience—helping hand out shoebox gifts. As he places each box in front of a child, he quietly prays they too will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Remembering the joy of opening his own gift last year, Samay delights in handing out Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to other boys and girls.
And he remembers how much his own gift meant to him. Inside his shoebox was a picture of the Australian family who packed it, signed with the words, “God loves you.” It encouraged him deeply, knowing people he’d never met were praying for him.
“When Samay first came home with his gift I remember him being very excited,” Bopha said. “He felt very blessed because in the past he didn’t have a lot of new things… Coming home with new pens and new pencils, it’s what he was praying for. It helped him have the motivation to go to school.”
The note on the back of the family’s photo also encouraged Samay that God had people he’d never met praying for him!
Soon after receiving his shoebox, Samay began The Greatest Journey—the 12-lesson discipleship course for shoebox recipients. There he accepted Christ and learned how to share his faith with others. His joy grew, and he began leading friends to the Lord. A small church meets just across a field from their home, and each afternoon children race there after school.
“Samay is very steadfast in his faith,” said Pastor Nisay, the church’s founder. “He has been growing in the Lord and he has become a testimony to other people in his community. God is the only hope for him, so he tells everyone.”
Christianity wasn’t entirely new to Bopha, but following Jesus had never been easy. It meant resisting cultural pressures and traditions that had shaped her family for generations.
“I [previously] believed that when I didn’t pray or I didn’t worship at the altar during the holy day, I would get sick,” she said. “Throughout generations, my family, my parents, and ancestors used to practise this.”
Samay and his mother study the boy’s Bible he received at graduation from The Greatest Journey.
But after witnessing Samay’s encounter with Christ, her understanding of God changed. She chose to let go of old practices and follow the One who saves.
“My favourite thing about Jesus is the way that—no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done—His love is there for us,” she said. “God uses other people… to encourage us and always exceed our expectations.”
Pastor Nisay rejoices in what God has done: “By the grace of God, not only Samay, but his mum accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Their lives have been changed. They are so happy; they are joyous. We are thankful to the shoebox ministry.”
Now sister and brother in Christ, the mother and son praise God for leading them to faith through Operation Christmas Child!
