PHILIPPINES- While struggling through the pandemic, Danny’s family lost their place to stay after a devastating typhoon in the Philippines. Danny and his family were living in a domocile that was not thier own. The owner of the property allowed them to stay there in exchange for their care of the land. That all changed when a powerful storm destroyed their home.
What makes this more tragic is it was another devastating typhoon in the Philippines that destroyed their original home, the one where they lived before the current home. Now they are homeless again.
A New Home After A Devastating Typhoon In The Philippines
The same weather event forced single mother Susan to leave the place her family had found refuge as well. Both Danny and Susan struggled to find the resources required to build a new home.
Operation Blessing heard of their struggles, and thanks to friends like you, built these families new homes in our Community of Hope. This community was developed by Operation Blessing after the destructive typhoon displaced several families.
Along with eight other families who have new homes, Danny and Susan no longer have to worry about where their families will live.
They have been given a new start and can focus on the future. This would not be possible without the support and prayers of friends like you!
FLORIDA – In the darkest hours, God can shine an unexpected light. And for one family in Florida, that life-sustaining beam was from, in fact, a lighthouse.
When it looked as though their lives were falling apart, Matthew and Jennifer received help and hope from supporters like you—through the hands of our food distribution partner, Lighthouse Gospel Mission. Lighthouse Gospel Mission blesses people’s lives by providing hunger relief in Florida and help to people battling food insecurity.
Matthew was no stranger to hard times. He described being homeless and without a car before meeting Jennifer. He had also struggled as an addict before finding freedom through Lighthouse’s Faith Home, an 18-month residential Christian discipleship program. There, he discovered hope in Christ and began to move toward holistic health.
When he and Jennifer got married, they had such hope for the future. They both loved big families. Although they had older children from past relationships, they also dreamed of having children together. Matthew was doing his best with a full-time job that he was thankful to find after completing rehabilitation, and Jennifer worked at a home improvement store. Even so, it was a struggle to support their family. Jennifer shared, “We needed every dollar and then some.”
Not long after getting married they got wonderful news—they were expecting a child! Soon, however, Jennifer realized something wasn’t right. Upon visiting the doctor, she learned that her pregnancy was in jeopardy. Jennifer ended up losing her unborn child and needing emergency surgery. This also resulted in her missing a month of work.
Partnering To Provide Hunger Relief In Florida
What was supposed to be the honeymoon period of their marriage had become a nightmare. Jennifer struggled psychologically, and Matthew was burdened with being the man who was supposed to provide— yet couldn’t do enough to take care of those he loved.
They asked their pastor for help with the necessities they simply couldn’t afford, and the minister’s answer changed the whole picture: “Whatever you need.” He told them about Lighthouse’s partnership with Operation Blessing, through which the kindness of faithful donors like you helps provide close to 30,000 pounds of wholesome food and basic hygiene products in their area every month.
Matthew told us how they felt when they first received this assistance. “There was not a need or a want for anything,” he said. “We filled up our pantries and cabinets.” The whole experience was such a blessing for Matthew’s family. And to top it all off, since that tough time God has blessed them with two beautiful daughters: Aubrey and Eleanor!
Today the family is in a better place, thanks to friends like you. Thinking back on their lives during that period, Matthew positively gushed with gratitude. “It was amazing to know other people are there for you through Operation Blessing and the boatloads of food,” he said, “and hygienic stuff we really did need. And we didn’t have to ask.”
Thank you for blessing families in need in the U.S. and around the world!
MEXICO – Ena loves taking care of people—especially her neighbors—and meeting their healthcare needs. But the lone medical clinic in the small community Xpanhatoro, Mexico, remained empty. For 13 years, Ena had proudly served as a health assistant. But then a few years ago, she needed to step down, and soon afterward the program closed completely.
“There are no healthcare assistants in any community now,” Ena explained. “And there are no medics in our clinic because there is no money to pay them.”
Healthcare was no longer available for farmers who had accidents or for Ena’s neighbors with high blood pressure or diabetes. The community was simply too remote to access outside help in an emergency. The community was in desperate need of healthcare training in Mexico.
Healthcare Training Program In Mexico
Ena wanted to do something to assist her neighbors. “I had been considering saving money to buy the devices we need in the community.” When Operation Blessing began a food security program there last summer, Ena learned of a potential solution. “When I heard about OB’s Community Health Volunteers, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get back to my passion.”
