Saving a Child’s Life Through Surgery in Tanzania

TANZANIA – Innocent was born with a small cyst on the back of his head that soon turned into a life-threatening health issue. The cyst grew so large, Innocent couldn’t move his head. Ultimately, this child’s life could only be helped through surgery in Tanzania.

Innocent’s mother told OB staff, “He cries a lot, and cannot move his head. At times, he tries to grab at the mass because it hurts.”

Innocent’s life was in danger due to this mass. If it were to rupture, Innocent could have died from meningitis. His mother was unable to afford the surgery her baby desperately needed. “I do my very best to care for him and make sure he does not bump into things. I’m afraid he will die,” his mother said. “I pray every day that he will get treatment somehow and that God will heal him.”

And thanks to you, Innocent did get that treatment for the cyst on his head. Innocent and his mother traveled six long hours to Operation Blessing partner Plaster House, where the baby’s surgery was provided by your generosity.

Thanks to you, Innocent has much to look forward to. The happy baby is growing up big and strong because of your incredible support. “I’m amazed that you were able to help me,” Innocent’s mother exclaimed. “He is such a happy baby now, and has grown so strong. Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible!”

This is all thanks to friends like you. Click here to learn more about Operation Blessing’s life-changing surgery program. You are giving the gift of life to patients like Innocent all over the world.

Providing Hope for Victims of Hurricane Delta

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Operation Blessing is providing hope for victims of Hurricane Delta. The Category 2 storm ripped through Louisiana on October 9th with devastating force. Because of Delta’s high winds and torrential rain, many victims were deeply affected by the storm. Hurricane Delta is the third major storm to hit the Gulf region of the United States, in one of the most active hurricane seasons in recorded history.

Trudy Faulk is one victim who was left without hope, her possessions and home largely damaged or destroyed. After Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta, Trudy’s home had sustained severe water and mold damage. But because Trudy’s family is older, and not in the best of health, she was left alone to pick up the pieces of her life. This would be a herculean task for one person to do alone. “I probably would have ended up having to gut the house and move stuff by myself,” Trudy told OB staff.

But you provided hope for Trudy and other victims of hurricane delta when they needed it most. Thanks to your generosity, OB staff arrived ready to work. Operation Blessing helped Trudy remove debris, rip out moldy drywall, and sift through her precious belongings. “It’s awesome. It’s really, really awesome to know that somebody cares,” Trudy said thankfully.

None of this would be possible without your generosity and support. Because of you, Operation Blessing is able to respond in times of crisis. To learn more about how you can get involved, please click here. Thank you and God Bless.

Hurricane Delta Makes Landfall

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA – Hurricane Delta made landfall in the United States, hitting the coast of Louisiana. Operation Blessing teams have mobilized and stand ready in Birmingham, Alabama, to respond to the victims of the strong winds and rain. Trucks full of supplies and tools will provide the first stages of relief for these families, still recovering after Hurricane Delta made landfall.

Louisiana’s coast was hit earlier this summer by catastrophic Hurricane Laura, making this an already vulnerable area. But thanks to our generous partners, Operation Blessing’s Disaster Relief team is poised to respond quickly! Your prayers and donations are so helpful as Hurricane Delta victims begin to seek help and support. Thank you for your heart to see these men, women, and children cared for in these trying times.

Operation Blessing Preparing for Hurricane Delta

ALABAMA, USA – Operation Blessing is preparing for Hurricane Delta by pre-staging disaster relief supplies in Alabama. Early in the morning on October 7th, OB sent a team of disaster relief staff down to a safe location. Here, the staff will be on standby, ready to spring into action after Hurricane Delta hits. Please keep our team in your prayers as we spend time preparing for Hurricane Delta.

To learn more about Operation Blessing’s disaster relief efforts, click here. Because of you, we are able to respond whenever disaster strikes. Your generosity provides disaster relief for hundreds of families at home and round the world. Thank you and God Bless.

Hurricane Delta – Monster Storm Heads toward US Gulf Coast

UPDATE 10/10/20 – Hurricane Delta made landfall as a category 2 storm in Louisiana, following a similar path as Hurricane Laura just weeks ago. Floods and high winds have caused extensive damage in an area that was still reeling from the last hurricane. Tarps were ripped from roofs of homes that have yet to be repaired. Hundreds of thousands are without power. Thanks to you, Operation Blessing stands by to deliver much needed disaster relief just as soon as the storm passes and the pathway is clear.

