BONNy KIBUUKA, a young man from Uganda, Africa is a 2020 OPERTAION CHRISTMAS CHILD spokesman, which is the great shoebox ministry of joy for needy children around the world.
Since the mid 1990’s, more than 178,000,000 (million) have been delivered.
See www.samaritanspurse.org/occ
Because of the extreme poverty in his family and country, Bonny – to get what he wanted, and what he and his parents could not afford — confessed that he got into “stealing.”
And it was a stealing experience that ultimately helped him understand the Gospel. Walking to his church services – where his father was pastor and him mother a Sunday School teacher – he could see in a shop some sunglasses but could not see the shopkeeper – he decided to reach in and take them.
But the shopkeeper did see him and grabbed is arm. Apparently, the pattern for shoplifting – at least in that part of Uganda – was for the manager to call the police, the police to come, and the thief taken to the police station … and beaten!
But, to his surprise, he told Bonny that he forgave him for his attempted theft, and to go and not do it again!
From a negative experience, an important positive time of teaching
Bonny parents were the pastor and the Sunday School teacher of their church. To his credit, when returning home, Bonny told his parents the full story. The parents wisely used the experience to make clearer the Gospel story … that Jesus died on the cross a painful death … so that Bonny could be forgiven of all his sins! Just as the shopkeeper forgave Bonny and saw to it that he was forgiven of the Judgment that would have been his!
II Corinthians 5:21 is one of many Bible verses that adds “light” to this story: that JESUS, Who never sinned, became our sin on the cross … so that when we give ourselves to him in repentance and faith … as far as guilt is concerned, when we stand before Him in death, He sees us as if we had never sinned!
The term “justified” and “justification,” which upon receiving Christ by faith can be translated “… just as if I had never sinned!”
ALSO, IN further CONFIRMATION FROM THE BIBLE, “But God directed HIS LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.” (Romans 5:8)
A bit later his parents told Bonny and his one brother that someone was coming to their church to bring the children and young people some “gifts.”
Imagine Bonny’s excitement since he had never had a gift, even for his birthday and Christmas!
Bonny saw someone arrive with wrapped shoeboxes of love gifts … for the 30 or so youth in the church, including Bonny, in Jesus Name!
The excitement and joy were so real … that Bonny never got over the experience … and is now a spokesman for Samaritans Purse’s “Operation Christmas Child!”
With my joy through the years not only in promoting the great love ministry of Operation Christmas Child, it is a thrill in also calling attention to “Child Evangelism Fellowship” (www.cefonline.com). In their Ugandan Church, Bonny was a part of CEF’s “CYIA,” which is “Christian Youth in Action.”
Since the 1990’s Samaritan Purse’s “Operation Christmas Child” has distributed 178,000,000 shoeboxes of love gifts to poor and needy children worldwide: 8,900,000 in 2019.
Every reader of this wonderful story can take part in “Operation Christmas Child.” For more info, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Vicki Stamps has been in servant leadership in the St. Louis/eastern Missouri region for a generation … and welcomes your call to her at 314 363-1150.
Related radio links from the recent past for anytime listening …
To hear … “OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD LEADER VICKI STAMPS: ‘SHOEBOX COLLECTION IS ALWAYS 3RD WEEK IN NOVEMBER’ … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2018/11/12/operation-christmas-child-leader-vicki-stamps-shoebox-collection-is-always-3rdnd-week-in-november/;
Vicki Stamps — longtime Area Leader of “Operation Christmas Child” for St. Louis City and St. Louis County region — provides helpful OCC information. To learn more, click on … https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/.
The third week in November is always the OCC week to “drop-off” shoeboxes of love gifts for needy children around the world. To learn more, click on … . https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations/. (Times indicated for drop off on website.)
To hear … “Alex of Rwanda saw family murdered; in orphanage given OCC shoebox, received Jesus, forgave killer” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2013/11/17/alex-of-rwanda-saw-family-murdered-in-orphanage-given-occ-shoebox-received-jesus-forgave-killer/
To hear … “Karen Banegas at 10, given OCC shoebox in Honduras; Vicki Stamps invites more volunteers to OCC joy” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2014/09/07/karen-banegas-at-10given-occ-shoebox-in-honduras-vicki-stamps-invites-more-volunteers-to-occ-joy/
To hear … “Appalachia’s Mary Damron loves poor children; voice of Franklin Graham’s Operation Christmas Child” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2010/10/26/appalachias-mary-damron-loves-poor-children-voice-of-franklin-grahams-operation-christmas-child/
To hear … “Mariya of Ukraine, 10, received OCC shoebox of love gifts; her life impacted forever! Hear her story” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2016/09/23/mariya-of-ukraine-10-received-occ-shoebox-of-love-gifts-her-life-impacted-forever-hear-her-story/
To hear … “Shoebox gifts to needy children worldwide: Linda Logsdon, Jim McCaughan, Russian twins report impact” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2012/11/08/shoebox-gifts-to-needy-children-worldwide-linda-logsdon-jim-mccaughan-russian-twins-report-impact/
To hear … “Alex of Rwanda survived war, received OCC shoebox, visits St. Louis with message of love & forgiveness”… click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2016/04/15/alex-of-rwanda-survived-war-received-occ-shoebox-visits-st-louis-w-message-of-love-forgiveness/
To hear …”LYNNE MOLL & JANET HOWARD RE THEIR JOY IN PROVIDING SHOEBOXES OF GIFTS TO POOR CHILDREN WORLDWIDE” … click on … https://harold-hendrick.com/2018/12/03/lynne-moll-janet-howard-re-their-joy-in-providing-shoeboxes-of-gifts-to-poor-children-worldwide/