The Power To Choose Life Over Death In India

Proper Medical Care in India: Transforming Lives, One Patient at a Time

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.

India Medical Care for the Needy: Restoring Health, Rebuilding Lives

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.

Proper Medical Care in India for Priyansh: A Journey of Healing and Hope

Proper Medical Care in India for a Poor Child: Bridging the Gap of Inequality

Breaking Free From The Threat of Sickness and Snakes

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!”

Providing Americans With More Than Just Food

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.”

More Than Just Food in Virginia's Hunger Relief Efforts

Food and Comfort after Texas Tornado

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.

Help Disaster Victims Now

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.

Help Disaster Victims Now

Safe Spaces for Children in Turkey

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.

supporting turkish children after earthquake

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!

safe spaces for children earthquake survivors

Stay tuned for more information about Operation Blessing’s Turkey response.

Help More Disaster Victims Now

Escape From The Rubble

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.

Clean Water for Osocco

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.

Life To The Body

NIGERIA – “When I was a young girl, I often went to the stream to play,” Rhona said. But as she grew older, the long trek to the same stream became a struggle—because she had to carry heavy containers of water home to her mother. “One time, the weight of the water made my neck hurt so bad I just poured the water out and went home with an empty container.” On top of that, she knew she could get sick from the contaminated water. The very same water that was so difficult to access.

Later, as an adult, Rhona made the same long trek from her house to the stream to fetch water for her own family—four times a day! “Carrying the water home is so tiring,” she said. “I get home exhausted. And even though my body needs rest, I have to keep going, because there are always chores waiting.”

Sick From The Contaminated Water

Even worse, the water she brings home is often contaminated. “It smells and tastes really bad,” said Rhona. “I feel terrible drinking that water and giving it to my family, but I have no choice because it’s all we have.” Her children would often get horrible stomachaches. When Rhona’s son was 3, he got very sick. “I thought he was going to die. I prayed all the time for God to send us help,” she said. “I’m thankful he survived.”

When friends like you heard about their plight, your love reached out to help. Our expert water team evaluated their situation and found that in their case a well would be the most effective solution. They drilled the well near Rhona’s home. Then, our team taught a committee of villagers how to care for it and ensure that the community would have access to safe water for years to come.

Rhona could not contain her delight. “When you came, we were all so grateful. We could not hold back our joy.” She beamed in gratitude. “I’ve never had this kind of water before. It feels like life to my body. Every time I drink it, I feel good and healthy.”

Thanks to the compassion of friends like you, her children are no longer sick from the contaminated water. Her daughter can easily fetch clean water from the new well, giving Rhona more time to focus on her other chores. In addition, she says, “I have time to give my body rest and to hang out with my friends, something I couldn’t do before.”

You have helped give Rhona and her children a new life. “Life is good,” Rhona said. “We are healthy, and we are happy. Thank you!”

Love And Support After Deadly Tornadoes

UNITED STATES – Thank you for reaching out to disaster victims of deadly tornadoes in Mississippi and Arkansas. Dozens of deadly tornadoes struck the United States this spring. First an EF-4 barreled through Mississippi for 170 miles. Then a week later, more tornadoes devastated the South and Midwest. All together they took over 60 lives and destroyed countless homes.

Thanks to your faithful support, we were able to quickly launch a disaster team to Mississippi, and then another one to Arkansas shortly after the second round of deadly storms.

In Mississippi, we met storm survivor Minnie, who compared her recent frightening experience to past events. “We went through storms, but nothing like this. It’s a lot to take in. All of a sudden it just went quiet—I mean pin-drop quiet,” she said as she fought back tears. “We didn’t even have time to get down. It was just like—boom! And we all hit the floor right there in the hallway.”

She was quick to acknowledge the hand of God in their miraculous escape. “He spared us!”

Yet, although her family members survived the storm, they struggled from the trauma afterward. “Right now, we need help,” Minnie said. “You know, we need people to help us. First of all, we need prayers. We need each others’ prayers.”

You made it possible for Operation Blessing to send relief items to the affected areas, including water, emergency meal kits, and cleaning supplies. With your help, we deployed teams to both Mississippi and Arkansas. Between the two hard-hit areas, Operation Blessing was able to organize volunteer teams and offer hot meals, supplies, debris cleanup, chainsaw work, and roof tarping.

Our team helped Minnie’s family to clear up a tree and debris from the storm and coordinated re-tarping her roof. She’s so grateful to you for your love and assistance. “I just thank God for you, because you didn’t have to do it. You could have been doing something else. But He sent you our way, and we thank you—we thank you so very much for that.”

Generous friends like you are offering hope to Minnie and others who have suffered so much. We offer you our sincerest gratitude for being there for them during this difficult time.

Healing For A Lonely Father In Ukraine

No matter how much time has passed, Ukraine is still on our minds and in our hearts as the war rages on. Your compassion has been there changing lives—lives like Yuri’s. You have helped bring healing for a lonely father in Ukraine, overcome by circumstances out of his control. If you hadn’t stepped in, he might not be alive today.

Last fall, Yuri was at home during another evening of air raid sirens and wondering whether his front-line community would still be there in the morning. Suddenly the house shook, rocked by a blast that sounded far too close. Yuri tried to escape—but he didn’t get far. In the dark, he tripped over his apartment threshold, and his body lit up with pain.

Thankfully, he made it through the night. However, Yuri quickly realized he had lost most of his mobility. And he lived alone. He couldn’t cook food, collect water, or even easily get to the bathroom. Because of the war, for months he hasn’t been able to reach his only daughter who lives in a different part of Ukraine. The few neighbors who hadn’t evacuated counseled Yuri to go to the hospital. Weeks after the injury, he gave in.

Physicians said Yuri had damaged his femur and could be permanently disabled without surgery. Living as he did in such a dangerous part of Ukraine, that could prove fatal. The problem was, Yuri couldn’t afford an operation. He’s a hardworking tailor by trade, but jobs have been scarce during the war. Thankfully, you and Operation Blessing came together to stand with Yuri, and he got the chance of a lifetime—free surgery.

By the time he was discharged from the hospital, he could walk on his own! Still, the rehabilitation process he faced was a long one. Our volunteers recognized that Yuri wouldn’t be able to climb the stairs to his fifth-floor apartment or escape a bombing. They took him to a partner rehabilitation center where he could spend time with a community of caring Christians. Best of all, he now has the chance to be reunited with his daughter someday.

Yuri shared his gratitude. “I don’t have any relatives near me, so I was left alone with my problems … but God did not leave me alone with my problems. I am very grateful to Operation Blessing volunteers and doctors for their help.”

Yuri is no longer alone. Neither are the many other Ukrainians you’ve blessed. Over the last year your generosity has been hard at work in Ukraine and Poland—providing food, fuel, encouragement, and critical supplies like hygiene items, clothing, and blankets to Ukrainians in need.

Thank you for providing healing for lonely father in Ukraine!

Ukraine Crisis Relief

Ukraine Crisis