Fires in Ukraine – Hope for the Hopeless

UKRAINE – After months without rain, the people of Eastern Ukraine weren’t surprised when forest fires broke out. However, these fires in Ukraine proved particularly dangerous due to strong winds that pushed the blaze into residential areas, destroying homes, killing pets, and sadly, killing several people as well.

Thanks to you, our Operation Blessing team responded, bringing disaster relief, hope, and encouragement. However, what we saw on our recent trip there, several weeks after the initial fire, shocked us to the core.

A Picture of Hopelessness after Fire in Ukraine

In the midst of chilly rain, the owners of destroyed homes continued searching through the rubble with hands covered in ash and tears in their eyes. At this point, they’d lost hope of receiving help from their government. We were frightened to realize that a cold winter is on its way, and these people still have nowhere to live.

Elderly widow Kateryna turned away from us in tears when we brought help to her burnt house. Her documents, her phone, and every single thing she owned had been destroyed, except for the clothes she was wearing on the day of fire. She truly appreciated the disaster relief supplies you sent to her. “I never knew that there is so much kindness in our world!” she said. “Thanks for this delicious and fresh meal.”

Tatiana is a young mother of two whose house burned down to the ground. Her family is staying in a shelter and struggling to survive. “Any grocery help is a great support for us,” she said. “We thank Operation Blessings for their concern and help!”

Another victim you sent help to was 40-year-old Ruslan, a father of two children. “This fire took away everything that we had saved,” he said. “Now we have nothing, we have to start everything from scratch. But we are not giving up. After all, we are alive and we are surrounded by such caring people like you. We need to believe that we will cope with this disaster. Thank you for your kind words and support.”

And those are just a few stories of how you’ve sent hope and encouragement to weary victims of fires in Ukraine. Thank you so much for your continued support as we seek to help them rebuild their lives.

Reaching Out to Hurricane Eta Victims in Latin America

LATIN AMERICA – Just when we hoped hurricane season was finally wrapping up, category 4 storm Hurricane Eta smashed into Central America, causing severe damage. Currently, it continues to circle the Gulf of Mexico and remains a threat to the region.

Hurricane Damage

Although it first made landfall in Nicaragua, the storm continued to ravage a number of other nations. In addition to powerful winds, Eta brought with it massive rainfall, triggering floods and landslides. For example, in Costa Rica, some areas suffered this rain for 72 hours. Those living along waterways, in particular, have faced dangerous flooding, and at least 2 people have died. Over 1,400 Costa Ricans needed to evacuate their homes. Likewise, many have evacuated in Honduras and Guatemala, as well.

Relief on the Way

Thankfully, Operation Blessing has active teams on the ground in Honduras, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.

Because of your ongoing support, we were able to quickly begin reaching out to Hurricane Eta victims. Our teams are working alongside local governments and organizations to bring relief. We’re collecting and distributing desperately needed supplies like sleeping mats, bedding, hygiene kits, diapers, food, and clean water.

The people of these countries have a long way to go in rebuilding. But because of you, Operation Blessing is able to reach out to them with emergency relief, long term aid, and most importantly, hope.

Your Love Sent Supplies to Victims of Hurricane Zeta

Delivering disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Zeta.

LOUISIANA – First came Hurricane Laura, then Hurricane Delta, and now Hurricane Zeta has struck Louisiana in a record year. Thankfully, Zeta took a different track and moved quickly through the state. However, the category 2 storm still caused major power outages and wind damage.

The embattled residents of Louisiana need help! And you are responding to their most urgent needs. OB’s disaster relief team has already delivered truckloads of tarps, disaster relief kits, clean water, and nonperishable food to several churches for distribution in the most affected area. We are also closely monitoring the situation to see what other help might be needed for victims of Hurricane Zeta.

Disaster relief supplies at church in Louisiana.

Meanwhile, with your support, we continue providing hands on disaster relief to homeowners devastated by Hurricanes Laura and Delta earlier this fall. Our staff and volunteers are helping homeowners recover their lives through debris removal, sorting through remnants of personal belongings, and mucking and gutting homes filled with mud and mold so that they can be repaired. And around the globe, we’re also responding to floods in Cambodia and fires in Ukraine.

You have not forgotten about the people of the Gulf Coast, and neither have we. Thank you for your continued support of disaster victims in need. Please keep these precious people in your prayers. We also urge you to volunteer your help or to send a special gift for disaster victims at this time.

