Comfort and Supplies for Turkey Quake Victims

Operation Blessing is providing comfort and supplies to Turkey quake victims.

TURKEY – Operation Blessing is in Hatay, *Turkey, one of the most devastated areas after the recent earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. We are providing comfort and supplies to Turkey quake victims.

Operation Blessing on the ground offering comfort in Turkey.

First, we started by delivering hot food and solar lamps, in addition to relief bags filled with hygiene supplies and other helpful items for the families. For the kids, we provided snacks, juice, and nutrition bars.

Families are expressing their gratitude for Operation Blessing showing up for them in this dark time. Our team has been walking through the rubble of the city, seeing many buildings with several floors that have collapsed into a heap. The devastation and destruction is overwhelming.

Kids being blessed after Turkey earthquakes. — providing supplies for earthquake victims

Tragic Aftermath of Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

Rescue teams are still on the ground searching for victims. Please keep praying for them, and keep praying for the families that are being affected by this earthquake.

In addition, we saw many families living out of their cars. They are not sleeping in their houses, because they are afraid to return to them, or they’ve been destroyed. It’s estimated that hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes. And the death toll now stands at over 22,000.

Currently, our team is looking for ways to be even more effective with the aid we offer so that it helps the most people with the greatest needs.

Please Pray for Quake Victims

Thank you so much for your partnership. Operation Blessing is committed to being here and supporting the victims of the Turkey quake, because of you. Please join us in praying:

Father God, we ask that you would reach out to all of the shattered victims in Turkey and Syria. Soothe their hearts and minds, provide for their needs, and fill them with hope. We pray that the trapped will be rescued and that the injured will be healed. Give Operation Blessing wisdom to help in the most effective ways possible and to be a beacon of God’s love in this dark time. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Comfort for a heartbroken earthquake victims in Haiti.

You can help disaster victims immediately by visiting www.ob.org/disaster-relief today!

Help Disaster Victims Now!

Stay tuned for more information about Operation Blessing reaching out in Turkey.

*Turkey is now officially spelled Türkiye

When Food Feels Like a Miracle

KENYA – For several days, Rasianae tucked all four of her children into bed at night without any food. She didn’t have a choice. All the food she had was gone. She and her family were not just facing food insecurity, they were starving.

“They are young and don’t really understand why you can’t give them food,” said Rasianae. “It is a very painful thing seeing your children suffering like that.”

Getting Food Feels Like A Miracle In Parched Kenya

Her children became so weak, they could barely walk. Desperate, Rasianae begged for food from her neighbors, but they were facing the same situation. “Everyone is suffering and struggling,” she said. “There is nothing left for anyone.”

Last spring, the rains that so many people expected throughout Kenya never came. The ground became parched; the wells, dry. Crops and grass quickly dried up. By July, the nation had come face to face with severe drought. Like Rasianae, many Kenyans began living a nightmare.

“It was painful waking up every morning hoping to see signs of rain, only to wake up to the sight of my animals dying,” said Rasianae. When she took them out to graze, they couldn’t find anything to eat.

Like so many people in Kenya, Rasianae has long relied on crops and animals to provide food and income for her family. With both gone, she had no money to purchase food when her own supply ran dry. She tried to find work at a local shopping center, but very little was available.

Desperate, she sold what remained of her animals in order to feed her family. “The money I got from selling the goats was barely anything, and in no time, it was all gone,” she said. “Now we had no animals and no food, either.”

Her Children Went To Bed Hungry

The worst was watching her children suffer. Many nights, she simply had to send them to bed hungry. Once when she did find food to cook for her children, it made them very sick because they hadn’t eaten in so long. “All the food I had managed to get—and now it didn’t even help them,” Rasianae said, heartbroken. “That was such a loss!”

When we learned about the critical situation so many of our brothers and sisters were facing in Kenya, our Operation Blessing partners stepped in to fill the gap. Your love and compassion sent Rasianae and the families in some of the worst-hit communities a month’s supply of food to get them through the difficult days of the drought.

“Before you came here and brought us the food, we had gone three days without,” said Rasianae. “I thank God because this is a miracle.”

Because you reached out to them, Rasianae’s children were able to eat and go to bed with their bellies filled. “I feel happy today when I see my children eating the food that you have brought us. May God indeed bless you!” And you continued reaching out to these villages in the months that followed.

Thank you for your heart to bless people around the world! When food feels like a miracle to families like Rasianae’s, it’s arrival means that you made a difference!

Relief Supplies for Earthquake Victims

Help Disaster Victims Now!

