UKRAINE – As the dangerous conflict continues, more and more families from Ukraine are crossing the border into Poland every day. Each day, trains, buses, and cars line the road into Poland, filled with frightened passengers.
Mothers, children, and the elderly are traveling by the dozens in the cold and wet, some with no idea where they are going. The stories are heartbreaking, the images, staggering. Many of these families left their homeland with minimal belongings and almost no helpful supplies for traveling.
They are filled with fear and sadness as they escape the danger near homes they knew. Operation Blessing is able to greet these refugee families with a warm welcome and encouragement. Through partnering with local churches and communities, Operation Blessing teams are able to meet the immediate needs of refugees as well. For the past few weeks, Operation Blessing teams have been on the ground in Poland helping in any way possible.
You Make a Difference for Families from Ukraine!
Thanks to the generosity of friends like you, Operation Blessing has built a welcome tent for refugees to rest, charge phones, and have a warm meal. You ensured that these families have the critical supplies that will assist them in the next step of their journey.
“I am in deep pain,” said Ermalyn, a typhoon victim in the Philippines. Not long ago, Super Typhoon Rai ravaged the Philippine islands. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless and deeply affected by the storm. The torrential rains and heavy winds flattened houses and destroyed local businesses.
Ermalyn, her husband Milandro, and their children survived this nightmare storm only by fleeing to shelter on safer ground. “I feel helpless,” Milandro said. “I earn from selling coconuts, but all the trees were wiped out. We lost our home. We don’t have food.” Their story echoes those of so many Filipinos affected by Typhoon Rai.
Typhoon Victims In The Philippines
But thanks to faithful partners like you, both here at home and in the Philippines, Operation Blessing reached out to bless thousands of typhoon victims in the Philippines who were in desperate need. Your support made it possible for our team on the ground to jump into action.
Operation Blessing staff partnered with the Philippine military and local governments to bring critical relief supplies to victims in various towns and cities. They traveled throughout the island provinces by land, sea and air to make this effort possible!
“Thank you for the rice and canned goods,” said Ermalyn. “This is really a big help because my husband does not have work, and our children need food.”
The chief of their village reported that this was the first assistance people in their area had received since the typhoon struck. In addition to providing these life-saving supplies, Operation Blessing staff also encouraged victims through their kindness and prayers.
Jennifer, another victim left homeless and living in a tent along the road, said, “I just want for my family to be more comfortable, especially during the cold nights.” She was so happy when she received food, sleeping mats, and warm blankets to help them through this ordeal.
As time passed, with your support we also sent longer-term relief, such as generators and clean water stations, to communities that were left with very limited access to electricity and drinking water. Because you care, we continued to stand by the people of the Philippines throughout their difficult times.
Thank you for reaching out to bless disaster victims in dire need in the Philippines and around the globe. You have been a source of help and hope to so many.
UKRAINE – Operation Blessing sat down with Yana, a mother of two who fled the violence in her home in Ukraine. Yana, like so many other Ukrainian refugee mothers, was forced to flee her home in the Ukraine for the safety of her family. She is now one of many refugee families entering Poland. One thing that is very clear from her account is that the situation in her home area became very dangerous very quickly. Even as she and her children fled to Poland, her harrowing journey was a constant and chilling reminder as to why she had to leave the Ukraine so rapidly.
Danger During Yana’s Escape From Ukraine
Yana and her family had already heard weapons being fire in her village. She knew that Russian soldiers were very close and that aggression had come to the place she and her children called home.
Even in their escape there were tell tale signs of the deteriorating situation around them. Yana could see projectiles moving around here and her family. Yana summed up her feelings in one simple comment. “I was afraid for my kids. That’s why I left.”
“I was afraid for my kids. That’s why I left” -Yana Andreeva
Comfort For Ukrainian Families Entering Poland
Because of friends like you, Operation Blessing is able to meet many families like Yana’s at the Polish border to offer aid, supplies, food, and a place to rest. As we meet refugee families entering Poland, we hear many stories like Yana’s. We also hear how grateful they are that people care about their plight. Even something as simple as a warm cup of coffee or time for the families to relax means so much to them. Thank you for helping us greet these tired families with peace and comfort, to give them a warm welcome and remind them how much you care about them. To make a gift and support crisis victims in Ukraine and beyond, visit www.ob.org/crisis
PERU – For a mother named Evangelina from the small community of Pistuni in Peru, living with little or no access to clean water was a constant struggle. Home to fewer than 100 people, Pistuni lies over three hours away from the nearest city. Many residents make a living here by raising and selling cattle.
