In 1993, Damron viewed an episode of
Paul and
Jan Crouch's television program on
Trinity Broadcasting Network promoting
Operation Christmas Child, a program of
Samaritan's Purse. The clip featured
Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse, delivering shoeboxes packed with
gifts to children in war-torn
Bosnia, By Thanksgiving Day 1994, Mary had collected 1,258 shoeboxes, and transported them in a
cargo truck with her son, Tad, to the Samaritan's Purse headquarters in
Boone, North Carolina. Franklin Graham was alerted of the unexpected delivery, and arrived at the headquarters – where he met Mary. Mary greeted Graham with “Brother Graham, I’m Mary. I got you
[sic] some shoeboxes for God. Where do you want them
[sic]?” Graham was shocked by the amount of shoeboxes which Damron had brought, and offered to take Mary to
Bosnia to hand-deliver the shoeboxes. Graham expressed concern and warned Mary that she would be going into a warzone in Bosnia, which was at the peak of war – and that she would need a
bulletproof vest, after which Mary said: “What for
[sic]? I got the Holy Spirit of God, young man. I’ve got holy angels all around me, the Spirit of God in me, and Jesus walking with me every step of the way. I’ll be alright!” along with explosions from the active war; and that [they] had visited a schoolhouse full of injured children which had been continuously bombed in an attack. During the press conference, Damron spoke about Operation Christmas Child and her civilian work in Bosnia, alongside President Clinton. When Damron met the president, she handed him an empty shoebox and asked him to fill it with gifts for a child. She then asked him, “Mr. President [sic], do you care [sic] if I pray for you?”. She then proceeded to lead a prayer in the Oval Office. Mary delivered the shoeboxes packed by President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton to a 7-year-old girl named Zlada in Bosnia who had lost a leg in an artillery attack. == Ministry ==