A Toy with the most important message: Jesus loves you

Every year, millions of shoeboxes are sent to children around the world through Operation Christmas Child (OCC). Last year alone, that number was close to 12 million. Each box is packed with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies—but one request consistently rises to the top.

According to OCC’s director of in-kind giving, the #1 requested item from both boys and girls is a soccer ball.

When we heard that, we knew we had to respond.

So we created a smaller version of the Jesus Loves You Ball—designed to fit inside a shoebox, durable enough to handle rough terrain, and low-cost enough to make it accessible for families and churches packing boxes. Most importantly, each ball includes a QR code linking to the message of Jesus in multiple languages—giving kids the toy they want and the message they need in a language they can understand.

Through churches and individual supporters, we were able to send out about 2,000 of these balls in shoeboxes last year. We didn’t know where all of them would go or how they would be received. But we trusted God, prayed over every ball, and believed He would use them.

An Unexpected Encounter

This summer, I was attending a Christian sports ministry conference in the U.S., hosting a booth for Jesus Loves You Ball. A man approached our booth and introduced himself. 

“I’ve seen your soccer balls before. Our village received them.”

He began to share his story. His home country is a place where evangelism is illegal. But because the government allows the delivery of OCC shoeboxes as humanitarian gifts for children, the Gospel was able to sneak in—inside a soccer ball.

When the kids in his village received their boxes, he noticed the balls and the message printed on them. Curious, he scanned the QR code with his phone and discovered a website full of videos and resources that explained the Gospel.

He began showing the kids how to use it, and used the balls to run a local sports ministry program. Over time, he was even able to trade for a few of the balls and bring them to other villages where he’s helping start similar sports outreaches. He told story after story of how God is using soccer to open hearts, equip coaches, and help kids share Jesus with others. 

To hear this kind of testimony—face-to-face, at a small conference, with someone from a place across the world that I’ve never been—was a reminder that God is always working, even when we don’t get to see the fruit. But it is truly a blessing when God reveals it to us. It was a divine appointment neither of us expected, and one I’ll never forget.

How You Can Be Part of the Story

Would you consider including a Jesus Loves You Ball in the shoeboxes you pack this year? It’s a simple addition that could open the door to eternal impact.

You can also sponsor a ball that we will donate to shoeboxes this year. Let’s trust God together to create even more stories like this one.

And if you’d like to see a testimony of the difference a simple gift like this can make, check out this incredible testimony
Watch this story of a life changed through a shoebox and a soccer ball

Thank you for being part of what God is doing around the world.