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Do not fill this in! == Programs == Samaritan's Purse includes several ongoing [[Christian ministry|ministries]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=Haemin |title=International Development and Public Religion: Changing Dynamics of Christian Mission in South Korea |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |date=2016}}</ref>{{rp|104}}<ref>Samaritan's Purse, [https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/about-us/ About us], samaritanspurse.org, USA, retrieved November 5, 2022</ref> * ''Disaster Relief'' responds to emergency situations. * ''World Medical Mission'', the medical arm of Samaritan's Purse, was founded in 1977 by brothers Dr. Richard Furman and Dr. Lowell Furman to enable doctors to serve short-term assignments at overwhelmed missionary hospitals. * ''Children's Heart Project'' provides surgery for children born with heart defects in countries where proper care is not available. * ''Turn on the Tap'' is a campaign to provide safe drinking water in the developing world. * ''Operation Heal Our Patriots'' provides lodging and outdoor activities in Alaska for wounded veterans and their spouses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Haynes: Franklin Graham: Still a rebel with a cause|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/haynes-franklin-graham-still-a-rebel-with-a-cause/ar-AAPkUjT|access-date=2021-10-10|website=MSN News|language=en}}</ref> ==={{anchor|Operation Christmas Child}}Operation Christmas Child=== ''Operation Christmas Child'' was created in 1990 by [[Dave J Cooke|Dave Cooke]] and his wife Gill for children in Romania.<ref>{{cite book |last=Crump |first=William |title=The Christmas Encyclopedia|edition=3d |publisher=McFarland |date=2001}}</ref>{{rp|332}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Buckley |first1=Christian |last2=Dobson |first2=Ryan |title=Humanitarian Jesus: Social Justice and the Cross |publisher=Moody Publishers |date=2010}}</ref>{{rp|149}}<ref>{{cite book |last=King |first=David P. |title=God's Internationalists: World Vision and the Age of Evangelical Humanitarianism |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |date=2019}}</ref>{{rp|254}} Each November thousands of churches, schools, groups and individual donors prepare and collect shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, personal items, and other small gifts. A booklet of Bible stories is often distributed alongside the shoebox gifts which are given to children based on need alone, regardless of their faith. These boxes are then distributed overseas by volunteers. {{as of|April 2015}}, over 124 million boxes had been delivered.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2013/04/06/can-you-believe-it-operation-christmas-child-celebrates-tonight-for-the-100-million-shoeboxes-deliver-to-children-around-the-world-congrats-to-reverend-franklin-graham-samaritans-purse-everyone/|title=Can you believe it? Operation Christmas Child celebrates tonight for the 100 million shoeboxes delivered to poor children around the world! Congrats to Reverend Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse everyone who helped and helps|date=April 6, 2013|publisher=Gretawire|access-date=June 11, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612201802/http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2013/04/06/can-you-believe-it-operation-christmas-child-celebrates-tonight-for-the-100-million-shoeboxes-deliver-to-children-around-the-world-congrats-to-reverend-franklin-graham-samaritans-purse-everyone/|archive-date=June 12, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The program uses "follow-up" evangelism<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billygraham.org/wp-content/themes/billygraham/img/financialinfo/BGEA1998AnnualReport.pdf|publisher=[[Billy Graham Evangelistic Association]]|work=Occupying Till He Returns|year=1998|title=Operation Christmas Child/Children's Evangelistic Rallies|quote=Thousands of children were touched in 1998 by Operation Christmas Child, a project that ministers to both the physical and spiritual needs of children around the world... In conjunction with the distribution of shoe box gifts, BGEA International Ministries often arranges Children's Evangelistic Rallies, which include a presentation of "The Greatest Gift of All." In this lively program, a young boy learns about God, His creation and His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. At the end of the program, children are invited to become God's friends by accepting the forgiveness He provides through His Son. Trained volunteers meet with each child who responds. Rallies took place in Romania and in hurricane-ravaged Nicaragua and Peru. Total attendance at the rallies was 245,000, with more than 42,000 inquirers.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|quote="Operation Christmas Child is one of the best evangelistic tools because it is a gift," ministry partner Victor Kulbich said. "It opens the door to telling about Jesus." |url=http://www.samaritanspurse.org/about/pdf/AR2003.pdf |title=Sharing Christ's Love Through Operation Christmas Child |work=Samaritan's Purse 2003 Ministry Report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040510160417/http://www.samaritanspurse.org/about/pdf/AR2003.