How to Send the Gospel to Unreached Nations w/ Dania Andraos

Welcome to another heartfelt episode of the Collide Kids Podcast. Host Christen Clark introduces us to Dania Andraos, a spokesperson for Samaritan's Purse and a former recipient of an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.

Dania shares her inspiring story of growing up as a Christian in severe poverty across the Middle East, where her family's unwavering faith saw them through persecution and adversity. A pivotal moment in her life was receiving a shoebox gift from Operation Christmas Child that affirmed Dania's belief that God cares about the details of our lives.

Christen and Dania discuss the transformative impact of these shoeboxes for children worldwide and offer practical tips for packing them. They also highlight the online shoebox option, allowing anyone to participate in this heartwarming mission.

Join us for an episode filled with faith, the power of prayer, and the joy of giving. Plus, don’t miss the Kids Only Segment featuring Candice from Marogoro, Tanzania, sharing her gratitude and reading a Bible verse in Swahili.

Tune in, subscribe, and be inspired to make a difference through Operation Christmas Child. Merry Christmas and remember, God loves you!

Clip Finder:

Miraculous Transformation through Persecution: "There were many moments when I realized that God used even the midst of persecution to change the hearts of stone into a heart of flesh."
— Dania Andraos [00:06:46 → 00:06:55]

Trust in Hard Times: "We trusted the Lord with that need. And as days went by, one very special day, we went to the gathering, to the church gathering, and we learned that there was a team from Operation Christmas Child there ..."
— Dania Andraos [00:09:09 → 00:09:27]

**God Answers Prayers**: "God is the God of details, and he is the God who answers prayers."
— Dania Andraos [00:13:51 → 00:13:54]

Build a Shoebox Online: "If you are still wanting to be involved, you can build a shoebox online. The way this works is you go to our website, samaritanspirits.org build online. And it's really fun ...."
— Dania Andraos [00:17:41 → 00:17:59]

Reaching Persecuted Nations with Hope: "And the special thing about these boxes that are built online, they actually go to countries like mine, countries that are hard to reach with the gospel that Christians that are persecuted."
— Dania Andraos [00:18:14 → 00:18:25]

**Building Shoeboxes for Sensitive Countries:** "Because these boxes built online, they go to sensitive countries. They still can't disclose it anyway."
— Dania Andraos [00:20:41 → 00:20:48]

**Operation Christmas Child's Global Reach**: "So think of all those millions of boxes going to over 100 countries around the world and all the logistics that is required and, you know, passing through customs. So just be in prayer for our teams on the ground there so they can be wise and faithful. And even some of them do face persecution doing that. And so pray for protection and for wisdom and that children would be receptive when they hear the gos

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Transcript

Intro [00:00:07]:

Hello. Hey, y'all. Welcome to the Collide Kids Podcast hosted by Christen Clark. This is a show for kids and families. You are going to meet new people and have fun while you listen. Let's do it. 

Christen Clark [00:00:21]:

Hey, y'all. Merry Christmas. Welcome back to the Collide Kids Podcast. I'm your host, Christen Clark. The Collide Kids Podcast is a show for kids and families where we learn together how life and faith collide. I am so glad that you're listening today. Thank you so much for being here and spending this time with me.

Christen Clark [00:00:45]:

If this is your first time listening, I just want to remind you to listen to the end of every episode. That's where we have the kids only segment where kids just like you get to be on the podcast. You know, one of my favorite ministries to be a part of each year is Operation Christmas Child. I love packing shoeboxes. I love finding the things to go in my shoeboxes. I love volunteering for Operation Christmas Child and praying for the children around the world who will receive a gift sometimes for the very first time. And I love hearing the stories of how God is using shoebox gifts to help so many families. And that is why today we're going to be talking about Operation Christmas Child.

