PHILIPPINES – Super Typhoon Rai has devastated parts of the Philippines. Tens of thousands of people have been deeply affected by the storm. The torrential rains and heavy winds tore homes to the ground, and destroyed local businesses.
Ermalyn and Milandro, victims of the storm, were thankfully unharmed. But their house was destroyed. Milandro supports the family by selling coconuts, but the storm wiped out all the coconut trees. The couple had nowhere to turn. Their story is similar to that of the thousands of people affected by Typhoon Rai.
But thanks to you, help came to those in desperate need in the Philippines! Your support made it possible for Operation Blessing to jump into action. Operation Blessing staff partnered with local government to bring critical relief items to victims of the storm. Food, sleeping mats, and blankets were distributed to survivors. “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 survivors of Super Typhoon Rai are still in desperate need of help. To get involved bringing relief to those affected by disaster, visit ob.org/obdisaster.
HONDURAS – As a farm worker in Honduras, Melbin earned a living toiling in the sun day in and day out. But for the past 3 years, a life-altering tumor has been growing on his jaw and has prevented him from keeping a stable job.
Sadly, Melbin suffered from discrimination due to this large, benign tumor. “People say, ‘what happened to you? Why is your face swollen?'” Melbin told Operation Blessing staff.
Melbin and his wife have been living with his parents. The hardworking young man took whatever job he could find to support his family. But the work took a toll on his health. One day, the hot sun and hard work caused the tumor to start bleeding – from inside his mouth. Melbin’s foreman told him to leave. “I felt terrible. I couldn’t do anything!” Melbin said tearfully.
Tumor Patient In Honduras
Melbin’s father paid for him to receive a medical examination, which revealed that he would need surgery to remove the tumor. But the surgery was far too expensive. Thankfully, that’s where people like you stepped in! Operation Blessing heard of Melbin’s case, and your support provided the he needed. In Melbin’s case, the surgeons removed the tumor and part of his jaw.
Then, the generosity of faithful friends like you made it possible for a 3D-printed prosthetic bone to be cast and inserted into Melbin’s mouth. “I thank God and all of the donors for helping me. I am grateful because they have changed my life!” Melbin said.
Your love provided Life-Changing Surgeries for a tumor patient in Honduras and many others like him all over the world! Thank you.
INDIA – Dulari was peacefully cooking a meal for her family when suddenly, her life turned upside down. The unthinkable happened. In a freak accident, the edge of her beautiful sari caught on fire. Dulari’s husband heard her screams and put out the fire as soon as he could, but the damage was already done. Tragically, Dulari suffered from severe burns on her back and legs.
Burn Victim In India
For 9 months, Dulari was bedridden in recovery. But even after all that time, she faced a long, hard life ahead of her. The pain from the burns stayed with her, and she could barely walk. The muscles in her legs atrophied, and her skin peeled away. Barely even able to sit down, Dulari was heartbroken. “I gave up all hope.” she said. “No one came forward to help me or console my heart.” Dulari’s only option was expensive surgery, but this was out of the question. “We only had enough money to buy food.”
But your kindness set Dulari free! You provided a way for Dulari to receive a life-changing gift. Your kindness paid in full the fees for Dulari’s multiple surgeries. Now, she has been released from her pain and is living a full life. “I have a new life now!” said Dulari. “I can walk normally and without any pain.” Thank you for your support of Operation Blessing’s Life-Changing Surgeries program. You make it possible for stories like Dulari’s to occur all over the world!
TUBCHA VILLAGE, KENYA — Tubcha Village is withering away. The small community in the Marsabit area of Kenya is experiencing a devastating drought. As a livestock town, most families raise and sell goats and camels for their primary source of income. But due to the drought in Northern Kenya, livestock are sadly perishing by the hundreds. The few that survive are small and thin, and only fetch a small sum at the market.
Gulmato is one woman who has been affected by the severe drought. Her family has lost over 50 animals due to the drought. Gulmato and her children rapidly ran out of food and money. To get by, Gulmato borrowed from a local lender. But soon her debts piled up too high, and she could no longer get credit. Desperate, Gulmato gave any food she could get her hands on to her children, and went hungry herself. Hungry, thirsty, and out of options, Gulmato’s family was facing starvation.
