Lafayette church to host speaker sharing impact of Operation Christmas Child

Lafayette Bible Church will host a special guest speaker May 1 who will share her personal story about the impact of an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift.

The event will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. at the church, located on Route 15 in Lafayette Township.

Elena, who was raised in an orphanage in the former Soviet Union, will recount how receiving a shoebox gift at age 8 marked a turning point in her life. At the time, she and her sister had been removed from an abusive home and were living in poverty.

According to event organizers, the gift was the first she had ever received. Along with the shoebox, she was given a booklet about faith that introduced her to the idea of God’s love.

Elena will also share how she began praying for a family, a hope that was realized in 2004 when she and her sister were adopted by a family in the United States.

Organizers said the event will offer attendees an opportunity to hear a message of faith and perseverance through personal testimony.

For more information, contact Jim Drew at 973-670-8091 or Daryl Blewett at 201-874-7523.