How You Helped Rachel Recover

RIVERVIEW, FL – Each beneficiary comes to Operation Blessing with a unique story of how God has used you in their lives. For Rachel, you not only gave her food, in the process, you helped her overcome drug addiction too!

Rachel grew up in a Christian family, going to church multiple days per week. However, her family’s faith was not her own. After getting married at a young age and moving away, she began to desire a taste of “freedom” she had never experienced before.

She started abusing alcohol, which led to the end of her marriage. Finding herself in a continual spiral of drug abuse, she bounced from one relationship to the next. She was searching for a way to fill the emptiness she felt inside. It was quite some time before she would begin her journey towards recovery from years of drug addiction.

After getting married for the second time and having a child, she was still unable to break free from her addictions. That marriage ended as well, but shortly after she heard a knock on the door from someone who would change the trajectory of her life.

“I ended up getting served papers saying that my ex-husband was going to do an emergency injunction to take full custody of my daughter. And I knew at that point, I needed to get a different kind of help than I had ever received,” Rachel said.

Help That Aided Rachel in Her Recovery from Years of Drug Addiction

Having come to the end of herself, Rachel entered into Faith Home, an 18-month rehabilitation program run by Lighthouse Gospel Mission, an Operation Blessing partner. “The Bible started coming alive. It wasn’t just a story that I was reading anymore; it was me in that story and how Jesus saved me,” Rachel said.

During her time in the program, Rachel received food provided by Operation Blessing. She described the experience. “To have that freedom of not being able to worry about how am I going to get this week’s groceries. You just focus on your relationship with the Lord.”

That helped Rachel receive the breakthrough and healing she needed. “Well then I started to believe that maybe restoration with my daughter could happen. Maybe it would be where someday she could come and be with me, you know, because at that point, that would be a miracle,” Rachel said.

Freedom to Heal

spending time with daugther following recovery

After Rachel graduated from the program, she got remarried and eventually became the Faith Home’s Women’s Supervisor. And God wasn’t finished yet! He then restored Rachel’s relationship with her daughter. “My God’s promises are, ‘Yes and amen.’ She comes here now every Thanksgiving, every Christmas, every spring break. She’s here six weeks in the summer. Every day after school, she calls me, and I do her homework over FaceTime, and I’m her mom,” Rachel said with great joy.

Thanks to friends like you, Rachel and many others get the support they need while they recover and heal. With a grateful heart, Rachel said, “To everybody that is giving to Operation Blessing, I personally can’t thank you enough. And I just ask that you continue to bless Operation Blessing with any means that you can, because I know for me, my life was worth it, and my daughter’s life is worth it, and the women in the Faith Home—their lives are worth it. And it’s all because of you.”

To give today to help the hungry, visit https://gifts.ob.org/shop/gift/feed-hungry.

Giving Earthquake Survivors Hope

TURKEY – Cries rang through the night, mingled with the ominous rumbling and cracking of concrete. Salim was jarred awake as his home shook violently, and he scrambled to collect his four young kids.

“My children started crying and screaming, and they were very scared. I had a hard time keeping them close to me, but I managed to do it. After the earthquake calmed down a little bit, the sound of the collapsing houses was audible.” Amid the frightening sounds, they fought their way through obstacles and a jammed door and finally onto the street—which was quickly filling with homeless families. “We couldn’t put on our socks or shoes and came out barefoot on the shattered glass.”

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Teams on the Ground Giving Survivors Hope

Like Salim’s family, most survivors escaped the danger with few or no belongings. Since then, they’ve slept in tents or in cars. That’s daily life for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the massive earthquakes that destroyed over 160,000 buildings and took more than 40,000 lives.

Thankfully, compassionate friends like you sent an Operation Blessing response team to Turkey the day disaster struck. With your support, we’ve been there ever since, offering a helping hand to traumatized survivors and displaying God’s love in a tangible way.

Salim’s eight-year-old son, Ali, told us what Operation Blessing’s presence meant to them. “From the first day of the earthquake, this organization came to help us. We played with one of the members of this team, and one of the ladies on the team made us balloons. Then I asked them for toy swords, and they provided them for me.”

