How to Cook Mexican Shrimp Aguachile

MEXICO — Did you know that you can cook shrimp using only lime juice and a little time? It’s true! In this video, Sissi and Paco will show you how to make traditional Mexican Shrimp Aguachile, a classic recipe that is sure to please. You will need a pound of fresh shrimp and 5-10 limes to start. Squeeze the juice from the limes and make sure all the shrimp are covered in juice. Leave the shrimp to sit for awhile, or overnight. Because of the acid in the lime juice, the shrimp will “cook” and are perfectly safe to eat. But, you can sauté them if you prefer.

Next comes the salsa. Using serrano chilies, garlic, and lots of fresh cilantro, this flavorful salsa packs a punch. Blend up the vegetables with a little lime juice and salt to the consistency of pesto. To finish, slice up some red onions, cucumbers, and avocado, and toss together with shrimp. All done! Serve with chips and eat with friends.

Because of your love, families in Mexico are being fed through Operation Blessing’s hunger relief programs. You are providing food packages and life-changing microenterprises for families who struggle to put food on the table. If you enjoyed this Mexican Shrimp Aguachile salad recipe be sure to get a copy of our free summer recipes booklet mailed to you at no charge! Thank you for your incredible support to feed the hungry in Latin America and around the world!

How to Make Guatemala Chojin Salad!

GUATEMALA — Hola! Welcome to beautiful Guatemala. Today, Geraldina will show us how to make the delicious and flavorful classic, Guatemala Chojin salad. This recipe features a unique ingredient: pork rinds! When crushed up, the pork rinds add a tasty crunch to this colorful dish. Combined with peppery radishes, juicy tomatoes, and peppermint, this unique salad is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Start by chopping up all your vegetables. If you like, you can add onion for some extra flavor. Then, crush up your pork rinds. Geraldina used a mortar and pestle, but you can also put the rinds in a plastic baggie and crush it with a rolling pin. Kids will love smashing up the crunchy pork rinds! Once everything is ready, add it all to a large bowl and mix together. Add your peppermint, lemon or lime juice, and salt, and you’re almost done! It’s important to let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes to let all of the flavors mix together. All done! Serve with soft tortillas or crunchy chips.

Because of your love, families in Guatemala are being fed through Operation Blessing’s hunger relief programs. You are providing food packages and life-changing microenterprises for families who struggle to put food on the table. If you enjoyed this Guatemala Chojin salad recipe be sure to get a copy of our free summer recipes booklet mailed to you at no charge! Thank you for your incredible support to feed the hungry in Latin America and around the world!

How to Cook Honduran Chicken Tostadas!

HONDURAS – Welcome to beautiful Honduras! Today, Hilda will show you how to cook the delicious Chicken Tostadas from our Healthy Recipes Booklet, which you can access for free at ob.org/summer. This simple tostada recipe is sure to please both young and old.

To start this tostada recipe, make a simple marinade using spices, vinegar, lime juice, and more. Letting the chicken marinade overnight is the key to flavorful tostadas! Then, fry up the chicken until it’s golden-brown and crispy. While the chicken cooks, make the healthy salsa. Now you’re ready to assemble the tostadas. Take a pre-toasted tortilla, add the chicken and the salsa, and viola! Delicious, authentic Honduran tostadas.

Because of your love, families in Honduras are being fed through Operation Blessing’s hunger relief programs. You are providing food packages and life-changing microenterprises for families who struggle to put food on the table. If you enjoyed this Honduran Chicken Tostadas recipe be sure to get a copy of our free summer recipes booklet mailed to you at no charge! Thank you for your incredible support to feed the hungry in Honduras and around the world!

Hope Fulfilled for Single Mother in Need

GEORGIA – Jen has always had a passion for motherhood. Her two teenage boys, Roman and Lucca, mean the world to her. She enjoys being able to care for them.

“I just always wanted children. And I’m so, so grateful that they want to spend time with me.”

A couple of years ago, Jen started her own property management company. The business was initially successful. Then things fell apart when one of her major investors left the company, and she had to shut it down. Jen grew heartbroken.

“It was devastating. I mean, it was so unexpected. When you’re in that situation, it is a freefall, and you just get creative. You try not to run up bills, try to pay what you can. I sold lots of stuff, even if it’s for $10 or $20. Anything to pay a water bill, anything to keep the electricity on. It’s a scary thing. I was really trying to meter the food out, and I was running out of ideas. How do I feed these kids?”