Thanks to generous friends like you, Ena and others in Xpanhatoro were able to get the training they needed to serve their community through a series of first-aid workshops. You also supplied the community with a health kit that’s complete with a blood pressure monitor, a blood glucose monitor, and basic first-aid supplies. Ena completed her training in March and couldn’t contain her smile. “We’re very thankful that OB gave us the tools to take care of ourselves,” she said. “Health is so important to me. Without it, we can’t do what we love: enjoying life and family.”
Thank you for partnering with Operation Blessing to provide healthcare training in Mexico and bring medical care to those who need it most.
UNITED STATES – Shelby and LeGrand were surprised and happy when they found out they were having twins. Like so many generations before them starting a family was a source of joy. Also like other generations before them, there are challenges that come with the responsibility of parenthood.
The harsh reality of paying for groceries and baby supplies began to weigh heavily on them. With only one income, the young couple feared they would not be able to feed their children. Due to expenses and the cost of living it is hard enough for a single person to start out in the world. For a young couple with small children, the challenge can seem insurmountable.
Hunger Relief For A Young Couple
Thanks to the generous gifts of friends like you, Operation Blessing was able to provide hunger relief for this young couple. Through the generous support of our partners we were able to provide them with the essential groceries and baby supplies they needed.
When you give, families like theirs are cared for until they’re back on their feet. By providing hunger relief for a young couple, you help them, and their children, get a good start as they build their lives together.
CAMBODIA- Before baby Srey was born, the doctors told her mother she had a cleft lip. The news was devastating to Srey’s mother and father. One minute they were jubilant over the upcoming birth of their child. The next, thoughts of a future in which their newborn would need to have cleft lip surgery in Cambodia brought them crashing back down. The shock of what they had learned from the doctors must have been overwhelming. Then things became even more complicated for Srey’s parents.
Cleft Lip Surgery And Covid
As if the prospect of your beloved newborn needing surgery was not enough, a new threat struck. Three months after she was born, the pandemic hit and shut down travel. But nothing was going to stop this blessing. When Operation Blessing heard about baby Srey, they arranged for her to receive free surgery at a hospital in the capital city, as well as free transportation to get her family there.
After surgery things are very different for Srey. Now Srey does not struggle to feed, and she laughs and smiles freely!
Life-changing surgeries like this miraculous cleft lip surgery in Cambodia are only possible because you choose to give and make a difference.
FLORIDA- The devastating wind and flooding brought on by Hurricane Ian put many families in terrible danger. Port Charlotte resident Aerielle Dipiazza recounted her experience during the storm. Now disaster relief for Hurricane Ian is critical as Aerielle and her family start the long path to recovery.
“We all thought we were going to die. Water was coming in—sewage water at first and then surge water.” She continued, “It was really traumatic for myself, the kids, my husband, and the animals.”
Once the storm passed, mold and water damage left the home uninhabitable.
Aerielle said, “My reaction to everything was that I definitely needed some spiritual intervention. And I just kept praying. And lo and behold, a beautiful community did come around me.”
Operation Blessing Disaster Relief after Hurricane Ian
In the aftermath of the storm, an Operation Blessing disaster relief team visited Aerielle’s home to help remove soiled furniture, clean up water damage, and help them get their home and their lives back on track.
She said, “Operation Blessing has been just incredible with being able to help us understand what has to be removed, helping us do what we need to do to remove everything, helping us get a lot of the damage gone, and essentially being able to fix what needs to be fixed.”
Thanks to the generosity of our partners, families like Aerielle’s can begin to take their first steps toward recovery.
Aerielle expressed, “For us, my family, this has brought us even closer to the Lord and really made us realize what’s important in our life.”
With the support of friends like you, more families like Aerielle’s can have hope for the future.
“We absolutely would love to thank all of you who have donated, for being able to help myself and my family at this really challenging time,” she said. “And we appreciate you all so much. Thank you.”
KENYA – Mercy trudged along the path, exhausted. Water sloshed atop her head in a heavy container, but the sound caused her as much distress as relief. Her back hurt, her feet throbbed, and her neck had become as stiff as a board from the weight of the full water jug. She still had over an hour to walk, but her babies needed water. Without a community water system in Kenya, Mercy endured this strenuous trek often.
Mercy and her boys live in a remote village of Kenya where clean water access has only ever been a dream and water contamination problems were a common occurrence. Every single day she had to make the exhausting, three-hour round-trip trek at least once to the only water source nearby, or her family would not survive long. They needed water for drinking, for cooking, for laundry, and for bathing—as did everyone else in her community.