In the aftermath of the earthquake, Operation Blessing is in southern Turkey right now. We’re working with a large group of volunteers from various organizations to prepare relief supplies for disaster victims.

We’ve been experiencing firsthand the pain and suffering of disaster victims in Turkey. The devastation from this massive earthquake is overwhelming as thousands of lives, homes, and businesses have been lost. People are traumatized, but we have a chance to reach out to them in love with tangible aid.

Team Prepares Relief Supplies for Disaster Victims

Right now, our team is prepping bags of relief items for affected families. As people struggle without basic necessities, some simple provisions can be life-changing—and can give people a little bit of hope.

International Disaster Relief Team leader Diego Traverso shares, “In these bags, we’re including hygiene products, food, water, and a solar lamp that can bring some light in this dark time for them. We’re still in the phase of assessing the need, but we are not going empty-handed, and we want to show up with something in hand so the people can be blessed. We want to thank Operation Blessing partners. Thank you for your prayers and support.”

Together, We Can Be There for Them

Operation Blessing will remain in Turkey, assessing the need and bringing solutions to shine light in a terribly dark time. We see that the need is great in the areas of water, shelter, and food, and we’re committed to bringing aid to the victims of this disaster.

When you support Operation blessing, you are there for precious families in Turkey who are suffering right now.

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

Help Disaster Victims Now!

On the Ground Reaching Out in Turkey – Please Pray

giving support to turkey earthquake victims

*As of 2/13/23 the death toll has passed 36,000

Help Disaster Victims Now!

People all across Turkey are weeping today. Many have seen the bodies of their loved ones being pulled lifeless from the rubble of ruined homes and businesses. Others aren’t sure if they’ll ever see their family members and friends again because so many are still missing. They are in desperate need of hope. And that means they need our prayers for the God of hope to help them.

Reaching Out in Turkey to Earthquake Victims

Friends like you aren’t leaving them on their own. You’re working in and through the Operation Blessing international disaster response team as our staff members on the ground collaborate with local partners to assess the areas of greatest need and offer relief. We are prepared to provide critical supply items for people who are without food, water, and electricity as we’re reaching out in Turkey.

Operation Blessing’s Diego Traverso shared these words, “Operation Blessing is on the ground in Turkey… And right now, the weather is not helping at all. The snowstorm is very intense. The weather is very, very cold. People are sleeping on the streets under a tarp. An Operation Blessing assessment team is here on the ground to see how we can reach the people that are in need right now. Keep us in prayer. Keep Syria and Turkey in your prayers.”

Operation Blessing is on the ground reaching out in Turkey.

Please Pray for Turkey

So please join us in praying for:

Our teams on the ground to have insight for where the work is most needed and what is the best help we can offer
Open doors of access for Operation Blessing and for staff safety
Search and rescue operations to find many more survivors
Protection for residents from continued aftershocks that have already cost lives
Displaced people who are struggling to find shelter and assistance
The weather to become less harsh so that those who are suffering can recover
Comfort for hopeless and grieving souls

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

Help Disaster Victims Now!

So No Child Goes to Bed Hungry

VIRGINIA – “Sometimes, I just don’t have enough.”

Delionne works as a medical assistant in Virginia. On the weekends, she leads worship at her church, Kingdom Investing Outreach Center. But as a single mother, sometimes her income just wasn’t enough—especially when the cost of food and fuel began to rise. Like so many Americans, food insecurity was a major problem for her.

This single mother of three children found solace at an Operation Blessing distribution center—her own church’s food pantry. “It’s already hard to have to come to a pantry because you don’t have enough,” said Delionne. But, she says, “As soon as you walk through the door, you experience God’s love.”

God showed that love through friends like you! Your care and heart for Delionne and her children gave her plenty of food to get them through the most difficult times. “I love that it’s not expired stuff. This is good stuff,” she said, “that my kids will actually eat!”

Blessing a Single Mother of Three

Addie, the ministry director of the pantry, says that’s exactly why they are there. “If somebody’s hungry, we want to feed them,” she told us. “We are about blessing people because we know that God is drawing people to Him through the food.”

Because of your love and support, the pantry currently serves nearly 200 families each week, almost double the number they served one year ago.

“Times are getting worse, and more and more people are needing food,” said Addie. “We think it’s a little thing, but it’s really not. It’s a big thing when a child doesn’t have to go to bed hungry at night.”

