Operation Christmas Child will have a kickoff event with a recipient speaker during July.

The workshop and kickoff will be 2-4 p.m. July 15 at First Baptist Church, 202 N. 2nd St., Albemarle.

The event will include tips on packing the shoebox and offer some boxes and materials to get individuals started.

Yuliya Shubina received a shoebox gift in Central Asia that connected her to a caring friend halfway around the world and was one of the seeds that brought her to faith in Christ.

Yuliya’s father brought her a shoebox gift from missionaries who were distributing the gifts to local children. There were many gifts inside, including a letter from the girl who had packed the shoebox.

Yuliya and the girl exchanged letters for many years afterward, and when Yuliya came to the United States to finish high school, she was able to meet her pen pal in person.

Today Yuliya serves with Operation Christmas Child to tell the story of God’s faithfulness in her life.

She will share more of her story in Albemarle.

Contact Lauren Patterson for more information at lauren_8717@yahoo.com.