Seen, Known, and Loved

Growing up, Veronica went through many trials that led her to believe that God had forgotten her. A pivotal moment in Veronica’s life was the loss of her little brother, and soon after, her mother went to prison. Veronica’s hatred for God continued to grow. She and her siblings were sent to a Christian orphanage in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she learned more about God, but her heart was still hardened.

“And I remember just feeling angry at God, feeling like, ‘Why is He allowing so much pain, so much suffering in my life, in my family's life?’”—Veronica Miranda

On Christmas Day at an Operation Christmas Child outreach event, Veronica heard about the true meaning of Christmas and what Jesus did on the cross. Veronica wanted to know more about this sacrificial love. After the presentation of the Gospel message, each child received a shoebox gift filled with toys, school supplies, and other fun items. Inside Veronica’s box was a note that changed her life forever.

“I got to the very bottom of my shoebox, and I pulled out a Christmas card that said, ‘Merry Christmas. You have a family that loves you and is praying for you.’ And when I heard those words, I just felt so loved, just so cared for and just so seen in that moment.”—Veronica Miranda

Veronica began asking questions about who God is and what it would look like to give her life to Jesus. After hearing Isaiah 41:9-10, she knew that the Lord was going to use the hardship in her life for her good and His glory. Veronica decided that she was done being angry. The bitterness in her heart was replaced with radiant joy.

Since Veronica’s life was blessed by Operation Christmas Child, she wanted to pay it forward. Veronica learned how to cook, started a community soup kitchen, and taught The Greatest Journey discipleship classes to other shoebox recipients, which became a beautiful, full-circle experience for her. One young student’s story made a significant impression on Veronica. Weekly, this little girl would go great lengths to reach her grandmother with the Gospel, traveling to her remote mountain village.

“She likes to leave one memory verse card with her grandma, where she gets to share what she's learned throughout class and they memorize these verses together. So, I was like, wow, this girl is going to the ends of the earth to share her story of the love of God with her family.”—Veronica Miranda

As millions of Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts are sent around the world in the coming months, please pray that God would open the hearts of children to the Gospel. Pray that these boys and girls would know that God deeply loves them and sees them. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories from On the Ground, please visit samaritanspurse.org.