Hunger Relief Thanks to You

That’s when you stepped in. Jen found out about Warehouse of Hope, an Operation Blessing partner that provided hunger relief in Georgia to help her  feed her family.

“Just the environment and the atmosphere there is one of hope,” Jen said. “And then when you go to shop, there are so many things like rice and pasta. You end up with some really good food… They gave us what we needed.”

Thanks to you, Operation Blessing has been working with Warehouse of Hope since 2003. We send trucks with nonperishable food and other grocery items to the ministry on a weekly basis to help bring hunger relief in Georgia. The organization strives to not only provide families with food and clothing, but to also show them the love of Christ. By partnering with Operation Blessing, you are a part of that mission as well.

Because of the overwhelming love and support Jen and her boys received from friends like you, they now serve as volunteers. They work to pass along that same love and support to others who are in need.

“The opportunity to give back changed our lives. It changed our outlook,” Jen shared. “My son, Lucca, he loves the warehouse and stocking and running and helping people with their carts. It just became something that we looked forward to doing.”

Jen now has a new job in finance. And with the assistance of your faithful support, her family is finally getting back on its feet. While COVID-19 temporarily halted the family’s ability to volunteer, Jen’s youngest son, Lucca, says he will always hold Operation Blessing and the generous partners who support it, dear to his heart.

“People that donate to Operation Blessing can make things like Warehouse of Hope possible. It’s really nice, and it helps just so many families.”

Recovering From An EF3 Tornado

Cheryl and Peter were asleep when an EF3 tornado tore through their neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee. Like most tornadoes, it struck quickly and with ferocity. The tornado caused extreme damage to their property. The fast moving twister even tore a tree out of the ground and threw into their home. Terror washed over them. They were in fear for their lives.

Thankfully they made it through safely, and insurance covered the damage to their home. However, home damage does not encompass all of the expense in a disaster situation. Tornadoes destroy yards. They uproot trees. They tear fences and smash anything on your property. Consequently, the amount of debris left after a tornado can be significant. Hiring a contractor to remove debris can cost thousands of dollars. So what do you do when you do not have that kind of money available?

Cleaning Up Tornado Debris

Sadly, the insurance did not cover tornado debris cleanup in the yard. Peter was left alone to clean up the debris, including other fallen trees. He felt overwhelmed by the size of the job. That is when Operation Blessing showed up! Thanks to YOU, volunteers arrived with truckloads full of supplies that your generosity helped provide. We are able to help meet disaster victims’ needs in these trying situations.

In addition to supplies, Operation Blessing also provided the manpower to help clear storm wreckage. Our teams cut trees, cleared debris, and removed the weight off of Peter’s shoulders. Thank you for supporting disaster victims in their darkest hour! To get involved, visit ob.org/disaster-relief.

A New House and Water for Dora in Kenya

Dora in Kenya received gifts that keep giving

Meet Dora, a single grandmother from Loitoktok, Kenya. She spends her days raising her grandchildren. For many years they lived in a manyatta, a style of home in Kenya made from sticks, cow dung, and thatch grass. That was before you gave them a new home in Kenya!

Before You Came Along

Previously, Dora and her family lived and cooked in the same small structure. The smoke from the fire used for cooking caused eye and lung irritation, making it difficult for Dora’s grandchildren to study.

When it rained their roof leaked, and Dora’s family stayed awake all night covering themselves with a cow hide just to stay dry. But through it all, Dora never lost hope. She prayed to God for a blessing.

How You Provided Dora with a New Home

And thanks to generous friends like you, Operation Blessing constructed a new home in Kenya for Dora and her family! The structure is now dry and secure with brick walls and a metal roof. You also provided a rain water harvesting system. Now Dora has drinking water right by her doorstep. Thank you for your heart to see Dora and her family cared for in their desperate time. To get involved, visit https://www.ob.org.

Lives Turned Around By Food Ministry

Joelle Allen has a job she loves with Lighthouse Gospel Mission, a ministry that partners with Operation Blessing. Like so many food ministries, they help provide hunger relief to people in need. Thanks to your support, Lighthouse Gospel Mission helps provide assistance for those facing food insecurity in Florida. Through their partnership with Operation Blessing, they help feed hungry and hurting people. Located in Riverview, Florida, they serve the Tampa Bay community. As a part of this ministry, it has been a blessing to Joelle to be able to help.

But things haven’t always been easy. When she first came to the ministry she was a single mother seeking healing from a life of drug addiction and abuse. As she turned her life around, she met her future husband, Keith, who was also a single parent. But a week after they started dating, Keith lost his job. Now Keith was dealing with food scarcity and food insecurity in Florida.

