COSTA RICA – It’s amazing to see how love crosses borders, like the way your generosity is touching lives in Costa Rica. Every day, children in impoverished areas go to school with big dreams, but difficult circumstances all too often stand in their way. And for those with vision problems, getting proper eye care in Costa Rica can be the difference between thriving and just surviving.
Sawdy is one of those children. She’s a driven 11-year-old girl, passionate about becoming a doctor one day. Already, she shows leadership skills—her student body made her class president. But she had really begun to struggle with reading and doing her homework. Dry eyes and headaches were plaguing her studies on a regular basis.
She shared, “I have to tell the teacher that I need to get closer to the blackboard because I can’t see well.”
Her family lives in a poor area, and her parents have tried with all their might to get her the glasses she needs, but saving that much money would require them to go without food or utilities for a time.
Proper Eye Care In Costa Rica For People In Need
Thankfully, Sawdy doesn’t have to go without anymore. Operation Blessing partners like you came together to answer this family’s prayer! An Operation Blessing eye care team was sent to her area to give free exams to hundreds of children across multiple communities. Your generosity helps provide proper eye care in Costa Rica.
Now, because of you, Sawdy has new glasses, and she can see a clear path to a brighter future! “I feel happy, because my mom always worries about me and my siblings. With the donation of the glasses, she can save money to buy clothes and food.”
Every time Sawdy wears her glasses over the coming years, your love will be right there with her.
TURKEY – In the wake of the devastating earthquakes that struck numerous communities in Turkey, Operation Blessing swiftly responded. Because of your faithful support, we were able to extend a helping hand to those impacted by the disaster. Together with us, your compassion changes lives. Mason Pigue and Jeff Westling, our dedicated team members, journeyed to the hard-hit region of Hatay,. There they witnessed firsthand the widespread destruction and devastation.
Among those profoundly affected was Mahmut, a local baker who tragically lost his oven in the quake. The soaring demand for bread during the crisis made it challenging for people to find affordable options. Thanks to the generous support of friends like you, Operation Blessing provided Mahmut with a new oven. This enabled him to bake bread once more and offer it at a reasonable cost to his community.
George, a local barber, saw his once-thriving business reduced to rubble during the earthquake. The prospect of rebuilding seemed impossible. However, through the assistance of your compassionate giving, Operation Blessing constructed a new storefront for George. Overwhelmed with gratitude, George exclaimed, “I want to thank you all, because I never expected this much kindness. Rent in the city would be too expensive for me. This helps because now I can rebuild my business here.”
Delivering Essential Supplies Changes Lives
In a local village, Operation Blessing provided vital food boxes to families facing dire circumstances. Your generous donations made it possible to deliver these essential supplies every two weeks, ensuring that families have access to nourishment during this time of great need.
None of the life-transforming work we do would be possible without the incredible support of partners like you. Together, we are making a significant and lasting impact on the lives of those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey. Your compassion changes lives.
Join us today in bringing hope and relief to those who are suffering. No matter the amount, your gift can make a significant difference in restoring lives and communities. Visit www.ob.org/disaster-relief to donate and be a beacon of hope to those in need. Together, let’s continue changing lives for the better. Thank you for your unwavering compassion and support.
TURKEY – In the wake of the catastrophic earthquake that devastated Iskenderun, Turkey, one mother named Nermin found herself facing a harrowing challenge. She needed clean drinking water to nourish her children. However, amidst the chaos and despair, a glimmer of hope emerged, thanks to the unwavering support of partners like you. Together, we gave Turkish families clean water in the camp where Nermin and her two children now live.
Recalling the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Nermin painted a vivid picture of the struggles endured by her community. “The day after the earthquake, we were thirsty, but we couldn’t drink water from the tap anymore. The earthquake damaged all the underground pipes, and the clean water mixed with sewage, so it was not safe to drink,” she recounted with a heavy heart.
Thanks to the steadfast prayers and generous support of partners like you, Operation Blessing swiftly responded to the urgent need for clean water. Installing a dedicated access point within the camp, the team brought relief and newfound hope to Nermin and her fellow survivors.
We Thank Friends Like You for Clean Water
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Nermin shared, “After the earthquake I was so tired and depressed, but then I saw people like you helping us and taking care of us, and it gave me hope.” With the clean water access point now readily available, Nermin can finally find solace, knowing that her children will never go thirsty again.
As the news of the clean water access point spread throughout the camp, the community rejoiced. Nermin’s daughter gleefully exclaimed, “It is wonderful having clean water! Thank you so much for helping us and the whole community here. This water tank has made our lives so much easier. Thank you again.”