Aid for Victims of Forest Fires in Ukraine

LUHANSK, UKRAINE – For over 6 years now, millions of people have been suffering the consequences of the active armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine. On September 13th of this year, the situation was aggravated by multiple forest fires in Ukraine which swept across the Luhansk region. As a result of these 146+ fires, multiple villages were completely wiped out. The forest fires in Ukraine raged for over 24 hours. Local agencies reported that the fires destroyed over 500 homes, and took 11 lives.

Operation Blessing staff in Ukraine visited the affected village of Sirotino. Because the fires were so strong, and weather conditions so poor, nothing remains of this village. OB staff interviewed several now homeless residents to hear their stories. One resident told us how she felt helpless staring at the flames threatening to consume her home. “I just stood there hugging my husband, and he told me, ‘Look! Our house is on fire! And the roof is falling!’ The whole street was devoured by fire, and I told him, ‘Look, Sasha, we are in hell.'”

But thanks to you, these homeless fire victims received a glimmer of hope. Your generosity provided over 250 food packs to the victims of the forest fires in Ukraine. In addition to the food, the residents also received emotional and spiritual support from Operation Blessing staff members. None of this would be possible without your help.

Thank you for your heart for victims of disasters like the fires in Ukraine.

Joy for Jeslin – Clean Water in Honduras

HONDURAS – Ten-year-old Jeslin lives in the small village of Santa Elena tucked away in the mountains. Although her community is beautiful in many ways, the residents have never had a source of clean water in Honduras.

Ever since Jeslin was small, she has accompanied her mother and siblings to search for clean water. “It was hard. After school, I came home to do my homework, studied, played for a while, and then I had to go fetch water.”

Even with their grueling searches, the water contained many dangers. “Sometimes when we got to the water source the water was very dirty, but we had no choice but to take it home,” she said. “Sometimes the water was yellow. I was afraid to go back to the water source because there could be a snake there.”

Stomach ailments from the dirty water often left the villagers feeling sick, and made it hard for them to work or attend school. Despite her family’s attempts to purify the water, young Jeslin also suffered.

“One time I took a drink, but it tasted horrible. I drank it and I thought, ‘I hate this and I don’t want to drink it again,’ and then I got a strong stomachache. It felt like my stomach was going to explode, and I cried from the pain.”

Clean Water Solutions From Operation Blessing

When we learned about the troubling situation in Santa Elena, concerning the lack of clean water in Honduras, a special group of Operation Blessing friends pitched in together to bless this community. We were able to bring the help Jeslin and her community needed! Working with the local municipality and the assistance of the villagers, Operation Blessing constructed a gravity-fed system complete with a storage tank and network of pipes to make sure the people of Santa Elena would no longer suffer without clean water.

Fresh and safe water is now available right to their homes. Because of the faithful support of friends like you, Jeslin’s family, along with more than 30 other households in their village, now enjoy the blessing of clean water in Honduras every day.

Jeslin said, “I thank God because Operation Blessing gave us this project. I feel so happy. I thank the people who donated to this project because now I am drinking clean water and we are joyful!”

Providing Hope for Barb During COVID-19

BYRON CENTER, Mich. – Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Barb Wetherbee was dealing with a health crisis. Barb has dealt with diverticulosis for several years, and has had several surgeries. She struggles to support herself. But even after her disability check arrives, Barb cannot afford the necessities. “Finances are tight, and bills piling up. It was a struggle. I was starving, and said ‘I need help!'” Barb told OB staff. The combination of a persistent medical condition, hunger, and the impact of a pandemic could cause anyone to lose hope during COVID-19.

But thankfully, one of Barb’s neighbors told her about OB partner Buist Community Assistance Center. There, Barb receives the groceries she needs to not only survive, but thrive. And thanks to your generosity, the food bank’s shelves are fully stocked. “We were starting to run out of dry goods, and it was when the Operation Blessing truck pulled in that we were able to restock those resources that were running low,” said a Buist volunteer. And thanks to those full shelves, Barb goes home with abundant food. “They load my trunk, and that’s a huge relief for me!” Barb exclaimed.

All this is thanks to your incredible generosity through the uncertain times. Because of you, people like Barb have the food they desperately need as well as hope during COVID-19. Click here to aid with Operation Blessing’s COVID-19 response. And to support hungry families like Barb’s, click here. Thank you and God Bless.

Hope for Cambodia Flood Victims

CAMBODIA – As is so often the case these days, the people of Cambodia were already struggling with the effects of COVID-19 when another disaster came their way in the form of devastating floods.

In the midst of the rainy season, tropical storms struck the island hard, bringing damaging floods to 19 out of the nation’s 25 provinces. Rural areas, small towns, and the capital city of Phnom Penh all suffered the wrath of these storms, as flash flooding ripped through the country.

