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blessings OPERATION BLESSING

JANUARY 2026

Your stories of help and hope for a hurting world

New Beginnings— Thanks to YOU!

FROM PAIN TO PEACE PA G E 8

PORTRAITS OF PROMISE PA G E 1 2

FROM PRAYER TO POSSIBILITY PA G E 1 4

At a Glance You Were a Bright Light in Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa In the devastation of the storm, your love provided hope

From Pain to Peace

People in La Sierra have a new beginning, thanks to you!

A Bloom in the Desert

You are blessing future generations in Kenya

Portraits of Promise

You helped an orphaned teen find love and purpose

From Prayer to Possibility

Your compassion helped turn one man’s faith into opportunity

HAPPY

New Year!

We’re so thankful you’re a part of our Operation Blessing family as we launch into 2026. Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful new year!

A SMART START FOR THE NEW YEAR Legacy Giving is a powerful way to ensure your values live on, making a lasting difference for those in need. Many legacy gifts cost nothing today. You can designate assets such as cash, stocks, retirement funds, or life insurance to Operation Blessing, or choose options like a charitable gift annuity or a bequest in your will or trust to: • Extend your impact for generations • Support life-changing humanitarian aid • Receive potential tax benefits A SIMPLE DECISION TODAY CAN TRANSFORM LIVES FOR YEARS TO COME. Learn more about joining the Lasting Legacy Society at ob.org/legacy Email: PlannedGiving@ob.org | Call: 800-333-2373

JAMAICA

You Were a Bright Light in Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa

You gave Sasha and her children a hot meal and vital aid after Hurricane Melissa.

In the devastation of the storm, your love provided hope

amaica. The word evokes images of a lush tropical island paradise complete with steel drums and swaying palm trees. But in October, when a Category 5 hurricane barreled toward the island, that paradise quickly turned into a battle zone—a battle for survival.

Hurricane Melissa caused massive destruction

As Hurricane Melissa approached, Sasha let her children stay at a friend’s home that she thought would be safer for them. She hunkered down in her own house hoping to watch over what she could. But then disaster struck. She recalled the moment her roof opened up, saying, “The wind came inside and went up and burst the roof!” As she escaped her home through a window, Sasha thought of nothing but getting to her children. She feared for their safety and rushed to find them— only to discover that her friend’s home was losing its roof, as well. Sasha and her children managed to survive the storm, but their home and much of their community lay

in ruins. The level of devastation looked like a bomb had gone off. Sasha found what she could to create a makeshift shelter for herself and her kids. But they faced an even bigger crisis—no source of food or clean water. Without these essentials, how could they survive?

Then Sasha heard the incredible news. Thanks to your love, Operation Blessing was among the first humanitarian organizations Continued on page 6

Continued from page 5

to reach Jamaica, and we had set up a relief base right nearby! Sasha actually giggled with delight as she described seeing the sign for Operation Blessing. She watched workers handing out water and breakfast for everyone who arrived looking for a helping hand. Sasha and her kids received a warm welcome and a hot meal from our team, along with other vital necessities like solar lights to see them through this difficult time. And our team also provided medical aid for those who needed it in the aftermath of the storm. This care offered more than just a lifeline. It also provided reassurance for the future. “For me, I saw hope. Because I can see that there are others that still 6

care for us,” Sasha said. “It’s like a home away from home. As a mom that’s the most awesome thing to know—that there is help out there to assist with getting my children something to eat so that they won’t have to go hungry.” And beyond meeting the immediate needs of the hurricane survivors, because of you, we are also working to rebuild homes and communities in Jamaica. “Operation Blessing is a big light of hope right now for us,” Sasha said. “We are grateful. And I will say thank you so much for being here to help us. I am so happy you guys are here.” Thank you for shining light into dark places to bless precious families like Sasha’s. We simply couldn’t do it without your compassion and support.

“FOR ME, I SAW HOPE. BECAUSE I CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT STILL CARE FOR US.” –Sasha, mother of two, hurricane survivor

ater is one of Earth’s greatest gifts. It has the power to sustain life, create landforms, and perhaps even to heal. But for young Jostin and his mother Nora in La Sierra, Honduras, water was a source of pain and sickness—a thief of health and happiness. While most of us enjoy access to clean water, families like Jostin’s struggled daily to find water that was safe to drink. Before friends like you stepped in to help, their only option was a dirty river nearby. When Jostin drank from the contaminated water in hopes of quenching his thirst, his body paid the price. “My stomach hurt a lot,” Jostin said. “It burned, and I even curled up from the pain.” He recalled his body shaking with agony. Uncertain of his fate and filled with fear, his mother, Nora, took him to the local health center—by foot. Nora comforted her son the only way she knew how. Jostin shared, “She told me we would get

FROM PAIN to

Peace People in La Sierra have a new beginning, thanks to you!

HONDURAS

there, and on the way, we knelt down to pray.” Their prayers were answered far beyond what they expected. Not only did God bring Jostin through his sickness, God sent friends like YOU to help his entire community. Thanks to your compassionate support, Operation Blessing was able to provide the residents of La Sierra with a community water system, latrines, and handwashing stations.

“Now the water is very purified, clean.” –Jostin

“Now the water is very purified, clean, and I have never gotten sick again,” said Jostin. The thoughtfulness of friends like you gave a new beginning to this entire community. La Sierra is no longer synonymous with sickness and despair. Instead, it’s a place filled with hope and brighter days ahead.

