- Well between the pandemic, the election

and all the national unrest this year,

most people are probably readyto see 2020 come to a close.

Franklin Graham'sorganization, Samaritan's Purse

has a way to end the yearon a bit of a positive note

through what's known asOperation Christmas Child.

He joins me now to discussthis wonderful program.

Reverend Graham, welcomeback to "Faith Nation."

- Thank you, John, it'sgood to be with you.

- Likewise, well first let'stalk just a minute if we can

about where we are as a nation.

What do you believe is onGod's heart for America

at the end of one of themost challenging years

most of us have ever lived through?

Can we heal as a nation?

- John, I don't thinkwe can heal without God

and for that to happen,there has to be repentance.

We have to repent of our sins.

And I'd look at the sins ofour nation, they're huge.

When you just think of abortion,

you think of the problemsthat we have racially

in this country, there's a huge divide

and I just and the hatred, politically

between just the two parties.

I haven't seen anythinglike this in my lifetime

and I just don't see our nationcoming together without God.

And I would encourage churches and pastors

across this country topray that God would begin

to heal our country andthat we would repent

and turn from this sinsthat plague this nation.

America has a great history but I'm afraid

we may be in the lastchapters of our nation

if we don't turn to God.

- Maybe a little bit of a hard turn here,

but let's talk about that beautiful box

that's sitting rightthere in front of you.

Operation Christmas Child,for those who may not know

about what the operation's about,

what's the top line, whatdo most people need to know?

- Well, we just ask people to take a box

and fill it with items for a child,

send it to us and we'll give them out

to children around the world.

This year we'll deliver about 11 million.

So far, in the last 27 years,

it's been close to a hundredand I think it's close

to 80 million boxes thathave gone out to children

in about 160 different countries.

And with every box I ask people to pray,

pray for the child that'sgonna get your box.

I don't know who's gonna get it, God does.

Pray for that child.

We know God hears a prayer of one person,

can you imagine 11 millionpeople this year praying

for children, what God mightjust do for the children

of this world.

So we want to give a gift to every child

but we want every child toknow that God loves them,

that he cares for themand that Jesus Christ

is what Christmas is all about.

Jesus Christ came fromheaven to this Earth

to take our sins, John.

He died on a cross and heshed his blood for our sins.

Christmas is about God giving.

The Bible says that God soloved the world that he gave

his only begotten son, thatwhosoever believe in him

shouldn't perish but shouldhave everlasting life.

So Christmas is about God, love,his caring for our country,

caring for our world, caringfor each and every one of us

and we want the childrenof the world to know.

So, we're gonna be packing these boxes.

This is our collection week

and we're just looking forboxes from every corner

of the country.

And if you're willing to be apart of it

and share the hope ofChristmas with children

around the world, that's what we do.

- A wonderful message, Reverend Graham

and those beautiful faces ofthe kids that we got to see

from the kids who received

the Operation Christmas Child boxes.

Real quickly here, whatkind of results do you see

for the kingdom of God around the world

through this program?

- Well, when we look at what'sgoing on around the world,

there's not a whole lotof hope with people.

I want people to know that there is hope

and that that hope is in God.

And that's well for me, for our mission

is at Samaritan's Purse,

the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,

it's about letting the world know

about God's son Jesus Christ,

whether it's through a shoe box

or whether it's throughradio or television

or whether it's throughpreaching directly,

we want people to knowthe hope that we have

and that's in God and his son, Jesus.

- Right, real quickly, Reverend Graham,

you got a website for peoplewho wanna participate?

- You better believeit, samaritanspurse.org.

Just go to that website,samaritanspurse.org

and you'll see Operation Christmas Child,

just click on, it'll showyou how to pack a box,

where you can send the box.

We have 400 and I think it's40 some collection points

across the country whereyou can drop off your boxes,

at drop off locations,excuse me, it's 4,000

drop off locations.

And so there'll

be one near you.- All right.

- Or you can just mail it to us.

So there's a lothappening, a lot going on.

We have 100,000 volunteers helping us

over the next couple of weeks.

- Fantastic.

Well Reverend Graham, wealways appreciate your time

and if I don't have a chanceto talk to you beforehand,

happy Thanksgiving.

- And the same to you, Godbless you, John, thank you.