OPERATION BLESSING
Stories of how YOU bring help and hope to a hurting world.
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD LOVE NEVER FAILS PAGE 6
PAGE 18
HOPE ANSWERED: ONE LITTLE BOY’S PRAYER PAGE 22
Ho pe TO THE HUNGRY
Happenings
Catch up with the goings-on at Operation Blessing!
You gave relief to earthquake survivors in Myanmar 4
Love Never Fails
You support foster parents in the midst of war
Hope in the Rubble
HAPPENINGS
HONDURAS: In the rural community of Brisas del Campo, children once studied in a brokendown wooden shed. Then support from friends like you completely transformed the local school— offering safe classrooms and providing new desks and computers for students like 9-year-old María.
GUATEMALA: When Karla lost her father, her little family faced eviction, hunger, and uncertainty until friends like you stepped in with a sustainable food solution: laying hens. Karla now has a source of both nutrition and income.
OKLAHOMA: When destructive wildfires swept across Oklahoma, more than 200 homes were lost and thousands were left in crisis. Thanks to you, Operation Blessing distributed meal kits, hygiene supplies, and cleanup equipment to fire-ravaged communities like Stillwater and Luther.
MYANMAR: After Myanmar’s most powerful earthquake in over a century flattened buildings, displaced families, and took the life of thousands, friends like you helped Operation Blessing rush emergency relief to devastated communities. You provided clean water filters, solar lanterns, medical care, and other vital aid.
MEXICO: Verónica and her children once made dangerous daily treks just to collect a few liters of water—risking snake bites, falls, and sickness. But everything changed when friends like you helped provide safe water close to home.
KENYA: In the remote Marsabit region, women once faced heartbreaking risks during childbirth. But your kindness helped Operation
T LOVE NEVER FAILS
You support foster parents in the midst of war
he war in Ukraine has taken nearly everything from Igor’s family—twice. First in 2014, when they were forced to flee their home in Alchevsk, and then again in 2022, when war erupted once more, chasing them from Sloviansk to the safety of the Ivano-Frankivsk region. But through all the heartache, one thing remained steadfast: their mission to care for children who had nowhere else to turn.
When Operation Blessing first met Igor and wife, Tamara, years ago, the couple had already built a reputation for their unwavering love and resilience in caring for foster children. But in the chaos of war, their needs grew urgent. With each displacement, they were forced to start over—new homes, new communities, and sometimes even new children who needed their care.
For the last two years, as the war raged on, you have been standing beside them with your support. Because of friends like you, Operation
household items, and small treats that lit up the eyes of the children in their care. This support was more than sustenance; it was a reminder that these youngsters were not alone.
“The war has stolen so much from us,” said Tamara, her voice filled with both sorrow and gratitude. “But we could never abandon our calling. We will always open our home to children who need love, no matter how difficult our circumstances.”
Every child they took in had suffered unimaginable losses. Some had lost parents in bombings; others had been forced to flee. And yet, within the walls of Igor and Tamara’s home, they found warmth, safety, and the unshakable certainty that they are loved—in part
we had no strength left.”
“Each package from Operation Blessing is a gift that helps us continue,” Tamara said. “The food lasts for weeks, ensuring that our children go to bed full and nourished. Your support has kept us going when
Despite the pain, despite the destruction, Igor’s family pressed on. Because of you their home has stood as a testament to the enduring power of love. Through every trial, one truth remained: Love never fails.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
–I Corinthians 13:7-8
From our kids in Kenya—and all of us at Operation Blessing— to you and yours. Thank you so much for blessing children Happy Father’s Day around the world. You have become an extended family for them, loving them like your own in so many ways. God bless you!
Gifting all, or a portion, of your IRA’s Required
Minimum Distribution (RMD) can reduce your tax bill while supporting the poor and hurting.
• You pay income tax on your distribution
• Might push you into a higher tax bracket
• Your tax dollars go to Uncle Sam Gifting Your RMD
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Hope in the Rubble
YOU GAVE RELIEF TO EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS IN MYANMAR
When a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook the region along the Myanmar–Thailand border, it left a trail of destruction in communities already burdened by civil war, violent conflict, and displacement. In one
underprivileged neighborhood, the quake also triggered a gas explosion that caused complete decimation. But in the aftermath of this heartbreaking disaster, something beautiful began to rise from the rubble—hope, powered by your compassion.
Your support allowed Operation Blessing’s Global Disaster Response Team to move quickly, joining our local team that’s been on the ground for over a decade to deliver emergency supplies to survivors in Myanmar. Families received food,
clean water, hygiene kits, solar lamps, and medical care at a time when help felt desperately out of reach. You also made it possible for us to reach out to refugee communities in the surrounding area.
For many, like Naw, this was an answer to prayer. She is among the people who had already been displaced by the fighting. After losing her husband and escaping the violence, Naw now relies on her adult children for survival. “I’m very happy and feel truly blessed by God,” she said, after receiving food you provided through a local church. “This place doesn’t feel like home,” she shared, “but you made me feel cared for.”
