Jill Sims
Something Bigger than Myself
A year-round volunteer finds positivity in Operation Christmas Child
Jill Sims, community relations team member for the Washington, D.C., metro team, recruits organizations and volunteers to work with Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan’s Purse project.
“Volunteering with Operation Christmas Child is very flexible around my schedule," said Jill, a scheduler in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Jill first volunteered at the Minneapolis Processing Center with her youth group growing up. Later, when she got involved in politics, she appreciated the positive environment of the organization.
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Jill (center, in red) prays with a group of students over the shoebox gifts they packed. -->
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“I wish everyone could volunteer with Operation Christmas Child. There are so many different things you can do. There’s something to match everyone’s strengths.”
Jill Cobb
AREA COORDINATOR
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“When I moved to a new city, I wanted to be involved in something bigger than myself and be part of a team that was working to help people all across the world," she said about her recent move to Washington, D.C.
“We prayed that we’d be able to describe that year in two words: only God,” Jill said. The Lord then surprised them with a total of 41,359 shoebox gifts! Some churches in their area actually collected twice their goal amount.
The uplifting nature of the project balances the negativity she faces on any given workday.
“Every day I do some work with Operation Christmas Child, I feel like I’m making a difference," Jill said. "I really love that it shares the Word of God. It’s so heartwarming and so positive. We have an opportunity every day to make the world a better place and to invite people to let God in their hearts.
“I wish everyone could volunteer with Operation Christmas Child. There are so many different things you can do. There’s something to match everyone’s strengths.”
<!-- sub-head or second headline below God Uses People to Accomplish His PurposesA former mentor of Jill’s, Winnie Tuckness, serves as a regional area coordinator overseeing three Operation Christmas Child area teams. A few years ago, as Winnie drove US Highway 60 from Springfield to Nashville, Tennessee, she noticed First Baptist Church in Mountain View, Missouri, and thought it would be a good place for a shoebox drop-off location. When she noticed Matt Cobb was the pastor, she wondered if this could be Jill’s husband. She hadn’t had contact with the couple for 10 years.
Jill shows her enthusiasm for Operation Christmas Child.
Calling the church, she discovered it was in fact the same Matt and Jill Cobb whom she'd known years ago. This led to a reunion with the couple, and Winnie asked Jill if she would be interested in volunteering with Operation Christmas Child. She served in logistics first, and in 2016 became the area coordinator for the Springfield, Missouri Area Team.
During her interview for that position, Jill was reminded of a vision she’d had 10 years earlier of 1 billion people being saved during her lifetime. She shed tears of joy when she realized that, through Operation Christmas Child, she could have a small part in this becoming a reality.
“Jill is a gifted leader with such a passion and spiritual maturity,” Winnie said. “It’s exciting to see how God is using her.”
Jill quickly added, “I’m thankful God chooses to use us. It’s not that we’re amazing—through His grace and mercy He uses us.”
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