Christen Clark [00:01:25]:

Now, I know what you're thinking. It's December. The national drop off date has already passed. That was in November, and shoebox season is over. But as my friend Hannah Bolvie says, it is always a good time to talk about Operation Christmas Child. My guest today is Dania Andreas. She is a wife and mother of two sweet babies. And she is a spokesperson for a Samaritan's purse in Operation Christmas Child, where she gets to share her incredible story.

Christen Clark [00:01:52]:

She was subjected to severe poverty. Danya and her family lived in three Middle Eastern countries while growing up. She was a recipient of a shoebox gift when she was very young and it made a huge impact on her life. She is going to share that story with us today and some ways that we can continue to give and help support the Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. So I cannot wait for you guys to hear this story. Here is my conversation with Danya. Well, Dania, I am so delighted to have you on the Collide Kids podcast today.

Dania Andraos [00:02:34]:

Thank you, Christen, for having me. I'm excited about it.

Christen Clark [00:02:37]:

Yes. This is so fun. I am such a huge fan of Operation Christmas Child. I love being a part of that. And that's something that you're a part of. Would you just introduce yourself to our listeners today? Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.

Dania Andraos [00:02:51]:

Again, My name is Dania Andreas, and I'm actually one out of 220 million children that received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift since 1993. And so 25 plus years later, I came to the US and now I am part of the ministry by sharing my story of how that shoebox gift impact my life so people know what they can be a part of.

Christen Clark [00:03:15]:

Yes. I am so excited to talk to you. And you are not the first Operation Christmas Child recipient that's been on the show. We've had some lovely people come in and talk about from places all over the world how God is using Operation Christmas Child to spread the gospel and to spread Christmas generosity and gifts all over the world. So I think it's just so incredible that we get to talk to you today before we do that, because this is a podcast for kids. I always ask my guests to tell me a joke. So do you have a joke for us today?

Dania Andraos [00:03:44]:

Yes. So how does Moses make his tea?

Christen Clark [00:03:48]:

Ooh, I don't know.

Dania Andraos [00:03:50]:

He brews it.

Christen Clark [00:03:53]:

He brews it. That's good. That's good because he brews. Yeah.

Dania Andraos [00:03:57]:

Yeah, that's good.

Christen Clark [00:03:58]:

I love that. That's so fun. I love a good Bible joke. Well, I'd love to hear your story. Tell us a little bit about your childhood and what your life was like before you received your shoebox.

Dania Andraos [00:04:11]:

So I grew up in the Middle East. The Middle east, if you may know some details about it. The majority of people living there are not Christian. So my country, specifically 98% of the population, were not Christian. So it was so different than what we know it here. Simply by wearing a cross and walking in the street, people would reject you. People would say mean things to you. My family faced a lot of persecution because of our faith.

Dania Andraos [00:04:41]:

I remember there were times where there were letters posted on our door, and those letters were threatening letters. And they said that if we did not stop telling people about Jesus or leave the village, then they would harm my family. And so that was just one of the things that I grew up that was kind of normal like that if you're a Christian, you would not be liked. You would be rejected. It was even hard to find church building that we can. We can go to. It was more like a house meeting. It's in my country where in the village that I lived in.

Dania Andraos [00:05:17]:

And so it was very different than life. We know it here. That was one of the big challenges I faced, being the only follower of Jesus in my entire school. Right in the Village in my age, in that school. Now, the second challenge was poverty. My dad worked hard to provide for my family, but it was still not enough to provide school supplies, hygiene item, toys, even our daily food. You know, Christian, sometimes we used to eat raw onion and bread for dinner because that's all we could put on the table. It was hard for us to find a fancy kind of food to eat.

Dania Andraos [00:05:55]:

But my family always encouraged me to pray for things that I needed, even when they could not afford afford for me. So we always brought our knees to God in prayer. So that's just a little bit of a context of the kind of environment I come from and the kind of childhood I lived.

Christen Clark [00:06:11]:

You know, I think there's a lot of assumptions that there are no Christians that live in the Middle East. But, you know, there is amazing things that God is doing. And there are Christians that live there and love Jesus. And even though they are persecuted, like you said, they're still faithful to God. And so that's amazing that even through all that persecution, your family stayed faithful to God through all of that.