The water she did gather was terribly contaminated. She watched, helpless and heartbroken, as her children suffered from rashes and from dangerous illnesses such as cholera and typhoid fever. The doctor had already explained that their water source was causing these illnesses, but there was nothing she could do to change that. So, Mercy prayed. She sought mercy from the God of mercy.
A Community Water System In Kenya To End Water Contamination Problems
And her prayers were answered—through friends like you! Because compassionate partners cared about those in need around the world, Operation Blessing went to Mercy’s village to solve their water contamination problems. Teams installed a deep, solar-powered well as part of a community water system in Kenya that would sustain not only Mercy’s family but also the entire community for the long haul.
And the best part was, it was right near Mercy’s home. No more long treks just to get the most basic of necessities. Now, Mercy says, “I have more time to run my small business, and I even serve as a Community Health Volunteer.” Mercy shared how this changed her family’s life. “God answered my prayers. With the water so near my house, I can get as much as I need. I can drink and cook with it without any problems.”
She also offered her heart felt gratitude to generous supporters like you. “Thank you, Operation Blessing, for bringing us good, safe water, and may God bless you.”
WORLDWIDE – All over the world, families are feeling the weight of inflation. They’re finding it harder to keep food on the table and fight hunger. It’s becoming more and more difficult to stay afloat when expenses like gas, diapers, and medical bills seem to overtake the budget. And with supply chain issues still affecting stores worldwide, grocery prices are soaring as well. For many families, it can feel impossible to stay afloat.
Partner With Us to Fight Hunger and Food Insecurity
But Operation Blessing friends like you are tackling this problem every day! Your loving support is fighting hunger and food insecurity all over the world. Whether it’s supplying food to Ukrainian refugees in Poland, providing a garden for a family in Mexico, conducting a poultry project in Kenya, empowering a small business in Peru, or placing food directly into the hands of the hurting, unemployed, elderly, or disaster-stricken right here in the U.S., you are fighting hunger.
Here at Operation Blessing, we’ve seen firsthand just how much of a difference we can make by rallying together behind our neighbors in need. Every gift, no matter how small, makes a difference! Will you give to bless the hungry, hurting, and desperate today?
Together, we can help families stay afloat by providing food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, medicine for the sick, and relief for those affected by disaster! Click here to make your gift today.
UKRAINE – Meanwhile, in far-off Eastern Europe, your heart to help in Ukraine has also come through for victims of war and displaced families like Yana’s. Yana was working in her garden in Kherson when her daughter came running and pointing in horror. About 20 Russian soldiers had broken into their home like thieves.
“In an instant, my house was filled with chaos, terror, and a huge number of evil soldiers,” Yana said. They were looking for her husband, who served in the Ukrainian armed forces. Taking them into separate rooms, the soldiers interrogated Yana, her 14-year-old daughter, and even her 4-year-old son!
When Yana tried to stand up to protect her children, the soldiers threatened her life, but she didn’t retreat. “What kind of soldier are you after attacking a woman with children with your machine gun?” she challenged. “Where is your honor as an officer?” To her shock, the soldiers backed down.
She could only credit a miracle of God for her family’s safety. Yana and her children immediately fled their hometown.
Help In Ukraine After A Terrifying Ordeal
After an equally terrifying and dangerous journey, they finally arrived at the Lviv Theological Seminary in the eastern part of the country where they took refuge. There, they were received as family and given all the food and supplies they needed to survive because of your heart to help the hurting.
“Without this vital support we would not be able to provide for ourselves and would be destitute like many unfortunate refugees,” Yana said gratefully with tears in her eyes. “It is very important to have a washing machine, a hair dryer, a blender, and a coffee maker at hand. It really comforts a little and gives a minimal feeling of home and helps us to hope for the best.”
HONDURAS – The day baby Luis was born, his mother saw his clubfoot condition and feared he might never walk.
A single mother and seamstress, she spent the last of her savings to take Luis to a specialist. When she learned the cost of the surgery, she realized there was no way she could afford it.
But that’s when friends like you stepped up to help! Because of the generosity of friends like you, Operation Blessing took care of the complete treatment and minor surgery for baby Luis and his clubfoot condition.
Just three months later, we found Luis well on his way to complete recovery. When the time comes, baby Luis will be walking as he should.
When you partner with Operation Blessing, you change lives.