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GULF COAST – Hurricane Delta has strengthened to as high as a category 4 storm. It is heading across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. Thanks to friends like you, Operation Blessing is ready to respond.

Although it is too soon to know precisely how strong it will be when it hits along the Gulf Coast, it seems clear that it will strike with significant impact. If you are in the projected path of the storm, we encourage you to be vigilant as you monitor the potential impact and follow the directions of your state and local officials.

Just outside the projected impact zone in Birmingham, Ala, our disaster relief team is currently pre-staging. We are preparing our equipment, conversing with local and state emergency personnel, and standing ready.  We have resources available to provide immediate aid and recovery support. OB’s Deployment Manager, Scott Phillips, is on the scene. He said, “We thank you because we cannot do this without your support and donations.”

Operation Blessing disaster relief team is prestaging to provide aid to victims of Hurricane Delta.

Disaster Relief in Gulf Coast

Meanwhile we’re still responding to this season’s previous hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, especially with volunteer support to help victims recover from property damage from Hurricane Laura in Louisiana. Over the past weeks we’ve provided huge quantities of food, clean water, ice, and disaster kits to areas throughout the Gulf Coast, as well.

Be a Blessing During Disaster

Please pray for all those who are in the path of Hurricane Delta, and for this monstrous storm to weaken. If you’d like to give a special gift to help disaster victims at this time please visit: ob.org/obdisaster. And God Bless you for caring about people in need.

Sack Gardens Bloom in Kenya as COVID-19 Hits

KENYA – Around the world, COVID-19 has hit poor and struggling communities especially hard. In the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, the lockdowns have prevented many who were already vulnerable from being able to work. These struggling families in Kenya do not even have the opportunity to work.This puts them and their families in danger of going hungry or losing their homes.

Joyce and her husband, Boniface, are two hardworking parents who struggled to provide for their family even before the pandemic. Joyce recalls, “As a mother, there were times I would get very worried, because I did not have any food at all in the house to give to the children. But I never lost hope. I kept praying to God each day that He would provide for us.”

Then the coronavirus caused both Joyce and Boniface to lose their jobs. “Before COVID-19 hit our country, my husband and I were employed,” Joyce lamented. “He worked as a welder, while I was employed as a cook at a local school. But because of the pandemic, both of our workplaces closed. This left us without any source of income.”

Struggling Families in Kenya Plant Sack Gardens

However, even before COVID-19, your compassion reached their family. Thanks to you, OB had helped Joyce and Boniface, and many other struggling families in Kenya, plant sack gardens to provide them with a source of nutritious vegetables. These innovative gardens consist of large sacks filled with fertile soil–an innovative form of personal farming in Kenya, They can produce lots of nutritious veggies and are easy to plant and cultivate.

struggling in Kenya with the coronavirus

The gardens that you helped plant began to bear fruit just as COVID-19 sent Kenya into lockdown. The timing couldn’t have been better for Joyce and Boniface. “The sack gardens started thriving just as COVID-19 hit our country,” Joyce said. “We believe that it was God at work. He made the garden thrive just when we needed it most!”

The vegetables grown in their Kenyan garden now provide an important source of food for Joyce and Boniface, and other families facing these difficult times. Thank you for being such a cheerful giver, God has truly blessed what you have done!

“Thank you so much Operation Blessing for this sack garden,” Joyce exclaimed. “You came just at the right time. I don’t know what I would have done without this garden. God bless you so much!”

“I Had To Choose Between Groceries or Utilities”

Cynthia lives in Boerne, Texas. Before COVID-19 hit the United States, her health was already at high-risk as she has been battling stage four carcinoma. Cynthia was devastated from the diagnosis. But matters were made even worse when the coronavirus shut down her office where she has worked for the past 8 years. Her income was cut by more than 75%. Cynthia was forced to choose between buying groceries or paying the utility bill.

Groceries or Utilities?

But thanks to generous partners like YOU, Operation Blessing partner Hill Country Daily Bread in Boerne was stocked and ready with food for struggling men and woman like Cynthia! Your love is providing groceries for Cynthia to be able to feed her family with nutritious food while keeping up with her monthly expenses. Your continued support means she will not have to choose between groceries and utilities. Cynthia is extremely grateful. Thank you for caring for the vulnerable during these trying times.

Vital Supplies for Hurricane Sally Victims

Hurricane Sally victims in Florida need help. Thanks to friends like you, Operation Blessing is sending vital disaster relief supplies like ice, water, food, and recovery items to help them get back on their feet after the huge storm devastated their community.