Your support has the power to transform the lives of countless families facing similar crises. Together, we can extend a lifeline to those in desperate need. Visit www.ob.org/disaster-relief today to discover how you can join us in providing essential aid and making a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by disasters.
INDIA – If left untreated, little Priyansh could have died. Can you fathom having to make this agonizing decision for your child: a surgery you have absolutely no way to pay for or possible death? What would you do if the option for surgery wasn’t even available in your region? Can’t you feel the pain of this mother’s heart, knowing that she could do nothing to save her baby?
Yet this is the situation that the parents of millions of vulnerable children like Priyansh face every day. They are bound by the chains of poverty—unable to access or afford the resources they need. Thankfully, friends like you are connecting them with proper medical care in India and beyond when it’s needed most!
That’s exactly what you did for little Priyansh and his family. This sweet baby boy was born with a severe cleft lip and palate, which made it difficult for him to get the nutrition he needed. He couldn’t breastfeed, so his mother, Ram Bai, fed him liquids with a spoon. Priyansh quickly became malnourished. He also struggled to breathe.
“I am worried about my son,” Ram Bai told us. Even when he was old enough to consume solid food, Priyansh couldn’t eat properly and struggled to swallow. Ram Bai often cried as she watched her boy suffer. But what could they do? Her husband farmed their small piece of land in a tribal village in India to the best of his ability. During the off season, he worked odd jobs to support their family. Still, the cost of surgery was too great for them to meet.
Proper Medical Care In India For Priyansh
And Priyansh didn’t need just one surgery—he needed two. The first would fix his cleft lip. Then, the family would wait six more months before he could undergo a second surgery to repair his cleft palate—the roof of his mouth. He needed both procedures to eat and speak properly and to improve his health. Ram Bai and her husband had no choice but to rely on the compassion of others to save their son.
Then friends like you answered their plea for help through our Life-Changing Surgeries program—and provided both operations for this precious child completely free of charge. “Priyansh was in a vulnerable condition. His health was deteriorating,” said Achel, a worker at Padhar Hospital in India. “This generous support of Operation Blessing has saved and changed his life.”
As Ram Bai watched her son receive the treatment he desperately needed, she could not contain her tears. Today, she is overjoyed as she watches her baby boy eat and drink properly— getting the nourishment he needs to grow healthy and strong. “I am grateful to Operation Blessing for their generous contribution to the Life-Changing Surgery,” she said. “Our entire family will remain thankful to God.”
You provide so much joy to desperate families when you give the gift of surgery. And for Priyansh’s family, you gave them a gift that once was so far out of reach—the gift of life. Thank you for your compassion to help the hurting in their time of need and to help provide proper medical care in India for those in need.
GUATEMALA – “All the children get sick. They suffer from stomach pain and headaches. I think we adults are able to hold on a little longer—we’re used to it,” said one resident of Suiche, a remote community that struggles with clean water access in Guatemala.
Can you imagine the conditions that led to that statement—the countless days and nights fighting sickness and fatigue? Think about the long hours spent by children’s bedsides, worrying and attempting to comfort them as illness kept them awake. And why is their life so difficult? Simply because they lack clean water.
Water Struggles In Suiche
The people in this village work hard, most of them farming bananas. But they still suffer in poverty. If someone in Suiche needed water and couldn’t afford to pay for it, they’d have to hope the hand-dug watering hole was free of dead animals. And if it had dried up, as happens every summer when the temperature soars as high as 104 degrees, they’d be forced to brave the snake infested waters of the nearby river to find enough dirty water to get by. It wasn’t even unheard of for a thirsty soul to return from such a journey with a poisonous bite.
For sisters Mirely and Darling in Suiche, their parents managed to scrape together enough money to pay for drinking water to keep them from getting sick. But that expense put a huge strain on the family’s finances. And they still had to meet other household cleaning and bathing needs with the dirty water available to them. Mirely shared, “When I take a bath, I always suffer allergies, and I feel like I’m never clean.” Her sister added, “One day we went with my mom to buy something at the store, and I felt uncomfortable because of the bad smell of my skin.”
The residents have done their best to provide the cleanest possible water to their children. Often they improvised to create handmade filters from buckets filled with sand and lime. But that didn’t stop waterborne illness from devastating the community. Even Darling’s family faced this obstacle, despite buying as much better quality water as they could.
She recalled, “When I take a bath, sometimes I accidentally swallow water in my mouth, and the next day my stomach hurts a lot.”
