BUNNELL, Fla. – Over 250 million children have received gift-filled shoeboxes through Operation Christmas Child over the past 32 years. For many, it’s the first—and only—gift they’ve ever received. For Basit, who shared his story on Sunday, September 26th, it was exactly that.
Growing up in a Christian family in a country where Christianity was a persecuted minority, Basit offered only a few personal details, but his story resonated deeply with those in attendance. Poverty and exclusion defined much of his early life. He recalled bartering chocolate bars for minutes on a neighbor’s bicycle and sneaking in moments of playtime with a friend’s video games, even as that friend’s parents disapproved of him.
“I had friends in my school, my neighborhood, receiving all these fancy gifts, celebrating birthdays, and enjoying a life that I didn’t have,” he said. “Before that, I had never received any gift in my life. I always wanted to have something that I could call my own.”
That changed when he received a shoebox gift at the age of 13.
“It was on a Friday. I was in school, and afterward we were supposed to go to church to receive our shoebox gifts,” he said. “I was a little bit late, the distribution had already started. As I entered the church, I saw a huge pile of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and was just so happy—very excited.”
Inside the shoebox were school supplies, a toothbrush, gloves, socks, and small toys he could share with his siblings. But one item stood out above all: a picture Bible.
“The most precious thing I received in my shoebox was a picture Bible. Growing up, going to Sunday school, our teacher used to teach us from one—and I always wanted to have my own,” he said. “At that time, they were very few and very hard for us to get. My mom always told us to pray, and that God would provide at the right time.”
Taking the box home, he was overwhelmed.
“It was just so amazing for me,” he said. “The one thing that has always stayed with me is that somebody actually took time from their busy day and schedule to pack a shoebox for someone like me. It was not just a shoebox. It was a symbol of hope and love.”
First Baptist Church of Bunnell Joins the Mission
Founded in 1993 by Franklin Graham under the Samaritan’s Purse umbrella, Operation Christmas Child continues to grow in reach and impact. This year, First Baptist Church of Bunnell is thrilled to join the mission as an official shoebox drop-off location.
Pam Sobolesky, area coordinator for the Ormond and Flagler teams, welcomed the new site.
“This is the first year the First Baptist Church of Bunnell is participating as a drop-off location,” said Sobolesky.
The church will host a range of activities, including packing parties and a prayerful send-off for the completed shoeboxes. The logistics of collection and distribution are critical, said Sobolesky, with the boxes eventually reaching more than 100 countries worldwide.
“Our logistics network is extremely important because that’s what we rely on to collect the boxes and get them to a plant in Atlanta, Georgia,” she explained. “Operation Christmas Child sends boxes to over 100 countries. One box could be a gospel opportunity for a child to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and that’s why I do it.”
“A Heart Mission”
Jody Payne has been involved with the program for more than 20 years, and her passion hasn’t dimmed.
“This is a heart mission for me,” said Payne, who is leading the effort at First Baptist Church as drop-off and project leader. “It’s not the contents of the box. It’s the message that goes through the box—that they are loved. Not just by people from another country that they don’t know, but that God loves them.”
She’s seen firsthand how prayers are answered in the simplest, most personal ways.
“There are many stories out there where children have been praying for things—and they’re in their box. It’s a true, God-ordained miracle,” she said. “These children have nothing. Their parents may have nothing. This is a tangible way for them to see Christ’s love—the hands and feet of Christ coming to them. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and this still melts my heart.”
How to Get Involved
Community members are invited to pick up empty shoeboxes or drop off filled ones any time the church office is open. The goal this year is to collect 500 boxes.
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Packing Party: November 15, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.
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National Collection Week: November 17–24, 2025