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Discover The Greatest Journey |quote=The journey to faith begins when children are offered Gospel storybooks during Operation Christmas Child gift distributions. The most far-reaching impact comes later, when boys and girls are invited to participate in the voluntary Bible study course produced by Samaritan's Purse... The 12-lesson set guides children through a study of who Jesus Christ is, what it means to follow Him, and how to share this exciting message with others. After children complete the program, they are presented with a personalized certificate. To help these boys and girls continue to grow in their faith, we want to provide them with their very own copies of the Greatest Gift of All New Testament. This special edition also includes selected Old Testament stories, a dictionary, and a section that encourages the children to memorize Scripture. All of the materials used for The Greatest Journey are provided at the request of local churches and ministry partners. Millions of boys and girls have indicated that they have committed their lives to Jesus Christ after receiving shoe box gifts and participating in our follow-up program. By sharing their faith one-on-one, these children in turn lead friends and relatives to Jesus Christ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022191843/http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/about-the-greatest-journey/ |archive-date=October 22, 2013 |url=http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/about-the-greatest-journey/ |url-status=unfit }}</ref> with pamphlets of Bible stories that are given to families that receive the boxes,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/nov/08/evangelical-charity-schools-complaints-christmas|title=Education: Parents angry at evangelicals' charity scheme|first=Polly|last=Curtis|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=8 November 2009}}</ref> and an organizer for Operation Christmas Child says his goal every day is to "expand [God's] kingdom through Operation Christmas Child."{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} The follow-up evangelism program of Operation Christmas Child is called "The Greatest Journey". It is a 12-week discipleship program for children who receive shoebox gifts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://pedrocarrion.com/top-10-reasons-to-pack-an-operation-christmas-child-shoebox/|title=Top 10 Reasons to Pack an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox! - Pedro Carrion|date=2016-11-18|work=Pedro Carrion|access-date=2017-12-18|language=en-US}}</ref> ===Emergency aid=== [[File: Samaritan's Purse.DC-8.N782SP.3.png|thumb|right|One of Samaritan's Purse planes used for the emergency transport of basic necessities and aid workers in [[Birmingham]], [[England]], 2019]] The organization's medical mission in [[Liberia]], West Africa, was one of only two medical NGOs active in Liberia during the beginning of the [[Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa|2014 Ebola outbreak]]. Samaritan's Purse and SIM USA both have been actively engaged in treating the outbreak of [[Ebola]] hemorrhagic fever in Liberia. On August 1, 2014, the organization announced that it was evacuating 60 nonessential personnel from Liberia. [[Kent Brantly|Dr. Kent Brantly]], a Texas-based doctor working for the organization, was the first U.S. citizen to contract the Ebola virus in Liberia while treating the disease. He arrived in the United States on Saturday, August 2, and was treated and subsequently released after nearly three weeks in a special isolation unit of [[Emory University Hospital]] in [[Atlanta]], Georgia.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Blinder|first1=Alan|title=American Doctor With Ebola Arrives in U.S. for Treatment|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/us/Kent-brantley-Nancy-writebol-Ebola-treatment-atlanta.html?rref=homepage&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Home%20Page&pgtype=article|access-date=August 3, 2014|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 2, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Neal|first1=Dale|title=Samaritan's Purse evacuating 60 from Ebola outbreak|url=http://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2014/08/01/samaritans-purse-evacuating-ebola-outbreak/13461471/|access-date=August 3, 2014|work=Asheville Citizen-Times|date=August 1, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McCay|first1=Betsey|title=Peace Corps, Aid Groups Evacuate Personnel From Ebola-Hit West Africa|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/u-s-missionary-group-plans-partial-evacuation-from-ebola-hit-liberia-1406747747|access-date=August 3, 2014|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=July 31, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Jade |title=Kent Brantly, American Doctor Treated For Ebola, To Be Released From U.S. Hospital |date=August 21, 2014 |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/21/kent-brantly-ebola_n_5697235.html |work=[[HuffPost]] |publisher=TheHuffingtonPost.com |access-date=August 21, 2014}}</ref> The organization recorded their mission in Liberia in the documentary ''Facing Darkness''. Samaritan's Purse has a fleet of 21 planes and 2 helicopters for the emergency transport of basic necessities and aid workers.<ref>David Cenciotti, [https://theaviationist.com/2020/03/18/rare-samaritans-purse-dc-8-cargo-aircraft-airlifts-an-emergency-field-hospital-to-italy-for-covid-19-pandemic/ Rare Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 Cargo Aircraft Airlifts An Emergency Field Hospital to Italy For COVID-19 Pandemic], theaviationist.com, USA, March 18, 2020</ref> === Ukraine aid === The organization stepped efforts to aid Ukraine in the midst of the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian-Ukrainian conflict]] in 2022. The organization donated various supplies especially for the youth in schools such as medication, food, supplies, blankets, tarps, and bags. The donations were made through various methods of transportation such as semi trucks being loaded with roughly 80,000 donation goods, being transferred at Piedmont Triad International Airport on the DC-8 airplane, and then being air lifted to Poland where the goods are transported across the border to Ukraine. The organization accomplished its 30th airlift donation in the month of September having started in February, equating to roughly 4 airlifts per month. It is estimated that 5.5 million Ukrainians were aided due to the efforts with food, water, and supplies. Furthermore, the organization provided roughly 30 emergency field support hospitals in Lviv with the result of aiding nearly 18,000 patients.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shimron |first=Yonat |last2=Smietana |first2=Bob |date=September 9, 2022 |title=Purse became a $1 billion humanitarian aid powerhouse |work=Religious News Service |url=https://religionnews.com/2022/09/09/franklin-graham-samaritans-purse-shoeboxes-humanitarian-aid-powerhouse/ |access-date=September 10, 2022}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page