Friends Like You Gave Durga A Reason To Smile

INDIA – A few years ago, Durga began experiencing severe pain in her jaw. Thinking it was a toothache, her parents took her to a local dentist in India who pulled a few of her teeth. But the pain did not subside. Instead of a bad tooth, Durga had a tumor growing rapidly in her jawbone.

Next, her parents took her to a government hospital in a nearby city, but the doctors were unable to help. She needed tumor surgery—surgery her parents simply could not afford.

As day laborers, they often were unable to find work. When they did, they barely earned enough to meet their most basic needs, like putting food on the table. The swelling in Durga’s jaw worsened every day until her entire jawbone became deformed. She could no longer talk or even eat properly, but she continued to help her mother prepare the meals for their family.

The Miracle Of Tumor Surgery In India

Durga kept her face covered with a cloth. “I’ve lost all my hope. My life has become more and more troublesome,” she said. “People look at me with scared eyes. Many times, I cannot ignore them.”

Within a few months, the tumor more than doubled in size. The prognosis was grim. Without surgery, she could die. Then friends like you came to Durga’s rescue and provided the support she needed to become whole again! Over the next year, she underwent a series of life- changing surgeries to remove the tumor and rebuild her jawbone.

Today, Durga smiles. She no longer hides her face in shame. She has been given a new life thanks to supporters like you!

“Despite all the sad times I have been through, I am alive,” said Durga, as she reflected on all the challenges she had to overcome. “I work. I drive. I travel. I help in doing all the household work.”

She’s so grateful for tumor surgery. Her beautiful smile says it all!

Don’t Give Up. You’re Saving Ukrainian Lives!

POLAND – Operation Blessing met Ukrainian mother of two, Oksana, who had fled to Poland from the violence in her home country. Operation Blessing has continually provided aid to support Ukrainian mothers.

“Russian planes and helicopters and rockets flew over our home. It was very scary. The house shook, and a shell exploded on a street nearby,” she said.

Panic-stricken and unsure of what awaited them, Oksana and her daughter fled to Poland to save their lives. Her husband stayed behind to fight for Ukraine.

Oksana remembered, “We packed what we could because you can’t put your whole life in a car, and we left. We were afraid because deadly missiles were flying all around.”

When Oksana arrived in Warsaw, she connected with a local church that partners with Operation Blessing.

You Support Ukrainian Mothers

Oksana shared, “Organizations like this are needed, because you help moms like me, and our children survive here while our husbands defend our country.” She continued, “If we didn’t have your help, we would be alone.”

At an event hosted by Operation Blessing, families each received a box of food to help with their daily needs. Operation Blessing also ministered to children through fun activities.

“Sometimes we think, ‘how can we be happy or celebrate?’ But our children’s lives go on,” she said. “So, thanks to you and activities like these, you’re creating a fun childhood for our kids in the midst of chaos.”

As the war rages on, Ukrainian refugee families are still in need of daily necessities. Thanks to the continued help of our partners, families like Oksana’s have what they need to face whatever comes next.

Oksana expressed, “Please don’t give up helping, because it’s literally saving our lives. Thank you for helping us.” Your compassion is making the difference in this war as we serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in Ukraine and neighboring Poland.

Be Someone’s Miracle This Giving Tuesday!

WORLDWIDE – Join Operation Blessing in becoming someone’s miracle this Giving Tuesday! On Tuesday, November 29th, you can come alongside Operation Blessing as we seek to break the cycle of suffering all over the world.

Gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar from now until November 29th—up to $50,000!

Your support provides miracles to countless families through initiatives including: aiding displaced Ukrainian families, installing water systems in Mexico, providing life-changing surgeries in India, and helping victims of Hurricane Ian in Florida. Visit ob.org/givingtuesday to make your Giving Tuesday gift today!

Be Someone’s Miracle

Be Someone’s Miracle This Giving Tuesday in Ukraine and Beyond

The world has watched in horror as Russia has invaded cities and destroyed homes throughout Ukraine. Millions of people have fled in terror to Poland and other areas of eastern Europe. Yet, many Ukrainians find themselves trapped in their home country, struggling to survive amidst artillery fire. Life for all Ukrainian citizens has been disrupted with no end in sight to the conflict. But you can help them through this difficult time.

Be someone’s miracle this Giving Tuesday by making a decision to support hurting families around the world. Your support will help put food on the table for hungry mothers and children. Your kindness can bring supplies to families who must celebrate Christmas trapped in basements and other shelters that give respite from terrifying explosions. From Ukraine to Kenya to your own backyard, your gift can make the difference! Thank you!

Give Today!

Meet Danny and Susan: New Residents of the Community of Hope

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!

A Lighthouse On The Horizon

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!

The Gift Of Health

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.

Hunger Relief: Meet Shelby and LeGrand

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.

Meet Srey Kouch: Cleft Lip Surgery

cleft lips surgery in cambodia for child

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.

Relief for Traumatized Family in Florida

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.”

Visit ob.org/obdisaster to help victims of disaster now.

To volunteer with Operation Blessing as a disaster relief worker in Florida, visit ob.org/volunteer.

Prayers Answered With A Community Water System In Kenya

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.

protection-from-contaminated-water-in-kenya

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.”