Issuu

blessings OPERATION BLESSING

JULY 2022

Stories of how YOU help the hurting around the world.

YOU ARE SETTING PEOPLE FREE FROM POVERTY! REBUILDING AFTER THE STORM PAG E 6

CHANGING KHALIL’S LIFE PA G E 1 0

BLESSING UKRAINIANS— BOTH YOUNG AND OLD PA G E 1 6

Happenings

Catch up with the goings-on at Operation Blessing!

Rebuilding After the Storm

You blessed tornado victims who lost their home

Let Freedom Ring!

9 2

Celebrating freedom from pain and poverty thanks to you

Inside this issue

From Dry Stones to Flowing Water Young Jesús celebrates clean water in his community thanks to friends like you

Changing Khalil’s Life

Friends like you helped change the life of a Nigerian student forever

Blessing Ukrainians— Both Young and Old

You’ve been a bright source of joy during this tragic time

Sowing the Seeds of Independence

How you helped a woman feed her family in India

operationblessing.org | 977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach, VA 23463 | (800) 730-2537 3

OPERATION BLESSING

HAPPENINGS HONDURAS: You provide villagers with small fish and turtles that eat mosquito larvae and cut off dangerous mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue fever at the source.

INDONESIA: Rae is feeling so much better since you provided a lifechanging hernia surgery that freed him from ongoing pain.

PERU: Parents in Peru can better feed and support their families because you gave them supplies and training to start poultry businesses. 4

VIRGINIA: Volunteer families in the Hampton Roads area got to see the action at one of our warehouses and help pack emergency meal kits for times of need.

KENYA: Villagers like elderly grandmother Kadii have food to eat during a severe drought in Kenya because of your care and support.

UKRAINE: When Ukrainian refugees crossed into Poland, they found our cheerful staff waiting to greet them with warm food and hot drinks thanks to you. 5

REBUILDING after the storm

You blessed tornado victims who lost their homes

- Svitlana 6

KENTUCKY

“I don’t feel good about this.” As a longtime Kentucky resident, Darlene was no stranger to the life-threatening force of tornadoes. But she sensed there was something different about the approaching storm. Even the local meteorologist said he’d never seen anything like it. Darlene knew that her elderly mother, Betty Sue, preferred to wait out tornadoes in her own home eight miles away. But this time she didn’t resist evacuating. Instead, when Darlene arrived to pick her up, Betty Sue grabbed her medications and an overnight bag and got in her daughter’s car. Together, they waited out the storm as best they could in Darlene’s basement with pillows over their heads. And when the storm knocked out their power, the backup battery kept the radio going with uplifting Gospel music. “It was the scariest thing I’ve

ever been in!” Darlene told us. Despite that, “We told each other we loved each other, and Mama said, ‘It’s going to be all right. God’s going to protect us.’” When the storm had passed, Darlene got a phone call from a neighbor of her mother’s who was in tears. Frantic, he was calling to report that Betty Sue’s house was completely gone—he hadn’t been able to find her and feared she was dead. “There’s nothing left over here,” he told her. Happily, Darlene was able to assure him that her mother was fine. The next day, they went back to Betty Sue’s house. Although the structure was indeed gone and its contents were scattered over several blocks, some of Betty Sue’s belongings had survived the tempest—including all seven of her Bibles and some irreplaceable family pictures—her most cherished possessions. Continued on page 8

just want to thank everyone for all your hard work and perseverance—blessing everyone. - Darlene

Continued from page 7

Soon after the tornado passed, thanks to caring friends like you Operation Blessing was able to rush to the scene, reaching out to battered victims with disaster relief supplies and assistance. One of the main things our team on the ground noticed was that many people, like Betty Sue, desperately needed places to store their belongings as they waited for homes to be repaired or even rebuilt entirely. And now, thanks to a sturdy storage shed that you helped provide, Betty Sue has a place to safely keep all of these items while her new home is being built on her daughter’s property. Darlene said that after all they’ve been through, “We’re just thankful that we’re here and we’re alive. “I just want to thank everyone for all your hard work and perseverance—blessing

everyone,” she said. “The main thing is, you’ll pray with people, and that means a lot to my mother because I know prayer’s what will get her through this.” She also expressed thanks for all the donors who helped. Once again, your compassionate support works hand-in-hand with our disaster relief teams and volunteers to aid and comfort victims during some of the most difficult times of their lives. Thank you for so richly blessing those in need!

Freedom LET

RING!

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. ... Use your freedom to serve one another in love. – Galatians 5:13 nlt

Thank you for helping those in need break free from poverty, sickness, hunger, and heartbreak.

