As part of our Missions Emphasis month, and Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry, we welcomed Boun Thorne to our service to share her story: Boun Thorne grew up on a boat in Cambodia with her family. Her mother cared for Boun and her siblings, but they feared their father due to the abuse that his alcoholism fueled. Boun went to live with her aunt for a time but was taken to a counseling center for victims of human trafficking after being assaulted by her uncle. At a camp, Boun received her first gift - a bright red and green Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift filled with a new pair of shoes, hair bows, and a jump rope. Her favorite item was a stuffed animal that she slept with every night. For the first time, Boun understood what unconditional love is and that it was God’s love which inspired the people who packed her shoebox gift.