Cambodia’s disaster management committee estimates that 78,000 families needed to evacuate, and the government had to intervene in helping 9,000 families escape the danger. In the end, 25 lives were lost, around 79,000 homes damaged, and over 500 school buildings flooded. Businesses and farms also took heavy damage, creating long term struggles for many Cambodian citizens.

The Human Toll of Flooding

And as always, behind each number is an affected precious individual life. Young Souen Da offers us a poignant face to attach to this tragedy. His family already had a difficult life in Cambodia, and they’ve suffered an incredible toll from the floods.

His father once served in the Cambodian military, but a mine explosion cut his career short many years ago, and today he is disabled. So Souen Da’s mother, Yu Rom, worked hard growing and selling vegetables to support their family, which includes their two smallest children who still live at home. Then came the flood.

It took the family by surprise, waking them in the night. It was hard for Yu Rom to help her disabled husband and two small children evacuate to a safer location. By the morning, their home had suffered damage, and the crops they depended on were destroyed. Yu Rom was exhausted, and the whole family was in desperate need of hope.

Relief for Cambodia Flood Victims

Theirs is just one story out of many thousands, but you came to the rescue. With your help, Operation Blessing quickly responded with disaster relief for 155 families, including Souen Da’s. The OB outreach team employed boats and tractors and trekked through deep waters, determined to get relief to the victims in need. You sent the vital food packages and packets to purify water that had been contaminated by the flooding. Because of your compassionate support, OB also reached out and helped provide medical care for over 500 patients.

And this is only the beginning, as Operation Blessing intends to continue reaching out to flood victims in Cambodia as they rebuild their lives. Thank you for giving hope to the hopeless in their time of need.

How to Cook Smoked Pork with Shiitake Mushrooms and Axone

Christmas In India: Pork and mushrooms recipe

NAGALAND, INDIA – Merry Christmas from Nagaland! During Christmas in India, no Christmas is complete without smoked pork. Watch as we show you how to cook this delicious traditional Indian dish inspired by Christmas in India. This tasty dinner features shiitake mushrooms and axone. What is axone? Axone is a specialty from Nagaland with a unique, pungent flavor. Because it is made from fermented soya beans, it gives the dish a distinctly Indian flavor. This smoked pork dish can be served over freshly steamed rice, or is delicious on its own.

The full recipe is listed at the beginning of the video.

Groceries and A Garden For Cristina

Cristina lives in Mexico with her husband. The property where they live with their animals is their own piece of paradise. A paradise threatened with the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Cristina and her husband earned income by opening their own small store to the community, selling sweet and savory snacks. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Mexico, mass quarantine mandates significantly impacted their financial lives. Income was scarce and competing stores began opening up around the community as people struggled to make ends meet. Additionally there were very few buyers or sellers due to the economic impact of COVID-19 in Mexico. On top of that, Cristina’s sheep was stolen from her barn one night, a sheep she planned to breed and use for income. Cristina was feeling very frustrated and fearful of what the future held.

But thanks to generous partners like YOU, Operation Blessing heard of Cristina’s situation and swiftly responded! OB Mexico delivered bags of rice, beans, oil and more right to her front door. You provided these goods along with supplies for Cristina and her husband to begin growing their own garden, creating sustainability for the years ahead. Thank you for your kindness! Your gifts and prayer support will be multiplied as Cristina is sustained by your generosity. To learn about how you can support men and women affected by the COVID-19 crisis, visit https://www.ob.org/covid19.

A New Home for Angel in the Philippines

PHILIPPINES – After a typhoon destroyed Angel’s home in the Philippines, her family had nowhere safe to stay. Angel and her siblings did their best to sleep through the storm, but they were frightened. “I am scared of the typhoon and strong winds,” she told OB staff. “It makes my chest hurt. But my little sister was scared too, so I covered her with a blanket.”

The typhoon left the family in a dangerous living situation. But due to the COVID-19 crisis, Angel’s father Roland lost his job. The single father built his family a makeshift shanty using scrap wood because he was unable to afford anything else. “I worry about my kids, ” said Roland. “I worry about how I can rebuild my house.”

But thanks to your generosity, Operation Blessing stepped in to help. When OB staff delivered a food package to Roland and his children, they saw how dire their living situation was. And thanks to your support, we were able to build the family a new home. Now, Angel has a safe new home in the Philippines. “We have a new house!” she exclaimed joyfully. “I’m happy!”

This is all thanks to your generous giving during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for the support you show to families like Angel’s at home and around the world. God bless you for your faithfulness.