Special Encounter // Olesea Makarets
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse and since 1993, they have collected and sent 209 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories. Olesea was five years old when she received her special OCC shoebox gift in her home country of Moldova, which is located between Romania and Ukraine. Her family immigrated to the United States in 2003 because of the religious persecution they experienced due to the Communist government of Moldova. Now a nurse, wife and mother of two living in Washington state, she volunteers her time to help spread the news about Operation Christmas Child.