Dania Andraos [00:06:35]:

Yeah, we saw God do miracles in that part of the world. And often when you are a Christian being persecuted in really difficult times, God does show up. And there were many moments when I realized that God used even the midst of persecution to change the hearts of stone into a heart of flesh. I remember one time we had a police officer who came into our house. He was very angry, and he looked at my dad and he said, we have told you so many times to stop telling people about Jesus and yet you're still sharing the gospel. And he threatened my father with the gun that he had that if he would not stop, he doesn't mind using it. Now, my dad stood up and instead of him saying, yeah, I'm not going to share the gospel anymore, don't do it. We're going to just be quiet.

Dania Andraos [00:07:25]:

And instead, my dad chose to share the gospel with that police officer. Wow, that was very intense time because we thought my dad lost his mind, like, what are you doing? This is not the time to do it. But he shared the gospel with him. And after hours of conversation, that police officer looked at my dad and he said, I have never heard such a thing. What can I do to also follow Jesus?

Christen Clark [00:07:49]:

Wow. From having a gun in their face.

Dania Andraos [00:07:52]:

Yes.

Christen Clark [00:07:52]:

To responding that way, it was crazy.

Dania Andraos [00:07:55]:

And even for me as a little girl, when I saw that, the boldness of my parents, I knew that what they were believing in must be real and must be true. That if they're willing to die for it, then how much more I need to put my faith on that Jesus in the midst of those times? So even in the midst of persecution, we were able to realize that God is at work and God is with us.

Christen Clark [00:08:18]:

That's amazing. You also talked about how you would pray for the things that you needed. Even if your family didn't have the money for that, you would pray for those things. So were those prayers answered when you received a shoebox one day?

Dania Andraos [00:08:29]:

Yeah. So I remember there was one particular year where my family and even me as a little girl, I had a desire to have something like a radio so I can listen to Christian music. I love music. Till this day, I'm a worship leader at my church. I just love worship songs. But it was. The first thing is it was really hard to have access to Christian resources in the Middle East. And the second thing, it was expensive for us to buy something like a radium.

Dania Andraos [00:08:57]:

So it just didn't seem possible. But I knew it was a hard desire of mine. And my mom always taught me to bring all of those hard desires to the Lord and that he knows our need. And so I just. We trusted the Lord with that need. And as days went by, one very special day, we went to the gathering, to the church gathering, and we learned that there was a team from Operation Christmas Child there who were going to share the gospel with the kids and also give them shoeboxes. Now, I was one of those children. And when my name was called, I was so excited to receive my very first gift ever through Operation Christmas Child.

Dania Andraos [00:09:38]:

So when I took that shoebox, I couldn't wait to open it. My family sat down together to open the shoebox. And I found inside school supplies. I loved the decorated pencils. I found hygiene items. I loved having my very own toothbrush, because now I don't have to share one with my brother. And I received many beautiful toys, like a Slinky, which I thought it was a bracelet at first.

Christen Clark [00:10:03]:

It could be a bracelet.

Dania Andraos [00:10:05]:

It could be. And I did wear it as a bracelet until I realized that it can go down the stairs on its own. So that was very fun. And another item I received, it was a Beanie Baby, which was very special to me because I used to sleep next to it and play teacher with the Beanie Babies. It was just sweet memory. But the biggest surprise was pulling from the shoebox gift another small box. And inside of it, we found a real, fully functional mini radio.

Christen Clark [00:10:34]:

What?

Dania Andraos [00:10:36]:

And that was just such a surprise. Like, how is that possible out of millions of children and millions of boxes are given that year. And even that day, that one came just to my family.

Christen Clark [00:10:47]:

Yeah.

Dania Andraos [00:10:48]:

So it was a true answer to prayer, and God used it. Especially in my life, going through persecution and feeling rejected by everyone around me, I felt seen by God. I felt that, no, God actually cares for me, and he cares for my needs. And this was one of the ways that he showed me, no, keep going. Keep on the faith. I will always be with you.