NIGERIA KENYA

Changing Khalil’s Life

Friends like you helped change the life of a Nigerian student forever

hen 17-year-old Khalil was involved in a bad car accident, it resulted in severe burns on his left foot. Sadly, as his body tried to heal from the injury, the burns contracted and his foot grew deformed. He was unable to walk properly or use his foot as he should. His father, Ahaji, said, “I watched helplessly as my son suffered. He could no longer

wear shoes or play soccer, which he loved to play with his friends. This affected him even in his performance in school.” For a young man like Khalil, the lifelong ramifications of his condition were devastating. Surgery was possible—and would have helped Khalil—but his parents with their six children are poor and they would never be able to afford the cost. “I have always thought that

this was how my leg was going to be all my life,” Khalil said. Then, Khalil’s uncle saw an advertisement for Operation Blessing’s Life-Changing Surgery program that restored their hope! In fact, friends like you came together to help change Khalil’s life by contributing to a special campaign to provide him with the surgery he needed. Today, things look very different for Khalil’s future as he dreams of becoming a pharmacist. “Getting to know I would get the

surgery to correct the deformity made me so happy,” he shared. “Thank you! ... Now I can focus on my senior secondary school certificate examination.” Ahaji said, “I want to thank almighty God for using your organization to help my son.” Thanks to the compassion of Operation Blessing partners, Khalil and so many others in need of surgery have been given the gift of hope and a new lease on life. To learn how you can help a patient in need, visit ob.org/surgeries today!

FROM DRY STONES TO FLOWING WATER

“

The river dries up and only the stones remain. At the tender age of 8, Jesús is far too familiar with the struggle for clean drinking water. Jesús and his three brothers live with their grandmother in the remote community of La Cuchilla, Honduras. Here, they struggle to find clean water. Sometimes they have access to small, dirty community wells, but when the pools dry up the nearby river is their only other option. Continued on page 14

”

HONDURAS

Young Jesús celebrates clean water in his community thanks to friends like you

Continued from page 13

Your gift of clean water is keeping Jesús' community healthy

The river lies some distance away, and young Jesús takes it upon himself to make the long trek there to save his grandmother the burden. “Carrying water has been very difficult. I told my brothers, ‘Let’s help Grandma and get water from the river.’” But river water doesn’t solve their problems. In fact, it often makes them worse. The contaminated water can make people get sick from drinking it—including Jesús’ little brother.

“People who get sick because they drink that water get a fever and diarrhea,” he explained. “It hurt me to see my little brother so sick.” Then, in the heat of the summer, the unthinkable happens: The river dries up as well. “It made us want to cry, because we ran out of water for several days,” Jesús said. But help was on the way. Thanks to friends like you and our local partners, Operation Blessing constructed a new community water system. We revitalized an existing well, installed a water pump and chlorinator, and built a storage tank and distribution network of pipes. This method now brings clean drinking water to 145 homes, two schools, and three churches! An excited Jesús said, “Now that we have water, we are not thirsty!” His grandmother also expressed her thanks to those who made this project possible. “Now we have water near us. My grandchildren can bathe. I can wash their clothes. I thank the Lord that we no longer are suffering. We are so grateful for the project.” Because of our compassionate partners, Jesús and the rest of

his community will have consistent access to clean water right from their homes. Additionally, hygiene and sanitation training will help them remain healthier—enabling children to attend school more regularly and parents to earn a living. The gift of clean water truly transformed this community—from dry stones to flowing waters.

31 egap morf deunitno

I THANK THE LORD

that we no longer are suffering. – Jesús’ grandmother

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UKRAINE

BLESSING UKRAINIANS— BOTH YOUNG and OLD

You’ve been a bright source of joy during this tragic time

uring times of war, often the oldest and youngest suffer most. But you have been a bright source of joy for Ukrainians of all ages. Not only have you sent truckloads of vital supplies into the war-torn country, you’ve also been blessing refugees—both at the border and within countries like Poland. As able-bodied men have stayed to defend their homeland, most of the refugees are women, children, and the elderly. In turn, you have sent help to some of the youngest and oldest Ukrainians in need.

World War II Survivor Flees a Second Time You blessed Rada, an 88-yearold woman from Kharkiv, who lived through a similar tragedy long ago. Her disabled son, Dmitro, told us, “At the age of 7 she ran away from the offensive of the Nazi army.” Then recently, she found herself under attack again—this time by the Russians. Dmitro shared with us his hesitation to leave Kharkiv, despite the heavy attack, as Rada had been bedridden. But after a month of constant shelling, the danger grew even more intense and they had to get away. “I put her on my shoulders,” said the 64-year-old Dmitro. “I have sore legs, but I had to do it. … I carried her and somehow dragged her to the car.” And the family fled the city for the border.

