Christmas is a busy time of year for Amy Ashberry.
But the Mathews County native has a lot more people on her shopping list than most. The young, exuberant kindergarten teacher at Mathews Elementary collects gifts all year long as a Community Relations Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child, providing gifts for millions of children across the globe.
Operation Christmas Child, established in 1993, is one ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, a nonprofit organization founded by the Rev. Franklin Graham. In 28 years, OCC has grown into a worldwide effort to help others in need. Through OCC simple shoeboxes are filled with small goodies for needy children and sent to 170 different countries.
In 2020, over 10 million boxes were collected—the most ever. Children who receive these gifts go through a 12-week discipleship program titled “The Greatest Journey” as they learn about Jesus. Most people associate the shoebox ministry with Christmas, but they are delivered throughout the year.
Ashberry began collecting shoebox donations in 2020. She stored items in her great-grandmother’s two-story house which she has filled to capacity. When she learned that some older school buses were to be auctioned off, she put in her bid and received a working bus for $505. She has named it “The Shoebox Mobile.” She now has others, including her kindergartners, and businesses involved. Ashberry and her team, which includes her family, have prepared more than 2,250 boxes for distribution.
Travel is Ashberry’s passion, especially mission trips. She has been to 19 countries so far. In 2015, she went to Madagascar. She has been to Mexico twice, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and plans to go to Japan in 2022. On weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, she will head to the Baltimore Center, one of several distribution sites that inspect boxes for delivery worldwide.
According to Ashberry, there is a great atmosphere in Baltimore where folks pray over boxes before they are sent out. As many as one million boxes are inspected and processed daily from various centers.
Financing her trips is an ongoing yard sale for Ashberry. With her enthusiasm, she laughs as she shows her garage filled with donated goods. A Facebook page and video showcase her work. Her church, Mathews Chapel UMC, as well as the United Methodist Conference, have shown support.
Gratification for this ministry comes from stories recipients have shared. One young African boy had prayed for a toy car for a long time. He received a box from his church which had one inside and he was elated. As an adult, he has moved to the United States and is now serving in the Navy. Another child grew up living at a dump in Russia. She received a shoebox with a bar of soap. She appreciated the smell, so different from her living conditions. Ultimately, 30 girls shared one bar of soap and showered. Ashberry has received thank you letters from Malawi in central Africa and the Dominican Republic for her work.
“Mama Eva,” as she is lovingly called, is a Mexican lady with a “heart for the Lord and serving people,” Ashberry noted. They met in Mexico where Eva had been serving meals to children of a nearby village which had been devastated by fire. After traveling to Laredo, Texas, to take supplies, Eva’s niece and Ashberry became fast friends.
Back in August, Mama Eva and her family were able to visit Virginia, their first vacation ever. Eva loved Virginia’s trees and water. It is barren and dry where she lives. She had her first boat ride here. Ashberry and her team have now partnered for four years with the Mexico ministry.
Ashberry has also written and published her first book, “God in Every Moment,” a devotional from lessons she has learned. We wish her much success as educator, writer, and volunteer.