Moldova (MNN) — There are millions of orphaned children around the world with needs. Food, clothing, medicine, school supplies and list of needs goes on and on. There are also many programs that allow people to send gifts to children at Christmas time. But, there are few programs that allow you to buy Christmas gifts from a specific child. That’s exactly what Little Samaritan Mission’s Face of a Child program is all about.
Little Samaritan’s Maria Magdalena Simonca says they take pictures of children and collect their vital information, which is then sent to you upon request. “Each person goes shopping for that specific child. You ship it back to our headquarters here in North Carolina, we put it on a 40 foot container, and we ship it over to Moldova and from there around Christmas time we distribute it specifically to that child.”
While helping with physical needs is important, Simonca says, that’s not all they’re doing. “With every single distribution that we do, the child received Christian literature, including a New Testament. And, then based on their age — if they’re a teenager, they receive a very good book called, ‘Love, Dating, Marriage.’ And, if they’re younger, they receive ‘Keys for Kids’ which is a devotional.”
According to Simonca, this does more than provide for a physical need. “They know that a family took the time and financial resources to purchase these things specifically for them and to a child m this has such an impact because this is how they can see that God loves me enough to be able to send me the things that I so desperately need.”
This is a huge undertaking, says Simonca. “This year we’re doing it in 43 orphanages and villages, which actually totals up to 6,000 kids.”
Many pictures are still available. This year’s project is called, ‘Back to School.’ They’re collecting backpacks, school supplies, bathroom essentials and athletic shoes and socks.
It makes a great school, home school, family or Sunday school project. The deadline is September 8th. $10 is also required to help with shipping and to help purchase a thanksgiving meal for the kids.