Others, like a woman named Ma, are facing health battles on top of the heartbreak of displacement. “I have diabetes but can’t always access medicine,” she told us. “Still, I work when I can. If I don’t work, I don’t survive.” Yet even in her pain, she expressed deep gratitude that you sent medical care to her community. “I’m very thankful and very happy. Thank you so much.”
“This is the power of your generosity—meeting people in their most difficult moments and bringing tangible relief and God’s love. As recovery continues, your kindness will keep making a difference, just as you are making a difference in Asheville after Hurricane Helene and in Los Angeles after the wildfires.
Thank you for standing with disaster survivors in their time of need. Because of you, they are not alone.
This place doesn’t feel like home,” Naw shared, “but you made me feel cared for.
PLANTING SEEDS OF FAITH AND HARVESTING HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
CFOR THE HUNGRY H pe
hatree was at a loss. In the wake of COVID-19, not only was he facing unemployment, but his wife, Mai, had been diagnosed with a serious blood condition. Along with her health, their family’s financial stability was in serious jeopardy. As time went on, with two children in school and medical bills mounting, this struggling couple felt their future was on shaky ground.
When word of Operation Blessing’s agricultural support project reached them, they felt a glimmer of hope. “Since we have land of our own, we decided to start farming,” said Mai. Chatree had done his research: “I studied and believe that cucumber is the vegetable that will save our family.”
Your generosity made their dreams possible! Chatree and Mai were selected for Operation
Blessing’s microenterprise program. The investment funds you provided allowed them to transform their unused land into a thriving cucumber farm.
The results were nothing short of miraculous! “An acre of cucumbers can produce more than 200 pounds in one day,” Chatree explained with pride. The couple sold directly to local households and connected with vendors, helping to stabilize the family’s resources. Now, their farm has expanded to include watermelon and corn, providing even more opportunity for financial growth and freedom.
And your support extends far beyond Thailand, helping to tackle hunger through many global initiatives. When a mother was gifted the funds and supplies to open a fruit This project has helped many Christians. Your generosity made their dreams possible! –Chatree “
“
“Without this project, I wouldn’t have had the investment money,” Chatree reflected. “I didn’t do this by my own strength; it’s God’s blessing that we have cucumbers to sell.” God showed up to also provide for Mai’s health. Through what the couple describes as divine intervention, they were spared huge medical expenses that could have devastated their family completely, and Mai made a complete recovery.
Beyond financial independence, your support has enabled Chatree and Mai to give back to their community. They share their harvest with neighbors and give part of their income to their church.
“This project has helped many Christians,” Chatree said gratefully. “Thank you for choosing our family, for bringing us to believe in God.”
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THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING OUR FAMILY, FOR BRINGING US TO BELIEVE IN GOD
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stand in Peru, your kindness was there. In Guatemala, your love reached across the miles to provide the supplies and business training that brought a laying hens program and financial stability to families in need. Your compassionate giving has been crucial in developing farming initiatives in Kenya, food stalls in Thailand, and food boxes in Turkey.
Every day, lives are being changed as faithful friends like you continue to create sustainable support in communities worldwide.
Meanwhile, within the United States, your support enables the distribution of truckloads of food to pantry partners—ensuring that American families receive nourishment and hungry children get the food they need during the summer months when they can’t eat at school. Because of you, families like Chatree and Mai’s are trading poverty for liberation. Your generous support transforms fear into freedom, hunger into hope, and shows the love of God to our neighbors the world over.
Your kindness changes lives around the world!
Ways You Fight Hunger Around the World
US Hunger Relief
Delivering food to distribution centers throughout America
Small Business Support
Empowering individuals to start and run businesses to provide for their families
Community Gardens and Agriculture Giving families a way to grow nutritious food to eat and sell
Food During Disaster, Crisis, and Famine
Emergency supplies for those in desperate need
School Feeding
Programs Providing meals for children in school and after-school settings
Skills Training
Offering vocational skills that will lead to improved income and provision
Animal Husbandry Enabling families to earn income through raising animals like chickens or goats
More Time for Love
How clean water changed Mateine’s life
We’ve all heard the saying, “So much to do, so little time.” For Mateine, a loving grandmother in Kenya, this phrase was all too true.
Mateine’s time was consumed by the tedious trek she took almost daily to get water for her family.
“I must leave the house as early as 7:00 in the morning, and by the time I get back, it is almost noon,” said Mateine. “It takes me about two to three hours one way, and most times you find long queues at the water point, as so many people are out to fetch water.”
Although the journey is long and damaging to her body, and the water supply is barely enough to make do, Mateine knows the consequences that follow if she doesn’t take the trip every day. Not only will they suffer from thirst; neither she nor her grandchildren will be able to bathe or have clean clothes, and they won’t have water for cooking.