Christen Clark [00:11:10]:

I think that's amazing. And, you know, I was able to volunteer a few years in one of the distribution centers where we help repackage and go through the boxes and. And, you know, sometimes there's, you know, some people put too many things in the box. And so our job was to make sure the box could close, and then also to just to look through to make sure that the items in the boxes were appropriate. But one of the leaders said, make sure if you see something that's a little different, or maybe if it's something that you might not put in a box, or maybe you don't think this might be the best thing, leave it in there. Because stories like yours, where people are like, I prayed for this one thing, and that was what was in my box. And I think that's amazing. Like you said, God showed you that you're loved, and he hears your prayers and he sees you.

Christen Clark [00:11:54]:

And so I love hearing stories like that about how God uses those little things just to glorify him. And we think as we're packing boxes, this isn't very special, or I don't know if they would love this, but you never know what those items mean to a person. Um, you'd mentioned some hygiene items. You talked about how you shared your toothbrush with your brother, and now you have your very own. Um, and so things like that, like, we just take those things for granted here in America. And so I think if. If it was an American box, we would pack it with all kinds of, you know, toys and gadgets. But the school supplies and the hygiene items, those are very important items.

Christen Clark [00:12:31]:

What would you say was your favorite item in the shoebox, other than the radio?

Dania Andraos [00:12:36]:

I feel like the whole box is my favorite. But I know that's also not a fair answer. So if I were to choose one, I think it probably. The slinky was my favorite. I loved it. I just. Something about it that kept my attention for such a long time with me and my brother playing with it and just, you know, standing in one side and pulling it to the other. Side, just something about it was so special.

Dania Andraos [00:12:59]:

Until this day, like, as much as I can, I try to include a Slinky in my own shoeboxes as well.

Christen Clark [00:13:05]:

I love that. That you like. I know. This was so fun for me. So I'm going to give this to somebody else. Yeah, that's so smart. I love that. So you received the shoebox.

Christen Clark [00:13:14]:

I know that was a huge answer to prayer and all those things. How did it impact your relationship with God from that day on?

Dania Andraos [00:13:21]:

This was one of the example that God showed me that he does answer prayers. The many things in the shoebox, the hygiene items, and even the toys, they were all an answer to prayer for me. And so till this day, every time I have a need, I always bring it to God in prayer. And there are situations in my life, even as I grew older, where I was in a desperate need of a specific thing, and I prayed for it. And God provided exactly what I needed. They just allow me to see that he has. God is the God of details, and he is the God who answers prayers. And we should never give up praying because he promised that he will take care of us.

Dania Andraos [00:14:01]:

Now, his answer may look different sometimes, but he will always answer prayers. And every time I prayed for something, he never failed me. He always answered my prayers. And when it came to something I really needed financially, like food or specific needs, God always provided those because that's one of the ways to take care of us.

Christen Clark [00:14:21]:

I think that's so true. When God shows us something, we can always kind of go back to that in our minds. And that's what the people in the Bible did as well. You know, they would remember God provided for me in this way or he did this for me. So I can trust him now with that thing. And so I love that that's something that you still hold on to. So you talked about how the shoebox was packed. Did it have like a picture or a letter or anything in the box where you knew where it came from?

Dania Andraos [00:14:47]:

I believe it did. So my brother and I both received shoeboxes, and there was this picture of a girl standing next to a Christmas tree with. With the shoebox gift. And I think, like, every time we looked at that. So at that time, like when I was really young, we. We couldn't even afford a Christmas tree. So I think it was later on, when I grew a bit older, we had like a really tiny, tiny Christmas tree they could put on a table, you know, so just to see that girl standing next to a big Christmas tree, it was so awesome. And her pajama holding that shoebox gift.

Dania Andraos [00:15:20]:

I. We could not bring the items or the letter with us when it came to the us, but that picture is just engraved in my head and it was the sweetest thing ever. Like her holding the box. To know that she's the one that sent us the shoebox is very special.