Hurricane Sally Strikes

This week Hurricane Sally, a category 2 storm, slammed into the Gulf Coast. Areas like Gulf Shores and Pensacola were especially hard hit.

In addition to causing floods and damaging homes and buildings, the storm left around a half a million people without power. The ice you sent to Hurricane Sally victims is vital to keeping their food supplies cold, and the water and groceries you provided will help keep them stocked until the crisis passes.

You also sent tarps for damaged roofs and THDF disaster kits full of cleaning supplies that can be difficult to access so soon after a hurricane.

Providing Help for Sally Victims

Our partner on the ground, Brownsville Church, is making sure these supplies get into the hands of victims who so badly need them. And they’re so very appreciative for your help.

As we still help with Hurricane Laura recovery, and more tropical systems loom on the horizon, you’re help is still needed. Thank you for caring for hurricane victims during this difficult time. Please consider sending a special gift to help even more disaster victims today.

Hurricane Sally Ravages Gulf Coast – You Send Help

Update 9/21

Our outreach to the victims of Hurricane Sally is continuing to expand. Disaster kits from our faithful partner, The Home Depot Foundation, have arrived in Florida. We’re now partnering with Liberty Church as well, and reaching out to more churches in the area as potential disaster relief distribution centers.

UPDATE 9/18 – Our first shipment of ice, water, food, tarps and bags has arrived to Pensacola, Florida. It’s been distributed to victims of Hurricane Sally by our partner on the ground, Brownsville Church. They’re so grateful that friends like you are sending disaster relief at this time, especially as so many struggle without power. Much more help is still on the way.

Distributing ice and supplies to victims of Hurricane Sally in Florida.

GULF COAST, U.S. – During what some suspect will be a record storm season, the Gulf Coast has been struck once again. Hurricane Sally hit the coast as a Category 2 storm, and the massive tropical system packed a strong punch for Gulf Shores and a huge area from Alabama to Florida.

Strong winds and torrential rainfall caused extensive damage and flooding. In some areas, highways became waterways, walls were ripped from buildings, and bridges were damaged. Hundreds of people needed to be rescued, and approximately 500,000 have lost power. As the storm continues to cause harm, at least one death has already being connected to Hurricane Sally.

Damage from Hurricane Sally in Florida.

Disaster Relief for Hurricane Sally

Although still hard at work helping victims recover from Hurricane Laura, thanks to you, Operation Blessing is sending help to Hurricane Sally victims as well.

Trucks with disaster kits, ice and other vital disaster relief supplies are already on their way to the area. We are also continuing to monitor the situation to assess more opportunities to bless the people of Alabama and Florida.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support that allows us to respond quickly and effectively whenever disasters arise. Please consider donating a special gift to help disaster victims today here or get involved by volunteering here.

Showing Your Love to Persecuted Christians: Refugees Get Help

JORDAN – Imagine if you will: Islamic extremist overrunning your home city with terrifying violence. You grab your family—along with a handful of belongings—and suddenly become persecuted Christian refugees on the run.

In desperate fear for your life, you flee down dark roads through the night. So many have already died. Eventually you reach the safety of Jordan, a neighboring country much more accepting of your faith, and you breathe a deep sigh of relief.

The New Nightmare For Christians

But your nightmare is not really over. Not yet. In your new country, you’re denied refugee status, which might afford you a right to assistance. At the same time, you’re not given resident status, a work permit, or access to public education for your children either.

Yours is one of thousands of Christian families termed “guests” in this nation; you have few rights or recourses as you await the decision that determines your future. The small savings you managed to bring with you from home is quickly running out. And this goes on…for years!

Persecuted christian children

Persecuted Christian Refugees Need Our Help

This is exactly the situation for far too many Christian refugees right now. Although they escaped the terrible persecution of terror groups, their hometowns in Iraq and Syria have been decimated and remain unsafe. These Christians still suffer for their faith. Caught in limbo as refugees in places like Jordan, they badly need us to help.

And wonderful friends like you have stepped up to do exactly that! You are blessing these dear people with the humanitarian aid they need like food, supplies, and medical clinics.

Friends like you also helped provide a wonderful Christian school for refugee children who don’t have access to education. Even during the COVID-19 crisis, Christian refugees continued to be blessed with food, and the children took their school classes online just like here in the states!

You’re also supporting persecuted Christians in places like Kenya and Pakistan. Thank you so much for your love and for reaching out to suffering brothers and sisters around the world with hope and encouragement.