While this was Mateine’s fate for many years, thanks to friends like you her life has changed!
Your outpouring of generosity allowed Operation Blessing to install a water dispenser and a water treatment system in Mateine’s village. The best part is it’s only five minutes away! Your kindness goes beyond Mateine and her grandchildren—it touches the lives of an entire community.
Thanks to the compassionate support of donors like you, Mateine can provide a better quality of life for her grandchildren. With the water kiosk being so close, her
grandchildren can get water while Mateine makes them breakfast and helps them prepare for their day.
Your love is bringing this family closer together. Mateine is thankful that she can do more chores in the course of a day, but her gratitude goes far beyond a to-do list. What she is most thankful for is the quality time she gets to spend with her grandchildren. “Our water problems are now over!”
Thank you for sharing your goodwill with those in need.
It takes me about two to three hours one way, and most times you find long queues at the water point, as so many people are out to fetch water. –Mateine
KENYA
PROMISE PORTRAITS OF
Reaching New Heights at the Top of the World
YOU HELPED MAKE A YOUNG GIRL’S DREAM COME TRUE
If you were to visit the “roof of the world”— where the towering Himalayas straddle Nepal and neighboring countries—you’d see breathtaking, snowcapped peaks stretching endlessly into the sky.
But young Purnima wasn’t looking at the mountains. As the eldest daughter of alcoholic parents, living in an underdeveloped village, her world was much smaller— filled with responsibilities far beyond her years. The 7-year-old was all but raising her two younger siblings, worrying about where their next meal might come from—and wondering if she’d ever get the chance to focus on school like other kids.
Her parents worked as farm laborers, but their income was unpredictable. That meant food was scarce, healthcare was nonexistent, and school was never a priority. Instead
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of playing and learning, Purnima spent her days managing household chores, cooking, and caring for her siblings. School felt like a dream slipping further and further away.
But then, everything changed— thanks to friends like you.
When Purnima joined our Orphan’s Promise School of Life program, she received everything she needed to thrive: school supplies, uniforms, and even nutritious meals to help her grow strong. More than that, she found a place where she felt safe, supported, and valued. In this warm and caring environment, she discovered a love for learning, creativity, and teamwork.
“The supportive teachers have helped me discover new learning experiences,” Purnima said with a smile. And it shows—she’s thriving in her studies, loves arts and crafts, and enjoys playing team sports.
NEPAL
CHINA
INDIA
Our program coordinator has seen firsthand how your kindness is transforming young lives. “It is so exciting to see that, through the program, we can help a child excel in their education and learn to know the God who can change lives.”
Operation Blessing is excited
Promise outreach to children.
There are many kinds of hunger in the world—hunger for food, for love, for a better future. Because of you, Purnima’s hunger for education is being fulfilled and her dreams are within reach.
Thank you for being part of this incredible story of hope!
Purnima is thriving in her studies thanks to you.
Hope Answered: One Little Boy’s Prayer
Friends like you restored Gustavo’s sight and smile
When he was born, little Gustavo brought joy to everyone around him, especially his mother and older siblings. His smile lit up the room and was contagious. But as he grew into a young boy, that smile faded.
Gustavo’s entire world was blurred. Bright sunlight hurt his eyes, and the 8-year-old often stumbled and fell. He needed constant help and supervision.
His mother, Claudia, was
distraught. “He was not developing like other children. And I could not even afford to take him to the doctor to see what was wrong with his eyes.” As a single parent, she made only about six dollars a day selling tortillas—barely covering household expenses. She tried to save up money for an eye exam, but it was never enough.
As Gustavo started school, he struggled to do his homework and couldn’t manage even simple
household tasks on his own. His eyes hurt so much, he often had to lie down. Desperate, Claudia borrowed $130 to take her son to the doctor, but the news was not good. Gustavo had cataracts on both eyes. His sight would continue to get worse unless he had surgery.
“I want him to be like other children,” said Claudia, but she was already deeply in debt. How could she afford the cost of surgery? “I started to eat only tortillas with my children.” If she could pay off her debt, she could borrow more, but the task felt impossible without someone like you to help!
Now I can do my homework because my eyes do not hurt,” Gustavo told us. “Thank God, I can see again.
Gustavo held onto hope. He prayed, “God, will you please fix my eyes and help me to see clearly again.” God answered this little boy’s prayer—through friends like you!
Our generous donors covered the cost of two life-changing surgeries for Gustavo—one for each eye. These operations removed the cataracts and replaced them with intraocular lenses so he could see.
Love from around the world brought Gustavo’s smile back. “Now I can do my homework because my eyes do not hurt,” he told us. “Thank God, I can see again.”
You provide hope and joy through our life-changing surgeries program. Your kindness is helping children and adults see, walk, run, and even smile again. Thank you for your compassion to bring healing to so many hurting people.