Christen Clark [00:15:36]:

Yes. That's one of my favorite things about Operation Christmas Child is every person, no matter what age you are, you can pack a shoebox, you can give a gift. You don't have to be an adult to serve God. You can serve God right now. And so Operation Christmas Child is such a great way for kids to be involved and they can make an impact and show another kid on the other side of the world that they're loved by God. So I think that now you talked a little bit about how you, whenever you pack a shoebox, you love to put slinkies in there. What are some things that you think are really important for packing shoeboxes?

Dania Andraos [00:16:10]:

I always include in every box school supplies like this. Pencils, erasers, rulers, notebook, color crayons and coloring, even activity book, because I love the one I got as well. And then hygiene items, a toothbrush, washcloth. If you wanna put a floss in there, you can have fun with it as well. And then fun toys, like the Slinky was a fun one for me, you know, Beanie Baby and then a wow item. Now I try to include a radio in my shoeboxes. You know, I try to put one or at least one or two boxes, put radios inside. But other than that, I love to put a soccer ball and a Barbie doll for, for girls.

Dania Andraos [00:16:52]:

So just a few ideas on, on what you could put inside. And we also have a list on our website of if people wonder what else they could put. But those are just a few of my favorites.

Christen Clark [00:17:02]:

Yeah, I love that. And the soccer ball is great because the kids can share it with other people. You know, they can have a game that they can play with other kids in their village or in their area. So that's a really good idea. I love that. So unfortunately, the shoebox season, we're a little late. This episode is coming out in December and so we have missed the drop off point for turning in your shoebox. But is there a way that we can still be generous and be a part of shoeboxes? Or maybe we didn't get to pack a shoebox this year.

Christen Clark [00:17:29]:

What can we do?

Dania Andraos [00:17:30]:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's never too late to, to be part of this ministry, there's actually a way now if you are past because our drop off locations now are closed. But if you are still wanting to be involved, you can build a shoebox online. The way this works is you go to our website, samaritanspirits.org build online. And it's really fun because you could see the items, you could take the item that you want and drop it inside the shoe box. And it costs $25 to build a shoebox. And then after you build it, the ministry have volunteers that come in one of their warehouses and actually, actually build them physically. They will put those items physically inside the shoebox.

Dania Andraos [00:18:14]:

And the special thing about these boxes that are built online, they actually go to countries like mine, countries that are hard to reach with the gospel that Christians that are persecuted. So those are the ones designated to go to these countries, which allows children to still hear the gospel in a very creative way. And so it's, it's not too late. And if you want to physically pack a shoebox yourself for next year, you can get started. I mean, start saving your empty shoeboxes from now and if you see any kind of sales or deals, start collecting those items, pack them with your family and then the third week of November next year you can drop them off at one of our nearest drop off location, which you can find out where that is by going to our website as well.

Christen Clark [00:19:05]:

That's a great idea. I actually have a little bin in my house and like when we get Happy Meal toys, when we have some extra school supplies at the end of the summer or you know, you might be somewhere shopping at five Below or Target and you see these cute little things and think, oh, that would be so fun. Who could I give that to? And you know that's they're on sale, you know, they're 25 cents or something. I'll just load up and have a few things that I know this would be great for a shoebox in the future. And so you don't have to wait until October, November to start packing your shoebox. Just start grabbing items and things that are, you know, don't put the used toothbrush and the used socks, but if you have an extra pair of clean unused socks or a pair of flip flops, you know, things like that where you can just kind of put those things aside and then you're ready when it's time to pack a shoebox next year. And I also love that you can do it online. Now here's my question.

Christen Clark [00:19:57]:

If someone were to do the shoebox online, can they still track it? Because that's one of my favorite things is tracking to see like, where it's going and if it's reached its destination.

