As a crisp morning breeze blew through the parking lot of the Billy Graham Library, motorcycle engines could be heard in the distance as bikers started arriving with their shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. 

Each year, the Library partners with Samaritan’s Purse to collect these hand-packed gifts for children around the world—and kids who receive these boxes hear the Gospel in their own language.

John Burgess, a worship pastor from Chesney, South Carolina, drew attention from the crowd as he rode into the parking lot with a casket full of shoeboxes. 

“It’s a great visual reminder that we’re all going to die someday, and we need to be ready,” he said. Printed on top of the casket was Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (ESV).

The members of John’s church—about 50 people—began packing and preparing their boxes in July. This year, they brought a total of 94 boxes.

“This is a chance to spread the Gospel in [many] places where it’s not going otherwise,” he said.

Elaine Benjamin and her husband, John, arrived at the Library with their shoeboxes and with John wearing a Bikers with Boxes T-shirt from a previous year. They’ve been part of this event since their boys—now in their 30s—were children. Both of their sons have gone on to follow their parents’ example of serving children by volunteering at orphanages and supplying kids with items like bicycles. 

Elaine eagerly shares her favorite part of Bikers with Boxes: “Everybody [is] doing this so that Jesus gets the glory.” Her husband said it’s incredible to hear first-person testimonies during the event of children who have received a box over the years and to see how these gifts are changing kids’ lives through Jesus Christ. 

Will you pray that the gift of Christ’s love will take root in the hearts of children receiving shoebox gifts this year? Also pray that entire families would be led to salvation through this ministry.