Water is vital to the residents’ basic survival and to their continued livelihoods. They need it for drinking, for their livestock, for hygiene, and for washing dishes. However, Pistuni’s remote location means families here have limited access to water. For residents like Evangelina and her family, the journey to gather and bring back the water from distant mountain springs for their everyday needs was a hard one. And it often ended in disappointment.
No Access To Clean Water
“Here we have no water. We have to fetch water… a donkey carries it. And sometimes the donkey drags the containers and then they break, and we run out of water,” Evangelina explained to Operation Blessing staff. “We’ve already lived more than 24 years without water.”
During certain months, rainwater accumulates and forms a pool closer to home. This also provides a water source for the villagers. But this water is exposed to the elements and pollution for long periods, which presents a potential risk for Evangelina and her family.
Her 7-year-olddaughter, Nely, described the water. “It’s dirty and smells. The color’s like cocoa.” Sadly, the possible health complications from drinking the poor-quality water became all too real when Nely became sick with a stomach infection—a common occurrence in Pistuni.
“I had to take her … carrying her on my back,”Evangelina recalled the day she sought treatment for her daughter. “I was very worried and thought that maybe my daughter would die.”
Making matters worse, residents also had no access to proper bathrooms, which made waste management another issue that put the villagers’ health at risk. But thanks to the generosity of Operation Blessing donors, who worked together through a crowd-funding endeavor, help was on the way.
Hope Of Clean Water On The Horizon
More than 90 people donated to bring clean water to this struggling community! Our team soon arrived with a project that would benefit all the families of Pistuni, including Evangelina’s. Because of the kindness of friends like you, a new sanitation system was built. And it even included bathrooms.
Using a series of pipes, the staff worked to connect the community with a water source nearly two miles away. The water is gathered in a reservoir, where it is treated and chlorinated. Through this system, safe and clean drinking water reaches the 17 homes in Pistuni.
Additionally, Pistuni residents participated in workshops on the maintenance of the bathroom and water systems. They learned the importance of handwashing and personal hygiene. Now, families know how to take care of themselves and their new systems.
Thank you for providing water to this struggling community. Now that they’re refreshed with a sustainable source of clean water, Evangelina and the entire village have a new sense of joy.
“Now I’m happy, happy, happy because I have water! I’m no longer sad.”
UKRAINE – Some of the most somber accounts of life in war-torn Ukraine come from the woman and children who experienced the onslaught of an unprovoked invasion. As these woman and children flee their beloved homes from Ukrainian towns like Kyiv and Kharkiv, Operation Blessing is there to help victims of the Ukraine refugee crisis.
As we meet them at the Polish border north of Ukraine, our goal is to comfort them after their harrowing and stressful journeys. Many sit down and talk with us as they arrive. Their voices are filled with trepidation and sadness as they describe the tragic circumstances that forced them to leave their homeland for such an uncertain future. Ksenia is one of those stories.
Ksenia is a mother from the Ukraine who originally did not see the need to leave the country. As the reality of war set in, that attitude quickly changed. A shell hit the street she lived on. This would not be the end of the danger she or her children would face.
Two utility poles fell, likely from structural problems caused by shelling or other military activity. This resulted in a blackout situation for her and her family with no electricity or communication. It created a terrifying predicament as the once peaceful landscape around them degenerated into chaos. Sadly, things would only get worse.
Homes nearby were soon on fire. Streets her children could easily have been walking or playing on with their friends were attacked. Then a shell hit the home next to them. War was becoming a way of life.
These were not just images on television or warnings read over the internet. This was the sound of bombs smashing into brick, stone, and mortar. Vibrations of explosions shaking the floor under them. Sounds they came to dread as they waited and prayed that the whistling in the air would not be the last thing they heard.
Any doubt about how deadly the situation had become was now erased in Ksenia’s mind. She and her children were in mortal danger. The young Ukrainian mother would have to do what any mother in the world would do. She had to flee.
Going Into The Unknown
Now she had to make a long uncertain journey with her children to Poland. A country she knew little about. A strange place with a language she does not speak. Her only options were take a risk into the unknown or stay in a city that was being shelled. Terrifying choices for anyone. Where would she go? What was waiting for her in Poland? How would she comfort her children when they asked her what was happening?