Dania Andraos [00:20:07]:

I'm not sure about the build a shoebox online particularly because those are. The destination will be determined when they're packed in person. But that's something also to find out on our website. And again, if people want to know more of those details, we have a, an email address. They can email Operation Christmas Child and a team from there, they would let them know where, you know, if there's. If that's even possible or if this option is available for build a shoebox Online. But one of the things that we know, and actually, you know, now that I'm thinking about it, because these boxes built online, they go to sensitive countries. They still can't disclose it anyway.

Dania Andraos [00:20:48]:

So that's true. What you can know, you can be assured of is they do go to sensitive countries or hard to reach countries to allow the churches on the ground there to use it to share the gospel in a creative way. So even if you were to track it, you would not be able to know the specific country, Right?

Christen Clark [00:21:06]:

Well, that's true. That's true.

Dania Andraos [00:21:07]:

I just actually thought about that. But other than that, if you do build the shoebox yourself and then print your label and have that barcode when you put your email address, they will tell you which country your shoebox goes to.

Christen Clark [00:21:21]:

Yes. And that's so fun to find that out. But I do love knowing that if you pack online because I think there's lots of people that are very passionate about praying for Christians who are persecuted in the Middle east and they're. They want people in the Middle east to know Jesus. And so if you pack a shoebox and that's something you're passionate about, then you can know that your shoebox is going to a place where it might be very hard for people to share the gospel. And so this is such a great way to share the gospel.

Dania Andraos [00:21:49]:

Southeast Asia is another region other than the Middle East. There's multiple regions around the world that are still hard to reach and sensitive. And so it's just fun to know that those boxes can go to those kind of. And children still can get shoeboxes in those parts of the world.

Christen Clark [00:22:07]:

Yes. I'm so thankful to know that. That there's not a place in the world that, that God cannot send the gospel. And so we can be a part of that when we're a part of Operation Christmas Child. You told us a little Bit earlier that a few years ago you moved to the United States. Tell us about that. What was that like with your family coming to the U.S. so, because our.

Dania Andraos [00:22:26]:

Country was going through corruption and there were a lot of terrorist attacks happening, so it was not safe for my family to stay. So we prayed about it and we heard confirmation from the Lord, like through his word. We also needed finances to be able to leave. And God provided the exact amount we needed. And so all of that, you know, were more of a confirmation for us. It's time for us to leave the country. So we left the country. We moved to a third to another country in the Middle east, also sensitive country, and we applied as refugees.

Dania Andraos [00:22:59]:

Now, after about a year and a half, the United States was one of those countries who accepted our application and told us that they were, we can come here and settle in the United States. And you were so excited because we moved from country to country. Like I started moving from different countries in the Middle east, escaping war, persecution and poverty up until I was 17 years old. So to finally be able to come and have a permanent home, we were so honored. It truly was a privilege and we're so grateful to have this privilege to be here. But another thing that happened after we came to the US was that the same village that we lived in was all taken and destroyed by extreme terrorist groups.

Christen Clark [00:23:44]:

Oh, that's so sad.

Dania Andraos [00:23:45]:

And there was no one left. But I keep thinking sometimes, you know, that if my family did not leave at that right time, I probably would not be sitting here. But, you know, God chose to protect my family and to pull us out of there just at the right time.

Christen Clark [00:24:00]:

That's amazing. And that's the thing. You just don't know the decisions that you make, you know, and allowing God to lead you and your family. And then now you're here with us and you're sharing about the incredible work of Operation Christmas Child. So I'm so thankful for that and for your family's obedience to the Lord to do the right thing. So that's good. Well, this has been so interesting to talk with you today. I'm so thankful to know that we can still be a part of occ Even after the drop off period has ended, we can still be praying for the ministry.

Christen Clark [00:24:30]:

Tell us some things that maybe we could pray about as we're like for prayer requests or things that we can be praying for to support the ministry.

Dania Andraos [00:24:36]:

I think one of the things is praying for the boxes as they're heading to those countries and as they go through customs as well. You know, we are praying that this year we can collect about 10.6 million shoeboxes from the US alone.