Fighting Drought In Northern Kenya
But hope was on the horizon for Gulmato and her precious children. Your love and support sent a shipment of food packages to Tubcha Village just in the nick of time.
Gulmato, along with her entire village, received the food they so desperately needed. Every family gathered to receive their package as they sang praises. Back at home, Gulmato literally sang as she prepared a proper meal for her family.
“Before Operation Blessing brought us this food, my family did not have anything left to eat.” Gulmato told Operation Blessing staff. “All our food was gone, and I don’t know what would have happened to us!” The family joyfully ate and filled their hungry bellies, thanks to your incredible generosity. Thank you for providing food for the hungry in Kenya and all across the globe!
VIRGINIA – Hard, honest work and giving back to those in need are two principles Junior has already learned at his young age. When the 15-year-old sets a goal, there is no stopping him. That dedication and resourcefulness caught the eye of some kindhearted Operation Blessing partners in his community, who would later offer the gift of much-needed food relief to him and his family.
When he decided to save for a new dirt bike, Junior stood outside on the sidewalk by his house to sell DVDs in the hope of earning money. He worked almost daily in order to reach his goal. His commitment to being an entrepreneur eventually caught the attention of Beverly Wright, the ministry director of Jonathan Cares, a nearby Operation Blessing partner. Thanks to your help, the organization receives groceries from Operation Blessing to distribute to members of the community.
“I was rolling down his street, and I saw this young man, and he was selling DVDs and I thought, ‘Look at him,’” Beverly recalled. “When we started passing out the meals, he was one of the people that we decided to make sure was on the list. I was just so proud of him as a young entrepreneur.”
The gift you enabled Beverly to offer Junior and his family provided a much-needed blessing. He lives with his parents and two sisters, and due to a variety of hardships the family sometimes struggles with food insecurity. But because of your faithful giving, partner organizations like Jonathan Cares are able to reach out with hope to families that face challenges such as sickness and unemployment.
Now, with more than enough food for his family, Junior sometimes takes excess groceries to share with needy people he meets in his community. “One time,” he said, “there was a homeless dude walking past. He was like, ‘I’m so hungry,’ so I said, ‘You know what, here are a couple of bags. Go ahead and be blessed.’”
Your heart for the hurting brought hope to young Junior and his family. Because of you, they now have the food they need not only to get by, but also to bless others. Thank you for your compassion in seeing hungry mouths filled and lives transformed.
GUATEMALA – At the age of four, Arleth didn’t experience the kind of life in Guatemala that other children her age did. While they laughed, played, and explored the world around them, she dealt with pain and discomfort. She was born with an inguinal hernia, a condition that causes the intestine to protrude through a weak spot in the abdominal muscle.
Any lifting of objects, or movement in general, could cause her distress. This made it difficult for the little one to enjoy life.
In Desperate Need of Life-Changing Help
Arleth lives with her mother and brother in a remote community that is 30 minutes from the nearest city. With limited resources and reduced access to the public health system, this family was unable to seek the surgery in Guatemala that would bring Arleth healing. They were simply unable to afford the cost of the surgery that could help alleviate her pain.
But your love shone bright when the situation seemed the darkest. Because of the generosity of partners like you, Operation Blessing was there to support little Arleth through with surgery in Guatemala and through each stage of her medical treatment. From pre-surgery to post-operative care, your kindness made it possible to help Arleth with her surgical procedure, medications, transportation, and so much more.
Now Arleth is full of joy, knowing she can finally live without the fear of pain. She has found complete healing from her hernia because of your kindness and compassion. Thank you for your heart to see children like Arleth grow up healthy and strong. You can help even more people through life-changing surgeries here.
USA – From all of us here at Operation Blessing, we want to thank you for another wonderful year. Your love has continued to break the cycle of human suffering all over the world.
From funding life-changing surgeries to providing relief for families struck by the Kentucky tornadoes, your generosity has changed lives this year! Thank you for coming alongside Operation Blessing as we continue our work here at home and across oceans.
