By Morgan Mizell

NATCHEZ — For more than a decade, residents and churches in the Natchez area have participated in the shoebox ministry Operation Christmas Child. This year has been the best year ever, as the drop-off location packed and delivered more than 2,800 shoeboxes to be sent to the collection center in Summitt.

Diane Lazarus has been affiliated with the project for several years and said that she does it for the glory of God.

“Every shoebox is a missionary,” Lazarus said. “I tell people if God is not telling me to go, then a shoebox goes in my place.”

Many churches have members who collect goods for the boxes all year long. In each box a book about salvation is placed, telling the story of Christ and offering an invitation of discipleship. Last year alone, more than five million children made the decision to follow Christ as a result of this ministry.

Other items in the boxes are as varied as the individuals who pack them.

The number of boxes grows every year and the need is met through the generosity of area residents, Lazarus said.

Mary Harris and her family recently became very active with OCC, in fact, her entire family participated in packing the box truck with the finished boxes.

“My pastor called and they had a presentation at Parkway and I came,” Harris said. “It was over after that. I had been bitten by the bug.”

In fact, Harris’ entire family, her husband and son, participate with the ministry and volunteer a lot of their time during collection week, which is the always the week before Thanksgiving.

“It is a great teaching experience as well,” Lazarus said. “Grandparents and parents often take the little ones with them to shop for the boxes while teaching them about God’s love for others and how to share.”

While the boxes are collected, counted and packaged to ship in Natchez, they are not checked until they get to the distribution center.

“They open every box and check them,” Lazarus said. “They have to make sure there is nothing inappropriate in them or anything the government of the various countries will not allow.”

Shoeboxes are delivered, as of now, to more than 100 different countries.

Every year sees growth for the ministry. This year alone, a few more area churches came on board including Kingston United Methodist Church, Mt. Zion and Springfield Baptist churches.

Now that this year’s collections have been delivered, others can begin collecting for next year.
“We usually start talking about next year’s collections in February,” Lazarus said. “All that matters is that people get boxes and fill them.”

Lazarus encourages everyone to get involved in the ministry. Many wonderful stories have come from people taking part in the ministry, she said.

“In fact, one family had a child in a life-and-death situation needing medicine and they wrote to the person who had sent the shoebox. They contacted Samaritans Purse and got someone going to the country to take them the medicine and it all worked out well. You just never know.”

Right now, only four women work on the ministry all year, Lazarus, Beth Ann Dudley, Beverly Laurant and Harris.

“Anyone is welcome to help,” Lazarus said. “It is all volunteer, but people can help when and how they like.”

Those looking for more information about OCC can go to the website, www.samaritanspurse.org or call Parkway Baptist Church at 601-442-7434.