Christen Clark [00:24:55]:

Wow.

Dania Andraos [00:24:56]:

So think of all those millions of boxes going to over 100 countries around the world and all the logistics that is required and, you know, passing through customs. So just be in prayer for our teams on the ground there so they can be wise and faithful. And even some of them do face persecution doing that. And so pray for protection and for wisdom and that children would be receptive when they hear the gospel as they receive their shoeboxes. Now, another thing that I love about Operation Christmas Child that we need to be praying for as well is their discipleship program. They have a discipleship program called the Greatest Journey, which is offered to children after receiving their shoebox gift, and it's for 12 lessons. And the incredible thing about this habit program is that it allows children to keep going week after week. And then churches have been planted because children just want to keep going after 12 weeks are done.

Christen Clark [00:25:52]:

They don't want to stop.

Dania Andraos [00:25:53]:

They don't want to stop. So even when those are done, churches are being built because, well, now we have a gathering and those leaders are still continuing with their lessons.

Christen Clark [00:26:03]:

That's so good.

Dania Andraos [00:26:04]:

It's actually since 2009, when the discipleship program started, over 50 million children have enrolled. And out of that, 25 million children accepted Jesus.

Christen Clark [00:26:17]:

Wow.

Dania Andraos [00:26:18]:

Which is crazy. Like, that's 50% success rate. Like, I don't know how many of us can have that when we share the gospel, but just incredible to see what your shoebox gift can do when you send it out on its way.

Christen Clark [00:26:30]:

Yes. That's so good. Not only is it helping that family and providing for those children, it's also making a way for them to hear the gospel and be discipled and start churches. That's so cool that that happens. Well, thank you so much for sharing this today. This has been so good and I love learning about this today. How can our listeners still be involved? Where can they can go to Samaritan's Purse and build the shoebox right there?

Dania Andraos [00:26:53]:

Yes. They can build a shoebox online by going to our website, samaritanspurse.org build online. If they want to learn more information about Operation Christmas child, it's samaritanspheres.org occ and there are so many other ways people can be involved. I mean, prayer is one of them. Build a shoebox online is one of them. Pack filling it in person. If they want to start next year, they can. We also have ways if you would like to, let's say, volunteer also and be on the area team.

Dania Andraos [00:27:22]:

I mean, there is honestly so many ways that you can be involved with appreciation Christmas Child. So all of that could be found on our website.

Christen Clark [00:27:29]:

Very good. We'll put links for that in our show notes so that people can find that very easily. Thank you so much for doing this today. Before I let you go, I always ask my guests to tell me a memory from when they were a kid. So do you have a memory you want to share to close us out?

Dania Andraos [00:27:43]:

Yeah. So this memory is. It's one of the special things in my heart when I think of my childhood, even in the midst of the hardship, in the midst of the war. But here's one thing that I remember. And, you know, I really can't replicate it as much in the US because. And you'll know why. So our houses there are flat. They're not, you know, like, triangular like here in the U.S.

Dania Andraos [00:28:04]:

and so because we didn't have electricity 247 in the summer, in the heat of the summer, we used to take all of our beddings up and lay it on the ground, and the whole family would sleep every night in the summer on the roof. Oh, and it was so special because I remember the whole family used to sleep on the. On the floor on the roof, and my brother used to be next to me. And remember, we used to fall asleep while counting the comets that were in the sky or, you know, we tried to count the stars, but obviously that was just too hard. It was one of my favorite memories because, you know, it was the breeze of the summer. You could just smell that breeze of the summer. It was so dark in that village, and you could just see those comets passing. And it was a star show, so it was so beautiful.

Dania Andraos [00:28:52]:

And one of our absolute favorite memories when I was a child.

Christen Clark [00:28:57]:

That is awesome. I love that. And I love that you got to count the stars to try to, like, stay awake, you know, like every kid, no matter who they are, they're always trying to stay awake as long as possible.

Dania Andraos [00:29:07]:

Yes.

