Linda Logsden of St. Louis, MO talks about Samaritan’s Purse Christmas shoebox gifts to needy children in 100 countries.  This heartwarming radio discussion provides the “how to’s” of it.  While this conversation addresses the efforts of one particular year, the shoebox plans are ongoing and have been for years.  The insights shared provide good motivation for an individual and/or church to become involved in the joy of bringing joy … and a witness for Jesus … to children in hardship around the world.  Franklin Graham is the International Director of www.samartianspurse.org.  Linda Logsden, retired from her career in the medical field, finds great personal joy in serving as the St. Louis/Eastern Missouri Area Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child/Samaritan’s Purse.  She reports that the goal in her region this particular year is for 45,000 Christmas shoeboxes to be collected and sent … everywhere!  Linda invites us to go to www.samaritanspurse.org and type in our postal zip code to discover the “where's and when's” of “drop off” locations near you.  She can be reached at 636 300-3190.

Linda Logsdon is an area leader for Operation Christmas Child which collects and distributes shoeboxes filled with gifts to poor children worldwide.  Described as the “world’s largest Christmas program,” OCC is a part of the ministry of Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse.  Shoebox collection deadlines occur each year, but efforts in filling the shoeboxes continue year-round in being ready for the next Christmas collection deadline.  At the Samaritan’s Purse website (www.samaritanspurse.org) you can enter a postal zip code to find the location of the nearest shoebox collection site. Hear Linda Logsdon provide a brief and inspirational overview of Operation Christmas Child, answering your questions about the shoeboxes that bring joy and the love of Jesus to 8,000,000 needy children around the world.

Linda Logsdon gives direction to Samaritans Purse’s (headed by Franklin Graham) shoe box efforts in the region of St. Louis and eastern Missouri.  Kim Smith leads her local church in increasing from the 600 shoe boxes sent last year … to a goal of 1,500 shoe boxes from her church this year.   They talk about their focus … and their joy… in being involved in Operation Christmas Child, preparing shoe boxes of gifts of love for children worldwide, urging many others to join them in doing it.  All kinds of ideas and promotional helps in developing Operation Christmas Child  can be found at www.samaritanspurse.org , including the location of several “drop off” points in and near your zip code.

As I write, there is still time for you to take part in the 2010 effort (- this year’s National Collection Week is Nov. 15 – 22) to bring great joy to children who will not otherwise receive gifts in the Name of the world’s greatest gift, Jesus. Each child is given a booklet providing the gospel to the child, family and friends. This year’s goal is to … one shoe box at a time …  exceed the 8.1 million distributed worldwide last year. 

Any one person can bring a single shoebox to a collection location.

If you miss out on it in 2010, the same wonderful opportunity is planned in future years … until Jesus, who came to earth 2000 years ago … comes back the second time!  Wouldn’t we be thrilled for Jesus to find us involved in Operation Christmas Child – and similar acts of love -- when he returns!

Elsewhere on www.haroldhendrick.com you can hear Operation Christmas Child’s National Spokesperson --Mary Damron of Appalachia – in a 5-minute very  moving video with Franklin Graham talk about it.  Be inspired as you click on …  http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:F0uA0MCxcKsJ:www.tangle.com/view_video%3Fviewkey%3D689af28aa2b02b887749+mary+damron+bio&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Linda Logsdon and Vicki Stamp clearly are joyful as they give leadership to one region’s filling shoeboxes for some of the world’s poor children. 

For all the information needed for a church, another ministry, or just one individual to take part, visit www.samaritanspurse.com.  This radio conversation with Linda and Vicki provides helpful input to anyone either (1) considering or (2) already taking part in Operation Christmas Child.

The St. Louis, MO area they lead has … so far … 400 churches participating with a goal this particular year of filling 36,000 shoeboxes.  

Soon hear another radio conversation on www.haroldhendrick.com with two young adult ladies now living in the USA … one from Romania and the other from Russia.  As children they each received a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child.  The Russian was, at the time, in her “second orphanage…”  If they received anything for Christmas, it would usually be only a bit of fruit and/or chocolates.  They since have both come to saving faith in Jesus Who, through his special people, provided a shoebox of gifts, expressing to them the love of Jesus. 

Bill Lohr of Faith Comes by Hearing (www.bible.is and www.faithcomesbyhearing.com) reports more than 1,000,000 New Testament apps have been downloaded to cell phones … for both reading and listening … in just five months.  From their website:

“Bible.is Hits One Million Mark in Matter of Months

Bible.is, the audio-based Bible app created by Faith Comes By Hearing, has reached 1 million downloads in just 5 months. Faith Comes By Hearing has established its Bible.is app as an expression of their Digital Bible Project (DBP). The DBP is a platform like none other in the world, combining the latest technology with the world's largest digital library of both Bible text and audio recordings.The free app is offered on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices. It is marked by its unique combination of text and audio as well as the large number of languages offered to listeners, with more being added regularly.People from 166 countries have engaged in God's Word through Bible.is, with a remarkable average listening time of 36 minutes per person.‘I am new to the whole 'techy' thing,’ wrote a Bible.is mobile app user, ‘But, I love that you can read and listen at the same time. You can have your very own Bible study anytime, anywhere.’