As they entered safety in Poland, thanks to you they found compassionate Operation Blessing staff waiting for them. “A very huge thank you to Operation Blessing,” Dmitro said. “They welcome people, give very tasty food, keep us warm, and also have a wonderful attitude toward us.” From there we brought them to a safe place to sleep for the night. The family will be heading to Germany to stay with relatives for the time being. Continued on page 18 17

Continued from page 17

A Joyous Interlude for Children After Their Nightmare Journey With your help, we have served countless women and children, including pregnant mothers and infants. Near the border, we set up spaces for mothers and children to eat, rest and recuperate. One mother named Elena had two children with her, Ksenia and Timur. She told us the story of their nightmare journey. “The road from Kherson to Nikolaev usually takes 40 minutes, but it took us 12 hours to get there because the drivers tried to find ways and roads where it’s not too dangerous.”

Nonetheless, she said, “What we saw on our way was horrible. Burned cars, and a lot of people dead along the road.” Once safely resting in the Operation Blessing tent, they found a completely different world. We had toys and art supplies for the children to play with and just enjoy being kids for a moment. Our staff entertained them while mothers got to rest— or took time to share the burdens of their heartbreaking stories with aid workers, as Elena did.

Everything is free—hot chocolate, fries. It is super! – Alena, Ukrainian child

Everything is free—hot chocolate, fries. It is super! – Alena, Ukrainian child In these photos, the joy you see on the children’s faces—after days or even weeks of bombing and dangerous travel—says it all. They were so incredibly thankful to find safety and friends. Their nightmare had ended, and although much remained uncertain, you refreshed them and gave them new hope. When asked if she enjoyed our rest area, a little girl named Alena

said, “Yes, firstly because I now have a friend here, and secondly, the tent is big. Everything is free— hot chocolate, fries. It is super!” As we saw families off on buses toward the next step of their journeys, while much is still uncertain their hearts were filled with your love and care. They knew you were on their side—and that hope for a brighter future remained alive even in this dark time.

LET’S ALL WORK TOGETHER TO FILL THOSE BOWLS! This summer we invite you to join our crowdfunding effort to feed drought victims in Kenya. When we all work together, a little can go a long way!

O B . O R G/D RO UGHT 20

A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU!

Charitable Gift Annuity Rates Increased July 1 Take advantage of the increased rates for Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs)! Establish a Charitable Gift Annuity that pays you a fixed income for life.

• Delivers immediate partially tax-free benefits • Supports the poor and hurting through Operation Blessing • Minimum gift amount is $10,000

Contact Planned Giving to receive your personalized illustration showing your payment rate and benefits.

Call 800-333-2373 or email PlannedGiving@OB.org

Sowing the Seeds of Independence How you helped a woman feed her family in India

here’s no question that coming alongside budding entrepreneurs can change lives and transform communities. In India, where approximately 70 percent of the population lives in villages, rural women play an essential role in supporting their families and communities. Yet all too often, they lack the support needed to help them break out of poverty. That’s where Operation Blessing microenterprise and skills training projects—along with your support—come into the picture. These special projects focus primarily on rural women in India because they struggle the most 22 22

among the poor. With the help of these groups, women have an opportunity to empower each other through encouragement, education, and financial assistance to achieve their goals for a better future.

Women like Deepa, for example. Deepa is a young wife and mother who lives in the remote village of Khatima in northeastern India, a region that’s crossed by the Himalaya mountains. Her husband doesn’t have a steady income, and their two-acre farm can’t support this family of six. Watching her family struggle for years, Deepa knew she was their best hope.

INDIA

Today, thanks to the generosity of friends like you, Deepa and her family are benefiting from skills training that has empowered her to run a small dairy farm. Along with the in-depth education on how to oversee her farm, Deepa has learned bookkeeping and other essential skills to run her business. A small loan allowed her to buy two buffaloes and two goats, and within just a few months she was selling milk in her village— enabling her to help support her family and begin repaying the loan. She has also started growing organic vegetables on

their property and making use of composting, to increase the quality and yield of her crops. Working with Operation Blessing has given Deepa and her family so much hope for the future. “I am grateful to the field coordinators for the training I received under the Operation Blessing projects,” Deepa said. Our extraordinary partners made it possible for Deepa to lead the way in her village, change her family’s future, and be an inspiration to her community. Thank you for making such a huge difference for these precious families in India!

WILL YOU PUT YOUR COMPASSION INTO ACTION FOR FAMILIES IN NEED? Compassion is an incredible force for good! And your compassion can bring fresh hope to hurting people around the world. Make a difference today.

Visit ob.org/give

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(800) 730-2537