That is no kind of life for a precious child. But the kids in Suiche now have hope—because friends like you cared.
Providing Clean Water Access
Together with you, Operation Blessing has long invested in Guatemala. When we heard about the situation in Suiche, we knew there had to be something that could be done to help these families. Our team set to work providing a solution in partnership with the community. A solution for the community that would provide clean water access in Guatemala.
They needed a way to eliminate harmful bacteria—and you sent help their way. Because there was no adequate water source, our Guatemalan team dug an 80-foot well to reach an underground source of water, which was then pumped through a series of contaminant-removing filters before being collected in a 2,700-gallon tank to provide a clean, reliable water supply for the long term.
A Brighter Tomorrow With Clean Water
You gave this community a chance to live free from waterborne illness—what a miracle! And the people not only have nearby access to this water, it’s being pumped directly to every household, church, and school. With their water worries now behind them, they can look forward to a brighter, healthier future. Mirely was overjoyed. “Now the water smells very good, and it tastes nice!”
And now, 30 families and two churches are free from the burden of contaminated water. Parents don’t have to force their kids to drink something they know might hurt them. Children will grow and learn more effectively as they attend school without constantly battling sickness. Darling’s words say it all: “Thank you for what you’ve done for our community. God bless you!”
VIRGINIA – More than 1 in 15 older Americans are suffering from lack of food. Sadly, that number has gone up in the past two years due to inflation and other factors. And hunger can affect well-being in ways beyond inadequate nutrition—it puts people at risk for chronic health conditions like diabetes, depression, and asthma. Thankfully, you are helping to address this issue every day.
Your kindness helps people like Sandra in Virginia, who’s had a rough time these past few years. It started with a debilitating fall that left her unable to work—and making ends meet on her husband’s single income as a welder can be difficult. “It’s really hard,” she explained, “with the prices going up the way they have.”
But then Sandra heard about one of our distribution partners, a food bank in her area run by Atlantic Shores Baptist Church, and she found the support her family needs to weather these difficult times, a resource to prevent suffering from lack of food. Your generosity makes it possible for Sandra and her husband to do so much more. “Now we can put some of that money toward things we need,” she told us, “and other bills.”
Moreover, the food pantry offers Sandra a place where she feels welcomed and loved. “We come here because we like people here,” she said. “We don’t feel like we’re a burden.”
Providing Hunger Relief To Americans Suffering From Lack Of Food
Your love has found its way to many other tables, as well. It has blessed people like Donald, who spent 27 years at a shipyard making boilers—a critical job that had long supported his wife and son. Unfortunately, he had to leave that job due to disability and now he and his wife have been trying to make ends meet while living on social security.
Fortunately, he has found much-needed support at the same Operation Blessing partner food pantry that Sandra visits—and said it’s made a huge difference in his life. “I feel blessed for what all of you do and the food that your help provides us.”
And your kindness reaches out to this community in other ways. A retired man named Jimmie gathers food from the pantry you faithfully keep stocked and delivers it to struggling families in his neighborhood—neighbors who can’t afford the gas to pick up food themselves. “I get to minister to them,” he said, “and also their neighbors. When they see me … they want to know about Jesus, too.”
Jimmie shared this belief: “Giving is like part of the Father’s heart. So, if you want to share the love of Jesus, then be a giver—food, money, time, life, and so forth. Scripture says whoever would be great among you must be servant of all. So it’s good to serve.”
Clearly, providing seniors with nourishing food and peace of mind isn’t the whole story. By offering food to these lonely seniors, you are also opening doors for them to find fellowship and camaraderie. And your support reinforces the local food pantry’s mission to be the hands and feet of God. As one volunteer said, “We’re offering more than just food. This is about connecting them with Jesus and letting them know that Jesus loves every one of us and loves them.”
TEXAS – Thanks to our generous partners, the Operation Blessing team is helping Texas tornado victims in Matador after the town was hit by a catastrophic twister.
The damage was horrific. Local resident Danika Jameson told us, “Stuff that was in the house has been thrown around. I mean, it ripped the roof off. Unbelievable—you know, kind of surreal.”
Local EMS Doug Meador said, “You know, you don’t think of the devastation that it had until you see it.”
Community members are continuing the hard work of clean up, but that’s a process that can’t be accomplished overnight. That is why we are here, to lessen their burdens with meals and continued aid. We’ve connected with the local First Baptist Church to work alongside during this time.
Doug said, “Oh my—it’s just an outpouring of resources, love, and care.”