Delionne invites her friends and family to use the food pantry whenever they need to. “I know that when they come in, they’re going to feel good, and I know that they are going to feel the presence of God.” She is thankful for partners like you who make it possible. “Because of your heart, we are able to sustain. And if it wasn’t for your heart, we wouldn’t be able to sustain.”

hunger relief single mother virginia beach

Rushing Critical Aid to Turkey

Help Disaster Victims Now!

Operation Blessing Rushing Critical Aid to Turkey Following Deadly Earthquake

TURKEY (February 7, 2023) – Just one day after a catastrophic earthquake shook Turkey and Syria, the region has descended into chaos and darkness. But there is hope with Operation Blessing’s international disaster response team rushing critical aid to Turkey. Friends like you are a light in the darkness sending portable solar lanterns and other much-needed relief supplies into the fray to help those in desperate need.

And there are many, many people in need right now. With thousands of collapsed buildings in southeastern Turkey, millions are without shelter. Over 5,000 have been reported as dead at this point, but sadly there is no telling how high that number will soar as search and rescue operations continue. Please join us in prayer for the millions of people agonizing over lost and missing loved ones.

Friends Like You are Showing God’s Love

Operation Blessing President Gordon Robertson said, “It is heartbreaking…But Operation Blessing is doing something about it. We are sending an international team there right now to assess and then determine how we get our international centers mobilized just as we did for the Ukrainian refugee crisis, how we get the teams mobilized to do serious work on the ground, to help the refugees, to help those who are now homeless in the middle of winter. We want to be there for them in their time of need, to let them know that God loves them, and we love them too, and we want to be there and help them.”

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

Help Disaster Victims Now!

PRESS RELEASE – Help for Turkey Earthquake Victims!

Operation Blessing Deploys International Disaster Relief Team to Turkey Following Deadly Earthquake

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (February 6, 2023) – Operation Blessing is deploying its International Disaster Relief team to Turkey to aid in the relief efforts following the deadly earthquake.

Diego Traverso, director of International Disaster Relief, is currently en route and is expected to arrive in Turkey this evening. Once on the ground, the team will begin distributing emergency relief supplies including portable solar lanterns, which are invaluable at night in disaster zones when the electricity is out. The Operation Blessing team will meet with local officials shortly to determine the best response in the coming days and weeks.

Traverso most recently led Operation Blessing’s ongoing efforts to help the people of Ukraine. Since last March, Operation Blessing has been providing relief both in that country, and to thousands of refugees that have fled Ukraine and crossed the border into Poland.

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

No Longer On A Dangerous Path

MEXICO – Nine-year-old Brenda once became so sick, she couldn’t even walk. When her mother took her to a clinic to get help, the doctor told them the cause was the dirty water they’d been drinking. Brenda needed someone like you to come along and make a difference in her life.

“It’s hard to be told that’s what’s harming her—and that’s what I’ll continue giving her,” said her mother, Maria. “For me, it was very difficult to have my kids drink that water, but we didn’t have any other.”

When she was a child herself, Maria had to walk down a dangerous path every day to fetch dirty water in Mexico from a nearby river. Then she watched as her own children, including Brenda, had to do the same thing. As a widowed mother with few resources, Maria had no other choice.

The dirty water in Mexico made Brenda and her siblings sick. They missed school, and sometimes even got hurt along the path. But they had no other access to water, and neither did the other 13 families that lived in the remote community of San José el Paraíso, Mexico.

“It had many insects, and it was very dirty because the cows stepped in it,” said Brenda’s 11-year-old sister Elena of their water source. “I had to drink it fast.”

The family and surrounding village were in dire need of help. Brenda and her siblings prayed for a miracle. “We asked God for blessings from the heavens,” said Maria. “We have no resources.”

Now Her Children Do Not Have To Drink Dirty Water In Mexico

And God answered their prayers through generous friends like you. Your love helped provide 13 complete rainwater harvesting systems—one for each family in San José el Paraíso. They also received training and technical support.

Families and children like Brenda in the community no longer have to walk down the dangerous road to collect dirty water in Mexico that can make them sick. They can now drink safe, clean water right at home. Brenda and her family have a new life—thanks to the compassion and care of faithful Operation Blessing supporters.

“I’m happy because now all my family has clean water,” said Elena. “We don’t get sick anymore.” And we have more blessings on the horizon for them, like toilets and showers!

Maria can see a better future for her children now. “Our lives have changed and a lot! Thanks to you, thank you.”

A Full Table Made Possible by You

WORLDWIDE – It’s getting harder to keep food on the table. Around the world, people are feeling the weight of inflation and food supply issues. In many developing nations, famine is even taking lives. But you’re rescuing those who battle hunger and food insecurity worldwide.