But Kindness and Compassion Were Waiting For Them…Not Fear
Operation Blessing, supported by the outpouring of love from so many friends like you, is there to welcome woman like Ksenia when they arrive in Poland. A team from Operation Blessing works daily to comfort the many victims of the Ukraine refugee crisis. They provide food, supplies, and comfort. Their message to the Ukrainian refugees is very clear. You are not forgotten. Thousands of people care for you and your children.
Ksenia’s Reaction
Ksenia is very grateful that so many have partnered with Operation Blessing to help foster a sense of safety and peace. She is grateful for the love and support. She sums up the sentiment beautifully with this comment:
I didn’t expect that the whole world is praying for Ukraine, everyone cares about us, we are also praying.
-Ksenia, a young mother and refugee from Ukraine
You Are The Hands And Feet That Can Answer Prayer
For those who have given, we at Operation Blessing are so grateful. Your faithfulness is inspiring. For the staff and volunteers in Poland and the Ukraine, our prayers go with you. Thank you for your contributions and your endless support. As the spirit moves you please continue your commitment to support mothers like Ksenia and her family through this terrible situation.
HONDURAS – One of the best gifts that any of us can ever give to people who are poor and struggling is the chance to get ahead in life through their own hard work. For many, a simple opportunity by way of education, training, or owning a small business can set them on a better path—and even bless generations to come.
Women like Olga in Honduras especially need a chance to get ahead. For many here, their educations end in the sixth grade. Lack of resources, education and skills leave these women vulnerable to exploitation, violence, gang recruitment, and abuse.
However, Operation Blessing friends like you are sending amazing opportunities through cosmetology training in Honduras, which is helping Honduran teens and adult women break out of these cycles of poverty and violence. The program, titled Canela y Miel (“Cinnamon and Honey”), brings to mind a promised land full of provision and abundance. For many of these women, it provides just that.
Olga and the other students at Canela Y Miel received training in various facets of hair styling, makeup application, skin care, and more. They also had the opportunity to take workshops to help them thrive in their new careers, such as business management, financial management, and professionalism.
Following their initial cosmetology training in Honduras, the students were placed in internships to refine and improve their skills. Through the program they gained ample experience, confidence, and demonstrable expertise. Some will find ongoing employment through their internships, while others will open small shops in their homes. They also have the option of working part-time, allowing them to pay for continued educational opportunities.
Recently, Olga’s class graduated into their promising new futures, and another group of young women took their place. We’re so happy for Olga, her classmates, and all they’ve accomplished! We look forward to hearing many wonderful reports.
We’re so grateful for friends like you who are making this sort of amazing difference around the world through partnership with Operation Blessing.
Operation Blessing had the opportunity to sit down with two Ukrainian mothers fleeing the war with their children. The two Ukraine refugee mothers told of their hardships in coming to Poland, and expressed their deep desire for peace to be restored to their country.
Our caring staff was there to comfort these woman, who had to unwillingly leave their homeland in the Ukraine. Uprooted from their homes, jobs, and lives, they relayed the shock they felt at the brutality and danger they faced while traveling to Poland.
One Ukrainian refugee mother talks of the dimly lit and crowded train she rode to get to Poland. The train was filled with young mothers and infants, as the danger of the invasion was playing out all around them. It came to a halt several times due to explosions near the tracks, which put the lives of mothers, children, and infants in mortal danger. A resounding reminder of why they had to flee as soon as they could.
The women talk about the violence they faced back in the Ukraine. Regular shelling was a constant reminder of their perilous situation. Naturally no one wanted to leave their home, but you cannot stay in a place that is under the constant threat of bombing or shelling. Now they find themselves in a foreign land. Their husbands, brothers, and sons all left behind in the Ukraine to fight for the freedom of the nation.
Providing Help For Ukrainian Refugee Families
Once in Poland, Operation Blessing provided a warm place of respite for the families to regroup before the next phase of their journey. Thanks to your generous support, we are distributing essential supplies, warm food, and hot drinks to families in need. We are even playing with children and providing toys to cheer them as their mothers rest and recuperate in warm beds. To learn more about how you can give aid to families in crisis, visit ob.org/crisis.