Quote

While the Bible.is apps are great at home, in church and on-the-go, we really see them as a part of a larger strategy to fulfill the Great Commission,"

--Troy Carl, National Director, Faith Comes By Hearing “

Are there examples of revival transformation in cities and communities in the United States?  The Sentinel Group has discovered wonderful and stirring examples of such, filming a number of them on location (See www.glowtorch.org.)  This radio discussion features Steve Loopstra of The Sentinel Group and Pastor Don Sims of the City of Hope Church in Appalachia’s Manchester, KY.  Having jail time and drug abuse as a part of his past life, Pastor Sims and his church minister to many with a similar background.  Hear these men describe the evidence and the impact of God’s outpouring that resulted in a transforming revival in that region.  Their conversation refers to their visit to St. Louis, MO, a part of a multi-city tour of reporting the works of God … and urging prayer, repentance, and God-pleasing submission to Him in seeking God and his transformation in their towns and cities.  The powerful video of the story, Appalachian Dawn, is available for ordering.

Pastor Jeff Lunn of the Park Baptist Church in North St. Louis, MO County highlights the life of a great nineteenth century missionary heroine, Lottie Moon. A southern aristocrat, she left her social status, homeland and family in sacrificially offering her life to share Christ’s love in China. Late in her live, during a time of famine, she gave away most of her food to her beloved Chinese, which eventually reduced her weight to 50 pounds.  She basically died of starvation in a Japanese harbor on Christmas Eve while returning on only her third journey home.  So in 1912, Lottie Moon spent the last part of Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and is now spending forever, in the presence of Jesus and all the residents of Heaven!  A great missionary offering is named in her honor – the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering -- which each and every year provides multiplied millions of dollars from thousands of churches.  It amounts to half the support for more than 5,000 foreign career missionaries serving with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Pastor Jeff tells of how his church, like many others, is giving major focus to this important means of advancing the Gospel of Jesus worldwide.  (Donations need not be restricted only to Christmastime.) Perhaps our Heavenly Father is bringing even more “Heaven” to Lottie Moon’s heart right now: the mission board through which she served estimates that 30,000 Chinese are now coming to faith in Christ – every day!

From www.imb.org and www.squidoo.com/lottiemoon: 

Who was Lottie Moon?

Lottie Moon - the namesake of the international missions offering - has become something of a legend to us. But in her time Lottie was anything but an untouchable hero. In fact, she was like today's missionaries. She was a hard-working, deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so her people group could know Jesus.Why was the offering named for this early China missionary? Throughout her career, Lottie Moon wrote numerous letters home, urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. One of those letters triggered Southern Baptists' first Christmas offering for international missions - enough to send three new missionaries to China.

Lottie's death

Lottie died aboard a ship in the Japanese harbor of Köbe on Dec. 24, 1912. She was 72 years old. 

The beginning and development of Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, MO is a remarkable drama many acknowledge as coming from God Himself … and to Whom they are very thankful.  Jim Marsh, Head of School for 26 years, and Zack Clark, Director of Advancement, summarize the unfolding and amazing story, in which they themselves are in awe.  They went from purchasing a public school property – at one time thinking they had “…bitten off more than they could ‘chew’ …” -- to now relocating to a prime 70 acre property in West St. Louis county.  Though located in an affluent area, Westminster has purposely sought out minority students.  They now have a 17% minority student population, nearly one in five.  A 1.3 million dollar scholarship fund was established to make Westminster more affordable to those who otherwise could not attend.  Hear Jim Marsh and Zack Clark talk about it in their own words.

Head of School Jim Marsh expresses his joy and praises to God regarding the dedication of the new “grand” facility of Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, MO… and all that it represents.   Its beginning was in a home of a few followers of Jesus.  They had a vision of developing a quality secondary school that could freely honor Jesus Christ while providing a very high quality Christian education.  35 years later came the dedication of its marvelous $50 million facility in West St. Louis County, MO.  Jim Marsh was recognized as having been the Head of School since 1985 and as being strategic…with many others on the “team” … as God’s instruments to bring it to pass.

Dani Butler, Director of Westminster’s International Influence, speaks to the growing role of Westminster beyond the USA.  She points to a developing Christian School in her native South Korea that is modeling its development after Westminster Christian Academy.  Representatives of that school traveled to attend the dedication.

Learn more at www.wcastl.org.