Thanks to the generous gifts of friends like you, not only kids are getting the support they need to brighten up their days, people in need are getting critical items like clothing, blankets and solar lamps to keep them warm and provide light in the darkness. Salim’s mentioned that they’ve been eating three meals a day with our Operation Blessing team. And many families like Salim’s are receiving hot meals and food boxes to sustain them.

Clean Water and Medicine Give Families Hope

In hard-hit Hatay province, our team has been working to provide clean water as ruined infrastructure has led to a highly contaminated water supply. Our relief workers quickly found a way to purify 300 gallons of water daily from a local source via reverse osmosis while also offering in-home water filters where possible. Through this, you are providing the ongoing needs of families like Filiz’s.

This survivor and mother of three said, “We don’t have water, and every time there’s an aftershock we get scared and scream.” Thankfully, because of your support, our team was able to comfort them and assist them by providing a household water filter to clean the dirty water they had been drinking.

Others were suffering from a lack of medical care because the local hospitals in Hatay were destroyed, and many with chronic conditions were cut off from their supply of medication. So you helped to offer compassionate care to hundreds of patients through our mobile medical clinic. One older man who was hurt during the earthquake got the care he needed and offered his gratitude. “We are very thankful to them because they did their work with high precision, humanity, and great focus. Everything was great.”

These are just a few of the many lives you have touched. The needs in Turkey are huge. But one day at a time, people are finding hope on the road to recovery through the generous support of friends like you, our Operation Blessing family.

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Stay tuned for more information about Operation Blessing’s Turkey response. To donate to disaster relief efforts, visit: https://www.ob.org/disasterrelief/

Destiny’s Future Is As Bright As Her Smile

NIGERIA – Since before she was born, Destiny’s future has been uncertain. Her life was threatened first by the fire that injured her pregnant mother, Rose, and then by the cleft lip she had since birth.

This baby girl from Nigeria and her parents live on very little income. She desperately needed cleft lip surgery, but that was far out of reach. Her mother shared, “I am a housewife with no job. My husband can barely meet our family needs; most days we can only afford to eat twice. The thought of saving for the surgery is such a big challenge.” Still, finding a way to get cleft lip surgery in Nigeria was very important to Destiny and her family.

Life was already hard, but after Destiny was born, the child struggled to eat—and silent stares followed the family everywhere they went. People just didn’t understand Destiny’s condition, and this precious baby was stigmatized by the surrounding community. Destiny’s parents constantly worried about what this might do to her self-esteem as she grew older. They wanted her to have a bright future.

The Miracle Of Cleft Lip Surgery In Nigeria

Then your love found a way! The kindness of friends like you gave her the chance of a lifetime through a free surgery. She could have her cleft lip repaired, and her life would change dramatically. Before long, Destiny was in the operating room surrounded by physicians and Operation Blessing staff eager to help her. The moment Destiny came out of surgery, her mother was full of relief and praises to God. “I am so happy!” she said.

Destiny’s cleft lip surgery in Nigeria was a tremendous success. Now, she can eat without difficulty, and she won’t have to worry about a future filled with silent stares or teasing. Her future truly is as bright as her new healthy smile because of compassionate givers like you.

Thankfully, Destiny’s recovery has also gone beautifully. Rose said, “The first night after the surgery, I hardly could sleep. I could not take my eyes off my baby. The transformation was so much, she looks like a different baby. Thank you, Operation Blessing, for helping my baby.”

God’s Love on Display in Turkey

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TURKEY – All across Turkey—spanning 300 miles of devastation—people are suffering terribly. With over 100,000 buildings collapsed and intermittent aftershocks, no one feels safe to return home. Instead, displaced families are dwelling in tents and cars. But God’s love is on display there because of friends like you.

God’s Love on Display Amidst Devastation

Your love is tangible in Turkey! Operation Blessing teams have been on the ground in hard-hit Hatay since the devastating earthquake struck in early February 2023. Thanks to your support, our teams are continually providing tangible relief for families affected by this tragic disaster.

People whose places of business have been destroyed are receiving boxes of food until they can find a way to make ends meet again. Operation Blessing is purifying hundreds of gallons of clean water daily so the thirsty can have something to drink. We’re lighting up the dark with solar lanterns for those who still have no power. And we’re providing hygiene supplies to everyone we can. For people grasping for hope, having basic necessities taken care of can make a world of difference.

