Operation Christmas Child Australia & New Zealand

Only one week until the Samaritan's Purse film, Facing Darkness, launches in Sydney. See how Samaritan's Purse staff responded to the Ebola crisis by trusting in God. This powerful true story of faith is not to be missed. Come experience the film in Sydney for one night only on 7 August. Tickets are available at https://www.samaritanspurse.org.au/facing -darkness/

The joy of finding out what is inside the shoebox 😍 #OCCanz

Every shoebox is an opportunity to share the Gospel! #OCCanz

Samaritan's Purse has a new film, FACING DARKNESS, coming to Sydney for one night only on 7 August.
In the spring of 2014, the Ebola pandemic was sweeping across West Africa. One organisation stepped up with people and resources to provide compassion and care in the Name of Jesus. But when the deadly virus infected its own medical personnel, including Dr. Kent Brantly, the epic crisis truly hit home for Samaritan's Purse and its leader Franklin Graham. FACING DARKNESS tells an incredible true story of faith, determination, and prayer … and of how God performed a miracle!
For tickets and more information visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org.au/facing -darkness/

Happy Friday! #OCCanz #Weekend #FriYAY

Would you like to find out more about OCC? Would you like to see how processing of the shoeboxes works?
Join us for a fun day at the Sydney processing centre. Find out the latest information about OCC, collect resources, see what happens during processing, and hear how you and your church can get involved this year.
RSVP to Craig Jennings by phone - 1300 884 468 or email nsw@samaritanspurse.org.au.
... We look forward to seeing you there:)
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Join us for the Operation Christmas Child Geelong Regional Launch.
Tuesday 24th July anytime between 2pm-7pm at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church - 60 Ballarat Rd North Geelong 3215.
An opportunity to say hi to the Geelong team; swap stories and updates with our Victorian State Manager Marg Perry; share a cuppa; and collect your 2018 resources
... Please RSVP to Marg Perry by phone 1300 884 468 or email vic@samaritanspurse.org.au.
We look forward to seeing you there:)
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Join us for the Operation Christmas Child Colac Regional Launch. Saturday 15th July 10.30am at Christian Family Church Colac, 33 Cants Road, Colac Victoria 3250.
Marg Perry, our Victorian State Manager, will be preaching a message of social justice. Come along and hear how packing gift-filled shoeboxes can change the lives of impoverished children, their families, and communities. You too can take up the work of mission evangelism from your own home town.
... Please RSVP to Richard Van Niekirk by phone 0499 919 004 or email vic@samaritanspurse.org.au.
We look forward to seeing you there:)
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Operation Christmas Child (OCC) connects with millions of children around the world each year so they can experience God’s love through gift-filled shoeboxes and to hear about the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We will be having a morning tea together to hear the latest news from OCC, share ideas and chat to your fellow OCC Church & group.
Please RSVP to Emma Richardson by phone 033797680 or email office@opawa.org.nz.
... We look forward to seeing you there:)
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"I never received a gift as a kid. They couldn't even afford to buy food for us let alone gifts for our birthdays or Christmas."

Samaritan's Purse began collecting gift-filled shoeboxes for children in war-torn Bosnia in 1993. We praise God that over the past two and a half decades He has allowed us to bless 157 million children around the world with Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes!

Need a reason to pack a cuddly toy in your shoebox? Just look how excited these children are!

So much excitement!!😍 #Joy #OCCanz

Have a joy filled weekend!

Watch the incredible story of Luis. #OCCanz #PowerOfASimpleGift

Beautiful boys in Belize opening their shoeboxes! #HappyFriday #Joy

This week is National Volunteer Week. We would like to say THANK YOU to all our incredible volunteers, we couldn't do it without you! #NationalVolunteerWeek #Thankful

"I was ashamed even going to school, and my friends were laughing at me because I had no shoes." Watch this powerful story of a shoebox.

This little girl couldn't contain her JOY after receiving a shoebox gift! Turn up the volume to hear the sounds of Good News and Great Joy in Lome, Togo.

Thank You for packing shoeboxes! #ThankYou #OCC

--They have certainly disbelieved who say, " Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said,

"O Children of Israel, worship Allah , my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.



16. And mention in the Scripture Mary, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern location.

17. She screened herself away from them, and We sent to her Our spirit, and He appeared to her as an immaculate human.

18. She said, "I take refuge from you in the Most Merciful, should you be righteous."

19. He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord, to give you the gift of a pure son."

20. She said, "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, and I was never unchaste?"

21. He said, "Thus said your Lord, `It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign for humanity, and a mercy from Us. It is a matter already decided.'"

22. So she carried him, and secluded herself with him in a remote place.

23. The labor-pains came upon her, by the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, "I wish I had died before this, and been completely forgotten."