Whether it’s providing a garden for a family in Mexico, offering a goat-raising project in Kenya, empowering a small business in Peru, or placing food directly into the hands of the hurting right here in the US, we are addressing food supply issues and fighting hunger together.

You’re entering some of the worst situations in the world and changing lives—lives like Gulmato’s. She and her fellow Kenyans in remote Tubcha village were starving due to a severe drought. They’d lost their livestock and their crops. Parents watched in anguish as their children went to bed hungry. Gulmato said, “All our food was gone, and I don’t know what would have happened to us!” But YOU changed all that, sending enough provisions to feed her family and entire village over several months!

GIVING DAILY BREAD IN UKRAINE

Your love has also found its way to Ukraine, where civilians—everyday citizens like you—are bearing the brunt of Russia’s brutal assault. Millions have fled to neighboring nations for safety. In Poland, you are caring for these refugees as this terrible war drags on. “It’s really depressing being separated from loved ones and leaving my house and livelihood in Ukraine,” said Sergei, one of 3,000 refugees staying at a large refugee center in Poland. Facing such great need, the center reached out to us for help. Because of your faithful support, Operation Blessing quickly responded with truckloads of food, hygiene kits, and cleaning materials.

Some Ukrainians, however, did not flee their homeland. The ongoing battle conditions are leaving many of them hungry as they lose access to basic staples due to constant shelling and danger. With Operation Blessing’s help, a woman named Zhenya and her husband are braving the hazards to run a bakery offering free bread to hurting residents who can hardly find food anywhere.

Faithful friends like you provided the necessary support, supplies, and equipment to make this outreach possible. “Every morning, we visit the cities and villages to find out who needs our help, mostly the elderly,” Zhenya shared. “We deliver bread to people who have nothing—their eyes fill with tears of happiness.”

A HELPING HAND FOR FELLOW AMERICANS

Americans are also struggling to bear up under the tremendous weight of soaring prices and post-pandemic conditions. For many who were already living paycheck to paycheck, they’re no longer treading water—they’re drowning. The devastating effects of inflation force many of us fight hunger in America on a daily basis.

Jen from Michigan understands this all too well. She was a chef before the pandemic, but her career skidded to a halt when restaurants closed their doors. Her husband’s income as a Costco retail worker couldn’t carry the load alone—especially since they were providing for their two granddaughters at the time. So they went to our distribution partner, Buist Community Assistance Center, for help.

And your compassion met them there. Operation Blessing’s partnership with the center provided Jen’s family with all the free food they needed to stay afloat. She said, “It’s pretty amazing to be able fill your car with good food. If you’ve got food, you feel like you still have something. You’ve got comfort.”

Thank you for blessing the hungry with food today and every day!

A Chance To See The World

PHILIPPINES – The joys of having a healthy baby are beyond compare. But what happens when the child has a health problem?

Rachel knows. Just days after her son’s birth in 2020, Rachel was feeding Jevon when she noticed something odd. His eyes appeared to have white spots on them. She said, “He didn’t respond when we waved our hands in front of his eyes.” But there was no way to do anything about it during the pandemic.

Eventually, when the Philippines eased travel restrictions, the family had Jevon’s eyes checked. The ophthalmologist knew right away that their precious boy had cataracts in both eyes. “I was worried when I found out about his condition— we did not know if there was a cure or if his eyes could still have a chance to see,” Rachel said. “I felt fear for my son.

How could he live a normal life without seeing?”

cataract surgery for a child in the philippines

Cataract Surgery In The Philippines

Jevon’s father lost his job around the same time they got the news, and though he found some work in construction, it barely covered their daily needs. Then they were told how much the cataract surgery in the Philippines to help Jevon was going to cost—around five years of wages. What could they do?

Then YOU saved them from their painful situation. You sent your love across the world, and your generosity paid for Jevon’s cataract surgery. Only a week after the successful operation, Rachel reported to us that Jevon was trying to walk!

Now, when Jevon’s parents hold out their hands to their baby, he reaches back for them— all because you cared! Can you imagine how their hearts soared the first time that happened? Rachel said, “I appreciate your great help to my child, Jevon.

He was given the chance to see the world, to see us and have a chance to live a normal life. It’s OK if he needs to wear glasses.”

She is grateful. “Thank you to everyone who helped us. If not for them, my son would not be able to see. I pray that God will give them long lives to be able to help more children like my son, to give light to other people’s lives, too.”