Christen Clark [00:29:08]:

That's so good. Well, thank you so much for being on the show today. It was great meeting you, and thank you for sharing your story.

Dania Andraos [00:29:14]:

Absolutely. It's my pleasure. Thank you, Christian, for having me.

Christen Clark [00:29:16]:

And Merry Christmas.

Dania Andraos [00:29:18]:

Merry Christmas to you, too.

Christen Clark [00:29:28]:

Wasn't that an amazing story? I just love that she shared how the shoebox made a difference in her life and showed her that God sees her and hears her prayers by providing a radio, which was something that she prayed for. That was so cool. Danielle also said that one of the things she loves is that the shoeboxes open the door for evangelism and discipleship with the Greatest Journey. The Greatest Journey is a 12 lesson discipleship course designed for Operation Christmas Child. Shoebox recipients. Children who participate in the program learn how to follow Christ and share him with others as they do. Entire families and communities are transformed by the power of the gospel and that has even helped create churches. Isn't that amazing? I also think it's so interesting to know that the shoeboxes you can build online go to sensitive areas around the world where it is not easy to share the gospel.

Christen Clark [00:30:21]:

And it only costs $25 per box. You can go to samaritanspurse.org buildonline to build your shoebox online today. And if you'd like to hear more Operation Christmas Child stories, please go back and listen to Vladimir in episode 52, Irina in episode 105 and Dihlani in episode 145. Well, now it's time for the kids only segment. This is the part of the show where you get to be on the podcast and I am so delighted to introduce you to my new friend. Her name is Candice and she is from Tanzania.

Dania Andraos [00:31:01]:

Hi, my name is Candice. I am eight years old. I come from Marogoro in Tanzania, Africa. I thank God for this. I am well grateful. I thank God for this air for helping me in my studying, my exams. Had he had been with me, for being with me helping my parents, teachers and my friends. I am going to read Isaiah.

Dania Andraos [00:31:30]:

Isaiah 9, verse 6. Mak bye.

Christen Clark [00:32:11]:

Oh my goodness, that was so special. Candace was reading from Isaiah 9 verse 6, but she was speaking in Swahili. Now Isaiah 9, 6 says, for unto us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Wasn't that so cool to hear that in Swahili? I love that. Hey, if you would like to be like Candace and be on the next season of the Collide Kids podcast, I would love to hear your favorite Bible verse or a joke or an encouraging story or quote that you like. Or maybe you have a song you want to sing, just go to my website collide kids podcast.com and click the tab that says Kids only.

Christen Clark [00:32:54]:

You can record it right there. It's really easy to do or you can find information about how to send it to me through my social media. And while you're on the website, Be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter. I always include information about the month's episode as well as fun family activities and things that will help you through this season. And if you're on social media, I'd love for you to follow us on Facebook at the Collide Kids Podcast or on Instagram @CollideKidsPod and share today's episode with someone who might need to hear it. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, Collide Kids Podcast. That's pretty easy to remember where you can watch the full length interview for today's episode. Well, there's so many great ways that you can support the podcast.

Christen Clark [00:33:34]:

In fact, that would be a great Christmas gift for me is for you to leave a rating and a review about this podcast that really does help other people find out about the show. And that is such a gift to know that so many people are listening and being inspired to give and to serve and to love God through each episode. You can also share this episode with your friends and family and tell them why you like to listen. And if you would like to support the podcast financially, head over to my website, collide kids podcast.com and click the link that says Support. And anytime you think about it, I always appreciate your prayer support as well. Well, I hope you guys have a very Merry Christmas. I hope that today has encouraged you, if you are someone that has volunteered with Operation Christmas Child before, to know how much your gift has an impact on the world and it is not too late to be involved with Operation Christmas Child. You can plan ahead for next year or you can build a shoebox online today.

Christen Clark [00:34:28]:

Well, in case no one has told you today, I would love to be the first to remind you that God loves you so much. Thanks for listening. Merry Christmas.