Vacation Bible School is always so much fun! My church always had lights, plenty of food, dancing, and songs. And throughout the six-day event, the gospel was shared. It’s not much different in Peru.

Today, Josh and I headed out for The Greatest Journey event. This is the real “meat and potatoes” of Operation Christmas Child.

We walked into a church that had received its shoeboxes a week prior, and they were having what we know as Vacation Bible School! Costumes, dancing, and lessons were all part of it. They call it The Greatest Journey (TGJ)!

The TGJ curriculum is provided by Samaritan’s Purse and is taught to the kids over 12 days.

Passing out the shoeboxes is special for everyone, but the churches in Peru have stepped up, turning it into two incredible weeks of lessons and VBS for the kids.

As we stood in the back, towering over the children, we saw a beautiful picture—kids learning the gospel the same way our own children do, complete with a snack. Because what is kids’ ministry without a snack, right?!

As a youth pastor, it made me proud to see the local teenagers stepping up with joy to teach the next generation what it means to be a follower of Christ.

When the kids complete the program, they are gifted a Bible. The number of lives touched through the gift of God’s Word is beyond measure.

The toys will fade, but the Word of God lasts forever.

It’s more than a shoebox.

*Guest post by Chris Thomas