And our mobile medical team is treating the sick and injured. Tens of thousands have suffered from earthquake-related injuries, and our physicians are there to offer compassionate help. Those with chronic illnesses who have lost access to their medications are desperate for help, and together, we are providing them with the assistance they need.

Turkey earthquake relief hygiene products

Thank You for Your Compassion

Diego Traverso, Director of International Disaster Relief, expresses his gratefulness for your generous support. “This is such an honor for me to be part of Operation Blessing,” he said. Your support is providing a way to be the hands and feet of Jesus on the ground in Turkey.

And you are putting that relief directly into the hands of those who need it most. Thank you for your generous prayers and for providing a tangible display of God’s love in Turkey.

Help Disaster Victims Now!

Stay tuned for more information about Operation Blessing’s Turkey response. To donate to disaster relief efforts, visit: https://www.ob.org/disasterrelief/

The Dream Of Water

PERU – “Since I was born, I remember never having bathrooms or clean water,” Emilia said, but she wanted a better life for Luis, her 12-year-old son. With their village a three-hour drive from the nearest city, the families who live in the small community of Turputia, Peru, had never known anything else. They grow food for themselves and their cattle but had no source of fresh water nearby. The struggle for water in Peru is a way of life for people like Emilia and her family.

The closest wells were a long distance by foot and remained uncovered, exposed to animals and other kinds of contamination. Emilia got up at 4 a.m. to start on the long journey to the well to collect the water in containers or buckets. When 12-year-old Luis was not in school, he went with her. The path was very slippery, especially after the rains.

“Once I remember I fell and spilled all the water,” said Emilia. “I hurt my leg and we had to go back to get more water.” Once home, she boiled the water for their livestock and to wash potatoes for them to eat, but she felt like it still wasn’t safe. “My greatest dream is to have water, especially for Luis, my son. It hurts me that he suffers like I did when I was little. I want to see him happy,” said Emilia.

Ending The Water Crisis In Peru For Emilia And Her Community

“Everyone in this community wishes to have water.” Thanks to the support of friends like you, their days of struggle for water in Peru have finally come to an end. Operation Blessing installed a complete water system that brings water to the remote community from a reservoir higher in the mountains. The water is treated and piped to each house in Turputia. But your love didn’t stop there.

Together, we were able to build bathrooms that contain a biodigester toilet, shower, and exterior sink for each household in the community. With your support, Operation Blessing is able to provide clean water solutions to an area that previously had no access to clean water, preventing waterborne illnesses and even death to the most vulnerable.

“This is something we never had here in Turputia. We were always sad. Now we are happy,” said Emilia. “Thank you, Operation Blessing.”

Mobile Medical Clinic Blessing Lives in Turkey

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TURKEY – The catastrophic earthquake that devastated a large area of Turkey has left survivors in distress. Countless families without homes are left shivering outdoors, and many have sustained serious injuries.

Others suffering from shock and chronic illnesses need immediate assistance, because many local hospitals are in ruins, and people can’t even get their usual medications.

Mobile Medical Clinic is Protecting Lives

Operation Blessing disaster relief teams are on the ground in hard-hit areas offering hope and resources in this overwhelming time. Lead doctor Gustavo Angel shared the plan of action for reaching people in need of medical care.

He said, “Right now, we’ve set up a mobile clinic to help the people that have survived in this place so we can give them quality health care.”

He continued, “We are seeing a lot of diseases…We’re seeing a lot of colds. We’re seeing a lot of people’s wounds.”

One of the patients is Gamze, who came to the mobile medical clinic with injuries to her feet.

She told us, “We got out from under the rubble, but we didn’t have our shoes. We walked on broken glass. Our hospital buildings are somewhere under all the debris. We lost many of our doctors and hospital staff to the earthquake. When we got here and we met you, we were so happy.”

Dr. Angel treated her feet and took out several shards of glass. She is now on her way to recovery.

He said, “That’s one of the thousands of stories that you will hear from all the patients, all the people that have suffered this catastrophe.”

medical help for turkey earthquake victims

need for medical help after turkey earthquake

Operation Blessing Is Looking to Set Up More Clinics

Through the generous gifts of our Operation Blessing partners, many people like Gamze will receive quality care in the mobile medical clinic.

There are more who are suffering all over these cities, and we’re hoping to set up clinics in different places so we can reach out to more people that are most in need.

