Inspire, Fall/Winter 2009

Heading Home As the trip ended, Joey and the crew prayed for the children and wrapped up the video shoot with a big signoff. Then Joey headed home and back to school. But the adventure proved to be a unique learning experience for him. “It’s not about the box,” he reflected. “It’s about the faith of the child receiving it. This ministry puts Christian faith in action, reaches out to the impoverished, and — most importantly — spreads the Good News.” Since his work on “Follow the Box,” Joey has hosted two other video projects for OCC, including webisodes that share amazing shoebox stories from around the world. This Christmas season, he is hosting press events for OCC in Colorado, California, and North Carolina. Joey’s work with OCC stands as a good reminder of the little things we can do that have a big influence. During this holiday season, consider ways you can use your time, money, and energy to bless the life of someone else. So, how about it? Will you “give this Christmas away”? Joey Turner ’09 and his wife, Jenny (Bidwell) ’09, live in Cedarville, Ohio. Learn more about OCC and Samaritan’s Purse at www.samaritanspurse.org . You may contact him at jturner@cedarville.edu . Sharyn Kopf enjoys her work as senior writer for the marketing department at Cedarville. She has worked previously as a newspaper reporter and spent more than seven years as an award-winning radio writer for Focus on the Family. You may contact her at skopf@cedarville.edu. Step 3 Finally, Joey met the boy who would receive his shoebox. “It was amazing,” Joey said. “He didn’t have a dad, and his mom washed clothes for a living. We got to hang out with the kids and, best of all, share the Gospel with them.” In fact, telling the story of God’s love is the driving force behind OCC. In the years since the ministry started, they have delivered more than 68 million shoeboxes to kids in more than 130 countries. And each recipient has heard about the best gift of all: salvation. The mission of OCC extends far beyond the moment when a child opens the gift-filled shoebox. OCC brings long-term spiritual influence through the OCC Discipleship Program. The 12-lesson, story-based Bible series teaches kids more about Jesus and what it means to follow Him. Many of the kids who receive boxes have the opportunity to participate in this program and receive New Testaments written in their own language. i Make a student feel like a kid at Christmas. Give to scholarships. www.cedarville.edu/givingnow