Operation Christmas Child underway at Parkland

Parkland Baptist Church Pastor Wayne Boydstun was surrounded by boxes Monday, preparing to pack for the church's annual Operation Christmas Child.

Boydstun described Operation Christmas Child as "an international operation of Samaritan's Purse, an effort headed up by Franklin Graham."

Graham is the son of the late Evangelist Billy Graham.

"Samaritan's Purse has been doing operation Christmas Child for 30 years now. This is our 19th season at Parkland," Boydstun said.

Boydstun said a good definition of Operation Christmas Child would be found at the Samaritan's Purse website.

"Samaritan's Purse sends gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children in need around the world together with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ," according to the website's opening page.

Samaritan's Purse describes itself as "an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization."

Boydstun said members of the Parkland congregation have been collecting items for Operation Christmas Child throughout the year.

"Our church collects different items every month. We have a room dedicated to them and we keep them all collected," Boydstun said.

Boydstun said the goal this year was to pack 200 to 250 shoeboxes.

Boydstun doesn't know specifically where the boxes go.

"They just go all over the world," Boydstun said.

Boydstun said last year boxes went to southern Mexico and Columbia.

"We've seen them go to Ukraine," Boydstun said.

He said there is a way to track a box "if a person wants to go to the Samaritan's Purse website, pay a donation of $10 and that can track where a box goes."

Boydstun said he's known of families who put their mail information in the boxes and those people have heard back from people over the years.

Boydstun said this is Samaritan's Purse National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child.

"This week here at Parkland we receive the shoebox gifts from other churches in the area and help ship them off. I've already packed 500 boxes that came in early," Boydstun said.

Boydstun described what goes into a typical shoebox: Hygiene items including toothbrushes, washrags, combs and hairbrushes. Coloring books, different types of reading books that will fit, school supplies such as rulers, crayons, pencils, sharpeners and a "wow" item, which is usually a toy, something big that the kids will "wow" at ... folded up sports balls, stuffed animals, toys and such.

Samaritan's Purse has speakers who once received an Operation Christmas Child box, grew up and came to the United States.

Boydstun said collections come from churches, groups and individuals.

"There's still plenty of time for folks to put together a box and get it to us by Monday at noon. I'll have the truck loaded and ready to head to Amarillo." Boydstun said.

Boydstun said if people are interested they may call the church office at 762-1779.

Parkland Baptist is located at 921 Parkland Dr. in Clovis.