Gamze said, “Seeing you come to our country to help us truly makes us happy. Thank you so much for treating us and staying with us in this situation.”

Help Disaster Victims Now!

Stay tuned for more information about Operation Blessing’s Turkey response. To donate to disaster relief efforts, visit: https://www.ob.org/disasterrelief/

Dry After The Storm

CAMBODIA – Imagine living on only $2.50 a day. That’s less than a cup of coffee here in the U.S. But sadly, such meager wages are a reality for many people around the world. People like Kongea’s mother, Saru.

As a single mom, Saru worked hard in the rice fields to support her two children. When she could find work, her daily wage was in fact about $2.50. Last year, she worked only a couple of months. For shelter, Saru and her children relied on the hut her husband had built for them out of bamboo and palm leaves before he died. Then, even more tragedy struck their family. Heavy winds and rain pounded their only home in Cambodia.

“I got scared when the wind and rain came and blew my house so hard that it shook,” said Saru. Water leaked through the roof and rain fell on them while they slept, but the family had no money to build a new house. “I tried to fix the holes,” Saku explained further. “But there were so many.”

Her 4-year-old son, Kongkea was scared. “When it rains, I have to stay in the house,” he said. “The roof leaks and the house moved. I am afraid my house will fall down.”

A New Home In Cambodia

That’s when you came to their rescue! Your love for Saru and her children made it possible to build them a new home in Cambodia, where they would be protected from violent winds and downpours. You gave them solid walls and a new roof that didn’t leak when it rained.

And Kongkea loves the new home that you gave him. “I am not afraid like I was before,” he said. “Thank you so much to the people who helped build it for us!”

Your compassion touched Saru’s heart. She couldn’t contain her smile. “I never dreamed I would have a house like this,” she said. “I am at a loss for words.”

Thank you for sending your heartfelt generosity around the world to bless those who are hurting and in need. You are changing lives and making a difference!

Clean Water Access for Earthquake Victims

clean water access for turkey earthquake victims

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TURKEY – Turkey has been shattered by this recent disaster. The World Bank estimates that these earthquakes caused $34 billion in damage to the country. It could cost twice as much to rebuild. But these piles of rubble tell much more of a story, one far more meaningful than a dollar sign.

Operation Blessing is Showing God’s Love to Earthquake Victims

One resident said, “It was like the end of the world. We thought that we would die. It was difficult!”

For years to come, people will likely be sharing painful memories of “the day the earth shook.”

One resident who shared her experience with us is a former schoolteacher, born and raised in Hatay, a region surrounded by beautiful mountains and famous for its cuisine and archeology. The recent earthquakes, however, erased much of life in the area.

She said, “There is no school to work at. Most of my students are dead now. The rest have relocated.”

Widespread damage has left much of the country under a state of emergency. Many survivors suffer from post-traumatic stress.

Director of International Disaster Relief, Diego Traverso said, “The trauma is something that is tangible. We see it through the eyes of the kids right now—the families that lost their beloved ones.”

Diego and the Operation Blessing team have been on the ground since the first quake struck. The base of operations in Hatay has been a refuge for people who have nothing.

He said, “People have seen this love, the tangible love through a hot meal, through water, through medicine, or just listening to them, just sitting with them and listening to them over and over.” Initiatives like our food distributions and efforts to improve clean water access are making a huge difference for earthquake victims. They are seeing God’s love through friends like you!

Relief Team is Improving Clean Water Access for Earthquake Victims

We’ve been distributing water bottles due to the terrible damage earthquakes did to the local infrastructure, leaving residents with highly contaminated water access. Now, our water engineer has successfully developed a way to purify up to 300 gallons of water per day from the local well in Hatay using reverse osmosis, and we are preparing to ramp up our clean water efforts.

Diego said, “We can be sure that the water that we’re filtering is 100% clean, cleaner than the ones that sell in the stores.”

Help Disaster Victims Now!

Stay tuned for more information about Operation Blessing’s Turkey response. To donate to disaster relief efforts, visit: https://www.ob.org/disasterrelief/

A Better Tomorrow For Turputia

PERU – Valerio was thirsty. And that meant his kids were, too. His shoulders slumped as he contemplated the long trek to the contaminated well in Peru near his village the village of Turputia.