MICHIGAN – Lois, an elderly widow in Michigan, has experienced much heartache in her life. Nearly a decade ago, she suffered an unspeakable tragedy when her adult son, David, passed away from cancer. Two weeks later, she also lost her husband, Orville, to a heart condition after 49 years of marriage.
Despite her losses, Lois chooses to stay as optimistic as possible. Still, living on her own, sometimes her finances are tight. Over the years she has had several jobs, including work at a factory and at a retail store, but now she survives on a small, fixed income. “There are a lot of things I don’t buy because I just can’t afford to get them,” she said.
But thanks to you and to Operation Blessing distribution partner Buist Community Assistance Center (CAC), she is able to put food on the table every day. “It helps a lot because there are times when I open the refrigerator and I go, ‘Oh, there’s nothing there!’”
Food for an Elderly Widow
Lois is so thankful to be able to fill up her pantry with items you help provide. “I use a lot of soup, so I like that. And cereal, because I run out of cereal.” She shared with Operation Blessing staff that her finances can get especially tight toward the end of the month, but the support she receives from Operation Blessing and Buist CAC helps make up the difference until she receives her next check. This support is essential against against food insecurity, a plight many Americans face.
Without the assistance you send, Lois is not sure how she would survive. “I don’t know what I would do. Sometimes things come up that you don’t expect, and I come over here and they help me out. I’m just thankful that you’re here to help everybody. It’s a blessing that … if you’re down and out, you’ve got people that can help you.”
Thank you for your heart to provide food for an elderly widow in need. Your kindness blesses the hurting in the U.S. and around the world with the hunger relief they need to keep going in times of struggle. Friends like you make it possible to share the love of God by being the hands and feet of Jesus to those most in need.
POLAND – Can you imagine what it must feel like to flee a war-zone with your 3 small children? What if you had to do that while being 8 months pregnant? For Olena and her 3 kids, this nightmare was a reality.
Olena was forced to flee her home in Ukraine. When she looked out her window one morning and saw bombs flying through the sky, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “It’s one thing to hear about this,” Olena said, “another thing when you see it with your own eyes.” As a protective mother, she decided the only way to keep her children safe was to leave the country.
“It’s one thing to hear about this, another thing when you see it with your own eyes.”
Ukraine Refugees Escape To Poland
As soon as Olena was able, she boarded a train and arrived safely in Poland. Once there, she was greeted by local churches and a team from Operation Blessing.
Thanks to the support of friends like you, Operation Blessing is partnering with local churches to help families seeking shelter in Poland. With your support, Operation Blessing is providing critical supplies like hygiene kits, water filtration devices, and solar lamps to refugees. Thanks to your support, these families will have the comfort they need during those critical moments after arriving in Poland.
To come alongside Operation Blessing as we continue to provide aid and comfort to Ukrainian families, go to https://www.ob.org/obcrisis.
INDONESIA – For seven years, Solihati suffered with a cataract in her right eye that made it hard for the 13-year-old to see the world clearly. As time passed, she was only able to recognize light and small movements in her right eye.
Because of her appearance, Solihati was mocked by the people around her. The unhappy child would cry every night because of her “white eye” and because people said she was cursed.
Solihati lives with her parents and siblings in a poor area of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. With her poor vision, she would need surgery to remove the cataract and regain her sight, but her parents work by finding items to sell from the city dump— earning very little money. They were unable to afford the cost of the surgery needed to restore Solihati’s eye.
As the family had no means to help young Solihati, Operation Blessing partners stepped in to bring hope when it was needed most. Through the use of a crowdfunding campaign as part of Operation Blessing’s Life-Changing Surgeries program, over 20 friends just like you answered the heartfelt prayer of this young girl. In just under two weeks, donors raised the $2,009 needed for Solihati to have this healing procedure.
New Sight In Indonesia for Solihati
Because of friends like you, doctors successfully completed the surgery to remove the cataract from Solihati’s right eye, and she is now on her way to growing healthy and strong! Thank you for giving her the priceless gift of new sight in Indonesia.
For over 40 years, your love shown through Operation Blessing has touched countless lives in the U.S. and around the world. You make it possible to share the love of God with the poor and hurting. Thank you for the kindness and compassion you’ve shown to people like Solihati and her family!
You can check out our current crowdfunding surgery catalog at ob.org/surgeries