Amid the turmoil, blessings showed up. Joelle and Keith began receiving food and hygiene items from Operation Blessing partners through Lighthouse Gospel Mission. They relied on regular visits to feed their family. After a year, Joelle received a job offer from Lighthouse. She managed the women’s ministry for four and a half years. Keith now works in sales, but he will never forget this season of his life. Your blessings and generosity helped him overcome his situation. Your gifts provided food to get them through. Thank you! To get involved, visit https://www.ob.org/hunger.

Clean Water For Arnoldo in Honduras

10-year old Arnoldo lives in Santa Elena, Honduras. Getting clean water in Honduras does not come easy for him. Every day when he returns home from school, Arnoldo must traverse steep hills, avoiding dangerous snakes along the way just to fetch water for his family. With his mother caring for his younger sister and his father away at work, the responsibility fell on Arnoldo. Arnoldo spent almost an hour every single day fetching clean water.

Dirty Unclean Water

Not only was the journey treacherous and dangerous, but when he reached the water source, it was contaminated with dirt and bugs. It caused stomach pain and sickness for Arnoldo and his family.

However, thanks to generous support from friends like you, Arnoldo’s family and neighbors were given a blessing. Through your kindness, Operation Blessing installed a state-of-the-art water purification system for the community of Santa Elena. This gravity fed system delivers clean water right into their community! Thank you for your heart to see Arnoldo, and villages like Santa Elena, provided with safe, clean water in Honduras. To get involved, visit https://www.ob.org/clean-water/.

Hope After the Flames

KENYA – Meet Emmy, a warm and kind teenager who wants to be a doctor someday. She lives in Kenya with her mother and four siblings. Sadly, Emmy has endured incredible pain and loss in her young life due to burn scars that threatened her future.

A Horrible Accident Causes Burns

Two years ago, Emmy went out to buy some paraffin for the lamp that her family used for light. Unfortunately, instead of paraffin the shop sold her gasoline. When Emmy went to light the lamp after she got home, tragedy struck and Emmy was engulfed in flames.

The accident left Emmy badly burned across much of her body. She was taken to a local hospital where she had a lengthy stay as she recovered. Her medical bills were partially covered by the national insurance and partially with the help of her village. Even so, Emmy’s treatment was incomplete, and money had run out to pay for the remaining care that she still needed.

A Need for Surgery in Kenya

The burn scars had left the skin on Emmy’s hands badly contracted, sharply restricting her movement, and it only got worse as she grew. To compound the issue, Emmy’s father abandoned the family right after the accident, leaving Emmy’s mother to support the family alone. 

The injuries made it difficult for Emmy to perform basic life tasks and particularly to do her schoolwork, as the contractures made it difficult for Emmy to hold a pencil and write. Though her whole life was still before her, things were looking very bleak for Emmy. Then faithful Operation Blessing partners like you stepped in to change her life with burn scar surgery.

You Made Burn Scar Surgery Possible

After hearing about her situation, Operation Blessing launched a special fundraiser just for Emmy through our Life-Changing Surgeries catalog and compassionate people like you stepped in to bless her. Soon, all the money needed for Emmy’s burn scar surgery had been raised!

Since then, Emmy has had her operation and is making a remarkable recovery—all thanks to the generosity of friends like you. “Thank you for helping me with the medical bill,” Emmy exclaimed. “I hope to go back to school and study to be a physician. God bless you!”

Masks of Hope for Loyda

PERU— Can you imagine being an unemployed single mother in Peru during the pandemic? This was the harsh reality for Loyda, a Peruvian woman with three children. Loyda supported her children with her small business selling fish and plantains in the street. But when COVID-19 struck, her business went under. Loyda had no income to feed her three children. “I was depressed every time my children would say, ‘Mom, I’m hungry,'” Loyda told Operation Blessing staff.

But thanks to your incredible generosity, hope was on its way for this single mother in Peru! Through your support, Loyda received the hands-on training she needed to start a new business: making and selling face masks. Through her new business, Loyda has the income she needs to keep food on the table. Thanks to you, Loyda and others in the community now have the training and tools they need to support themselves by making face masks. “I am so excited and relieved that I am learning more about sewing!” Loyda exclaimed. “With these masks we can sustain our families.”

Your support means the world to us. Thanks to you, people like Loyda are receiving gifts of hope that radically change their lives and help them break the cycle of suffering. Please click here to learn more about how you can get involved with Operation Blessing’s hunger relief programs. Thank you and God bless!