This remote community in the highlands of Peru is located almost three hours away from the next major city by car. And the well where Valerio walked to get water often two or three times per day wasn’t treated to be safe to drink, nor was it close by. You see, the people of Turputia had to get water somehow, so they tried to dig their own wells, but the water was stagnant and
likely contaminated.

Since Valerio was a child, there had been no clean water access or adequate sanitation facilities in Turputia. That was just life as he knew it. And when he was little, he endured it, though he told us he often struggled with frequent ailments caused by impure water. Now, his own children, Diego (18), Dilan (7), and Abigail (3) were at risk.

Valerio wanted his children to have a better life than he’d had; he just wasn’t sure how he could give it to them. “This is my biggest worry. I can’t stand when my children don’t feel well; my children are the most important to me. I didn’t want them to grow up in the same condition I did.”

Valerio must have watched his kids play with mixed emotions, enjoying their sweet voices but feeling mounting pressure to leave them so they could have something to drink. Once again he would prepare himself to leave and go fetch more water from the contaminated well in Peru. The path to the well was long and dangerous in bad weather, but no matter the conditions, the need for water remained.

The good news is that friends like you heard about their need and reached out to meet it. Valerio’s worries would soon come to an end. When Operation Blessing first arrived, the local people couldn’t even fathom how much life would change when clean water became available. With their help digging trenches, our team got to work.

A Clean Water Treatment System

Your compassionate support soon provided a well and clean water treatment system. This new system was connected to a network of pipes that carried the clean water to every house in Turputia, including Valerio’s. This happy father was delighted that his kids could now turn on the tap and water would come streaming out— water that would have taken hours to get before. And it was clean and safe to drink!

The Operation Blessing family also built biodigester bathrooms for all the homes in the village and trained residents about proper hygiene and sanitation. “This is a big blessing,” Valerio said, overwhelmed with gratitude. “We never had bathrooms or water. This is changing my children’s lives. It is a blessing. With this water, my children won’t get sick anymore. They will be happy.”

Thank you!

Sharing God’s Love Despite Danger

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TURKEY – Three sizeable earthquakes and numerous aftershocks have rocked ten historic cities in Turkey. The destruction is overwhelming, and the people still aren’t out of danger yet. But we are there sharing God’s love in partnership with friends like you.

Supplies Are Slow, But We’re Meeting Needs

Operation Blessing volunteer Amanda said, “There’s been multiple earthquakes since we’ve been on the ground. So it got determined that it’s not safe to stay inside.”

Where we are on the ground in the city of Hatay—the most devastated city—residents are at risk of being struck by yet another earthquake. Right now, there is only one open road into the city. That means the journey for incoming supplies is slow and treacherous. Because the level of need in the city is so great, Operation Blessing turned our warehouse into a distribution center. As word gets around that help is available, people have been flocking here.

Amanda said, “The need is everything. These people have nothing. Most of them are living in tents or their cars. They have no hygiene products. Most of them left their house in the middle of the night because it happened while they were sleeping. They have no shoes on their feet; they have no socks; they have nothing.”

Our Director of International Disaster Relief, Diego Traverso, updated us about the severity of the situation.

“IDP is Internally Displaced Person. Turkish people are IDPs in this moment.”

Teams Sharing God’s Love Through Tangible Aid

Estimates vary between 1 and 2 million displaced people—people left homeless by this disaster like Hakan Hamurcu. He and his family now live in tents and temporary structures outside his dilapidated home. He’s forced to stare at the unwanted yet familiar scene of destruction that has overtaken Turkey’s beautiful landscape.

Even in the chaos, Operation Blessing remains steadfast because of generous friends like you. We’re committed to our mission to relieve those who are suffering and share God’s love.

Diego said, “We’re here to help people first. Water, shelter, food, medicines. But there are some people that have been asking [for prayer]. Like, ‘oh, you guys are Christian, can you pray for me?'” And our teams are happy to pray for and encourage those whose spirits are weak and point them towards the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ.

It has been weeks since the initial earthquake devastated the region. Thankfully, Operation Blessing has been on the ground since then and will continue to be for weeks to come. We’re hopeful that we’ll leave behind in Turkey the necessary tools for people who are suffering to one day be able to rebuild their lives.

Help Disaster Victims Now!

Stay tuned for more information about Operation Blessing’s Turkey response. To donate to disaster relief efforts, visit: https://www.ob.org/disasterrelief/