24. Whereupon he called her from beneath her: "Do not worry; your Lord has placed a stream beneath you.

25. And shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards you, and it will drop ripe dates by you."

26. "So eat, and drink, and be consoled. And if you see any human, say, 'I have vowed a fast to the Most Gracious, so I will not speak to any human today.'"

27. Then she came to her people, carrying him. They said, "O Mary, you have done something terrible.

28. O sister of Aaron, your father was not an evil man, and your mother was not a whore."

29. So she pointed to him. They said, "How can we speak to an infant in the crib?"

30. He said, "I am the servant of God. He has given me the Scripture, and made me a prophet.

31. And has made me blessed wherever I may be; and has enjoined on me prayer and charity, so long as I live.

32. And kind to my mother, and He did not make me a disobedient rebel.

33. So Peace is upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the Day I get resurrected alive."

34. That is Jesus son of Mary-the Word of truth about which they doubt.

35. It is not for God to have a child-glory be to Him. To have anything done, He says to it, "Be," and it becomes.

36. "God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path."

37. But the various factions differed among themselves. So woe to those who disbelieve from the scene of a tremendous Day.

38. Listen to them and watch for them the Day they come to Us. But the wrongdoers today are completely lost.

39. And warn them of the Day of Regret, when the matter will be concluded. Yet they are heedless, and they do not believe.

40. It is We who will inherit the earth and everyone on it, and to Us they will be returned.

41. And mention in the Scripture Abraham. He was a man of truth, a prophet.

42. He said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship what can neither hear, nor see, nor benefit you in any way?

43. O my father, there has come to me knowledge that never came to you. So follow me, and I will guide you along a straight way.

44. O my father, do not worship the devil. The devil is disobedient to the Most Gracious.

45. O my father, I fear that a punishment from the Most Gracious will afflict you, and you become an ally of the devil."

--When God will say, "O Jesus son of Mary, recall My favor upon you and upon your mother, how I supported you with the Holy Spirit. You spoke to the people from the crib, and in maturity. How I taught you the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. And recall that you molded from clay the shape of a bird, by My leave, and then you breathed into it, and it became a bird, by My leave. And you healed the blind and the leprous, by My leave; and you revived the dead, by My leave. And recall that I restrained the Children of Israel from you when you brought them the clear miracles. But those who disbelieved among them said, `This is nothing but obvious sorcery.'"

"And when I inspired the disciples: `Believe in Me and in My Messenger.' They said, `We have believed, so bear witness that We have submitted.'"

. "And when the disciples said, 'O Jesus son of Mary, is your Lord able to bring down for us a feast from heaven?' He said, 'Fear God, if you are believers.'"

113. They said, "We wish to eat from it, so that our hearts may be reassured, and know that you have told us the truth, and be among those who witness it."

114. Jesus son of Mary said, "O God, our Lord, send down for us a table from heaven, to be a festival for us, for the first of us, and the last of us, and a sign from You; and provide for us; You are the Best of providers."

115. God said, "I will send it down to you. But whoever among you disbelieves thereafter, I will punish him with a punishment the like of which I never punish any other being."

116. And God will say, "O Jesus son of Mary, did you say to the people, `Take me and my mother as gods rather than God?'" He will say, "Glory be to You! It is not for me to say what I have no right to. Had I said it, You would have known it. You know what is in my soul, and I do not know what is in your soul. You are the Knower of the hidden.

117. I only told them what You commanded me: that you shall worship God, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them while I was among them; but when You took me to Yourself, you became the Watcher over them-You are Witness over everything.

118. If You punish them, they are Your servants; but if You forgive them, You are the Mighty and Wise."

119. God will say, "This is a Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness." They will have Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will remain forever. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. That is the great attainment.

120. To God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and what lies in them, and He has power over everything.



They have certainly disbelieved who say that Allah is Christ, the son of Mary. Say, "Then who could prevent Allah at all if He had intended to destroy Christ,

the son of Mary, or his mother or everyone on the earth?" And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them.

He creates what He wills, and Allah is over all things competent.

. Does the human being not consider that We created him from a seed? Yet he becomes a fierce adversary.

. And he produces arguments against Us, and he forgets his own creation. He says, "Who will revive the bones when they have decayed?"

. Say, "He who initiated them in the first instance will revive them. He has knowledge of every creation."

Whoever commits evil, or wrongs his soul, then implores God for forgiveness, will find God Forgiving and Merciful.

(Beşar Esad )like him: The hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the Fire, and you will find no helper for them

And when they come across those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their devils, they say, "We are with you; we were only ridiculing."

The hypocrites try to deceive God, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing off in front of people, and remembering God only a little

. God has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women, and the disbelievers, the Fire of Hell, abiding therein forever. It is their due. And God has cursed them. They will have a lasting punishment.