With your help, we look forward to many more years of providing food to the hungry, clean water to the thirsty, medical care to the hurting, and relief for those affected by disaster. Thank you!
KENTUCKY – In one of the deadliest natural disasters to strike our nation in a long time, a string of powerful tornadoes swept through the Midwest in December. Nearly 100 precious souls, ranging in age from 2 months to 98 years, lost their lives due to the horrific storms.
At least six states suffered damage, homes were ripped off foundations, and entire towns were left in ruins. Thanks to you, the Operation Blessing disaster response team quickly sprang into action.
One of the hardest-hit areas was Dawson Springs, Kentucky. When the tornado approached, one resident named Samantha grabbed her 7-year-old son, Kendell, and ran to a shower in their basement. “You could just hear the train coming,” she said. “We heard booms and we heard crashes.”
But those frightening sounds were nothing compared to the chaotic sounds they heard once they emerged from their damaged home. “People were screaming,” Samantha said. “People were running. There was lightning. It was pouring down rain.” Everyone, including Samantha, was in a state of shock. The noise was so upsetting, she put noise cancelling head phones on her son to block out the sounds.
She said, “It’s been catastrophic. This is a small town, and everyone has known everybody. Everyone’s grandparents, great-grandparents grow up together. So this is just years and years of love and relationships being destroyed.”
We also met Denna, whose entire house was swept up in the storm, taking her two little dogs and all of her earthly belongings from her. One Operation Blessing staff member on the ground, Josh Blount, described the heartbreaking scene, saying, “It looked as though the neighborhood was thrown into a washing machine and then dumped back out onto the ground.”
These are the kinds of survivors that you sent help to following the storms. Compassionate friends like you provided food, water, diapers, tarps, cleaning items, and other vital disaster relief supplies. Even more importantly, you gave hope and encouragement to these embattled souls after these deadly tornadoes.
“This is going to be for the long haul,” said OB President Gordon Robertson. “We want to be there for them in their time of need.”
“It means more than words ever could tell,” Denna told us. “All these organizations, the churches, all the volunteers, you know everybody, I thank them from the bottom of our hearts! And may God bless them.”
DAWSON SPRINGS, KENTUCKY – Denna was at a friend’s home when the storm came. “The lightning and the thunder and the rain and the wind were so bad,” she told Operation Blessing staff. “It sounded just like a train coming through.” Thankfully, Denna and her friend were safe across town. But what they didn’t know was that the tornadoes were wreaking havoc in Denna’s neighborhood, and she would turn out to be a Kentucky tornado victim.
The next morning, Denna made her way back to her home — or what used to be her home. Devastatingly, the tornadoes completely destroyed Denna’s house. Even the cinderblock foundation was gone. “I just fell to my knees.” said Denna. “And I grabbed my face and screamed ‘Where’s my house? Where’s my little dogs? Where’s everything that I own?’.”
Denna’s story is one of many emerging from the aftermath of the Kentucky tornadoes. But thankfully, Operation Blessing’s partners and friends have a heart for victims of disaster. Your love is sending truckloads of relief supplies like food, water, blankets, and cleaning items to Kentucky and surrounding areas.
By partnering with local churches, Operation Blessing is getting these supplies into the hands of victims like Denna. All of this is thanks to your amazing generosity. Please help provide relief and hope to victims of natural disasters like this Kentucky tornado victim.
BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY – Senior Director for Operation Blessing Disaster Relief, Anthony Lloyd is leading Operation Blessing humanitarian relief teams in Kentucky after tornadoes that struck in December, leaving devastation in their wake.
Initial assessment found homes that had been destroyed, power lines downed, and families in desperate need of help. Because of your generosity, Operation Blessing teams have already been distributing relief supplies through local churches. These supplies include, food, water, and cleaning kits.
Please keep Operation Blessing and the victims of the Kentucky tornadoes in your prayers. As we head into the Christmas season, your love and support is needed more than ever to bring relief to these hurting families. Visit ob.org/obdisaster to help give hope and support to families affected by disaster.