KENYA

A Bloom in the Desert

You are blessing future generations in Kenya

n the dry and dusty village of Korr, Kenya, the birth of a baby is considered a blessing. And for Anzaro, it was a blessing in more ways than one. This remote community in the Kaisut Desert was far from a medical clinic that could help pregnant women, forcing some to give birth at home. “We had to walk many, many kilometers to get help,” Anzaro told us. “Not all babies made it, and some mothers developed complications.”

But your generosity made it possible to change all that. When Operation Blessing visited Korr, we were able to provide critical new equipment to the Baalah Dispensary, which served the community, and commissioned a new space for maternal care. Anzaro’s baby was the first to be born in the new facility. In gratitude, she named her new daughter Blessing, which has meaning for the entire community.

You see, the new wing that you helped make possible is changing the lives of women in this arid land. For the first time, expectant mothers have access to good maternal care—without the need to travel long distances. Now, they can safely deliver their babies right in their own community. “This child is a blessing from God,” a joyful Anzaro told us. “This clinic is also a blessing. That’s why I gave her that name. It is my way of saying thank you to Operation Blessing and continue honoring what they have done for us.” For expectant mothers in this corner of the globe, this development marks a wonderful new beginning—thanks to you.

“

This child is a blessing from God. –Anzaro

”

UKRAINE

P O R T R A I T S

O F

PROMISE You helped an orphaned teen find love and purpose

bandoned. That’s what Mariana felt her entire childhood. She cared for herself and her two siblings while their mother fought addiction to alcohol. Then, their mother walked away—leaving them in the care of a grandmother. At her grandmother’s house, Mariana felt safety, warmth, and love for the first time, but sadly, it was short-lived. Her grandmother tried her best, but caring for three children overwhelmed her. She made the difficult decision to send them to boarding school. Mariana was crushed. On weekends and holidays, she rushed back and clung to her grandmother, but she couldn’t stay. She had no home—or a place she truly

“For me, it was a new world— a world where people support, hear, and respect each other.” –Mariana

belonged—until you intervened with compassionate care. The war in Ukraine left orphaned teenagers like Mariana vulnerable to dangers around every corner. But Mariana wanted a better life. She dreamed of becoming a teacher so she could offer what she never had to others: a guiding hand. She enrolled in an education program at a university. She just needed a place to live in order to stay in school. That’s where your love met Mariana and offered her more than she ever imagined. You gave her shelter and safety through a transitional home supported by our Orphan’s Promise Way to Life project. There, she found what she had been craving her entire life—a place to belong and call home. “When I came here, I was scared,” Mariana told us. “I was afraid that I would not be able to make friends with the other girls, that I would be compared to someone or judged.” Instead, your kindness surrounded her with constant support from a loving team

of mentors, who provided a peaceful place to study and helped her learn the skills she needed as she approached adulthood—cooking, cleaning, and managing her finances. They even gave her something she’d never had before: a cake for her birthday.

“No one ever gave me anything,” Mariana said. “For me, it was a new world—a world where people support, hear, and respect each other.” Today, Mariana feels prepared to start the next chapter of her journey—thanks to you. She will always carry with her the love and warmth from the only place she ever considered home. 13

THAILAND

From Prayer

TO POSSIBILITY Your compassion helped turn one man’s faith into opportunity.

n a quiet corner of Baan Fah Muay, Thailand, the sound of tools clicking and engines humming echoes through the streets. It might sound like background noise to others, but to Sompong, it’s the sound of answered prayer. At 36, Sompong was accustomed to working long hours doing heavy labor just to stay afloat. Though he had skills in motorcycle repair, he lacked the tools and location to build a real business. “I prayed, ‘God, can You help me start a small motorbike repair shop?’ ... I poured out my heart with tears.” Without the right equipment, he could only take small jobs from friends. His income barely covered expenses. Debt lingered, and his young family often

scraped by, eating instant noodles. But at his local church, Thai Covenant, leaders saw something more than struggle. They saw discipline, consistency, and deep faith. They recognized that Sompong and his wife, Pat, were committed to standing on their own and building a stable life together. When church leaders learned about a support program through Operation Blessing that you made possible, they knew Sompong was exactly who it was designed for.

Sompong started a new motorcycle repair shop—thanks to you!

And his wife stood beside him at every step, helping write the proposal, managing finances, and offering prayer and encouragement when the path felt uncertain. Before he opened his shop, Sompong told God, “You’ll oversee the marketing and management. I’ll give it my all and honor You with my tithe.” With the support of friends like you, Sompong’s shop became reality. You helped to give him a set of quality tools, a welcoming workspace, and the dignity of running a business that blesses others. “Some customers bring me gifts like mangoes, limes, or other food,” Sompong shared excitedly. “They thank me, even though they’re the ones paying me!”

In just weeks, the shop grew beyond expectations. Sompong left his night job to focus full time on repairs. He told us that he’s now able to support his family, repay debts, and give to his church! The compassionate partnership of friends like you transformed Sompong’s dream from a prayer whispered in the dark into a new beginning. His family will never forget that when they needed help most, people just like you showed up! 15

SCAN HERE TO GIVE

Let's give new hope IN A NEW YEAR!

Will you make 2026 a year full of help and hope for people in need all around the globe?

Give today at ob.org/giveblessings

operationblessing.org

977 Centerville Turnpike Virginia Beach, VA 23463

800-730-2537

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

January 2026 Blessings