Shoebox recipient from Ukraine to speak at Operation Christmas Child dinner
WALNUT CREEK ― A woman from Ukraine will be the featured speaker at the annual Ohio East Operation Christmas Child Celebration Dinner at Carlisle Inn on Sept. 24. There are two times to choose from, noon and 6 p.m.
Mariya Tatarin will talk about how God used a shoebox gift in her life. She received a gift from Operation Christmas Child when she lived in Ukraine.
When the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine faced dire financial times. Tatarin's Christian parents worked hard, but struggled to provide for their family of eight. Yet when they least expected it, Tatarin found inside a shoebox gift items that her family needed as well as art supplies that fueled her creativity. Her family moved to the U.S. when she was 12 years old. Three years later, she recognized the red-and-green shoeboxes when her youth group participated in Operation Christmas Child together.
Seating for the annual dinner is limited. Reservations must be made by Sept. 17 by calling Loretta Diveley at (330) 874-2351 or Bev Troyer at (330) 763-1826. Donations will be accepted for the event’s expenses. Additional money received will be given to Operation Christmas Child for The Greatest Journey, a12-lesson discipleship course designed for Operation Christmas Child shoebox recipients. Children who participate in the program learn how to follow Christ.
Although the dinner is planned for people from Harrison, Holmes, Coshocton, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties, it is open to everyone. Since 2013, this area has packed and shipped 265,643 shoeboxes to children around the world.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of the international Christian relief and evangelism organization, Samaritan’s Purse.
During national collection week, Nov. 14 through 21, Samaritan’s Purse will collect gift-filled shoeboxes at more than 4,000 drop-off sites in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. For more information call Lynette Mahaffey, area coordinator, at (330) 204-7244.
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Recipient from Ukraine speaking at Operation Christmas Child dinner