Friends Like You Help Texas Tornado Victims
We’ve also established a base of operations and set up our mobile food truck in an ideal position to meet the needs of the community. We are providing food, water, and necessary supplies to the people during their time of need. Already, families have received emergency meal kits, hot meals, and cleaning supplies.
Doug expressed his thanks: “Just for being here and responding to the need of a community that for 2-3 days didn’t have food because of the electricity being off. It really is a blessing for the whole community.”
The Operation Blessing team will continue to love on this community and provide them with support and prayers. That support is only made possible by our generous Operation Blessing partners.
You can join the effort today and reach out with God’s love by partnering with Operation Blessing’s disaster relief efforts.
TURKEY – After the horrendous earthquake that shook the southern part of Turkey, Operation Blessing deployed our international disaster relief team to distribute food and water in the places of greatest need.
Upon arrival, Operation Blessing recognized another critical need for families that was going unmet. Now that homes and businesses had been destroyed, where could the kids play? Parents soon realized after the quake that they no longer had safe spaces for their children.
But thanks to the support of friends like you, Operation Blessing is partnering with local organizations to create safe spaces for parents and their children.
We Thank Friends Like You for Safe Spaces
Your generosity works with us to provide meals, equipment for projecting films, and spaces where little ones can sit, relax, and feel at ease. In these special places, children can be children again.
Thanks to faithful partners, we are able to not only meet the physical needs of these families, but also their emotional and spiritual needs after such tragedy.
You can create more safe spaces for even more families in need by partnering with Operation Blessing. Visit www.ob.org/disaster-relief today to help disaster victims!
TURKEY – Ayesha was asleep, snuggled with her grandchild in Turkey, when her house started shaking. She and her family would have a short time to escape from the rubble as the world around them collapsed. They clung to each other, afraid to move. “It felt like Judgment Day had arrived,” Ayesha said. “Everything was falling to the ground. We were scared and waited for the earthquake to stop.”
When the shaking subsided, Ayesha and her family escaped to the outdoors. Their homes were destroyed. The hours that followed were horrifying. The monstrous 7.8-magnitude earthquake had left miles of destruction in its wake, and the aftershocks just kept coming. “Many people were trapped under the rubble,” she said. Among them was her brother-in-law, who perished in the quakes. Now homeless, Ayesha and her husband, children, and father- in-law moved into a tent the government provided.
But Operation Blessing family members like you immediately took action and sent critical aid their way! When our team arrived at Ayesha’s tent village, we found the residents struggling with difficult circumstances. Ayesha and her neighbors only had access to water through an old pump. After the earthquake, they were afraid to drink the water from it.
Water For Earthquake Survivors In Turkey
Our water engineer confirmed the water wasn’t safe, and with your help he gave each family, including Ayesha, a water filter. He showed them how it worked and assured them that it would make the water safe for them to drink and use for cooking. Ayesha and her family were grateful. She accepted your love and passed it along to others in need. “I even give clean water to people who don’t have it.”
You also blessed the community through food and compassion. Ayesha could feel your arms wrap around her from the other side of the world through the actions of our team on the ground. “Even though we don’t speak the same language, they communicate with us through body language,” she said. “We are fully aware of their positive thoughts and actions.”
Ayesha continued, “I didn’t see anyone else from foreign countries other than Operation Blessing come to help us. They provided us with food and water, brought toys for our children, and they helped us a lot. We love them very much.”
The road to recovery and healing will be a long one for the people of Turkey, but they have felt your love in so many ways— through food, water, hygiene supplies, medical care, and most importantly, compassion. Thank you for sending your compassion around the world to meet them in their darkest hours.
OSOCCO, PERU – There is much to be thankful for today. Because of the amazing support of friends like you, the community of Osocco, Peru now has a reliable source of fresh, clean water. The impact on this small community in the highlands of Peru is life-changing.
For too long, the people of Osocco struggled with access to clean water. Their old, shallow wells were filled with contaminated water, and the closest source of clean water was 40 minutes away by foot. But faithful friends of Operation Blessing gave the gift of a lifetime to the families of Osocco.
When our team asked community members what they wanted most for their village, one of the youngest members—a little girl named Yareli—said it all: “I want clean water.” When she was younger, she once drank contaminated well water and became sick with a painful stomach infection. That difficult memory had never left.
Now, she doesn’t have to fear anymore! A brand-new clean water system exists right there in the village, courtesy of dedicated supporters like you. Today, 28 families have the blessing of drinkable water piped directly to their homes.
We give our thanks to everyone who showed love to the families of Osocco. They now have the opportunity to work, play, and smile, knowing that a refreshing drink is never more than a few steps away.
