Happenings
Catch up with the goings-on at Operation Blessing!
Portraits of Promise
A safe place and second chance for Emel
Gifts That Keep On Giving
You helped a mother feed her family
Inside this issue
By Blessing Mothers, You Bless Families
Celebrating Mothers
Honoring all the women who nurture and guide
By Faith, Not By Sight
The story of Concepcion, a hurricane, and a community united
HAPPENINGS
PERU: Melany faced the challenges of pregnancy with limited access to healthcare—until your love made a way to provide critical medical support, education, and a newborn kit to help her and her baby boy.
KENTUCKY: When devastating floods swept through Eastern Kentucky, thousands were left without power or water. Thanks to your generosity, Operation Blessing rushed supplies to Pikeville families in crisis.
PHILIPPINES: Little Chrystal was born with a cataract, and her parents feared for her future— until friends like you stepped in. You gave her a life-changing operation, restoring her sight and her dreams!
INDONESIA: Historic flooding in Central and East Java left communities underwater, forcing thousands of families from their homes. Your support delivered emergency relief supplies to those who had lost everything.
COSTA RICA: Because of your compassion, indigenous women in the remote community of Bajo Chirripó are learning to create beautiful crafts and build sustainable income for their families.
CALIFORNIA: After wildfires consumed parts of Los Angeles, your kindness helped Operation Blessing
PROMISE PORTRAITS OF
A SAFE PLACE AND SECOND CHANCE FOR EMEL
Precious young Emel endured far too much hardship, until friends like you came along.
The water dripped constantly, seeping between the many cracks in the pile of debris cobbled together to act as shelter for the family of nine after the Turkey earthquake of 2023. Emel listened to the dripping with growing anxiety. Soon, the water would find its way to her and the rest of her family, as it always did. Then, the coughing and sickness would likely follow.
To 10-year-old Emel, life seemed like a portrait of hardship defined by loss, displacement, and rejection. Born into a Syrian refugee family, she spent much of her childhood caught in a relentless cycle of uncertainty and survival. Her parents, once successful professionals in Syria, fled the war in 2014 with nothing and settled in Turkey. With no other options, they
survived by collecting scrap metal.
At her new school, Emel quickly learned that being a refugee made her different, and in the eyes of many, unwelcome. The taunts came first, sharp words whispered behind her back. Soon, the pushing and hitting began. Teachers, who should have been her protectors, turned a blind eye, offering no help, no encouragement—only indifference. She longed to fit in, to find a friend, but the message was clear: she didn’t belong. Day after day, she sat in silence, shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on her desk. She had already lost her home— and now, she was losing herself. She stopped believing
that anyone cared about her at all. Then, the earthquake in southeast Turkey turned their pitiful house to rubble, leaving the family homeless once again. For eight months, Emel’s family lived in a makeshift shelter of old wooden doors and debris. Every time it rained, the water poured in, and the endless drips would begin again. It felt as if hope itself had crumbled, just like their home. But kindness has a way of shining brightest in the darkest
Emel now enjoys lessons, arts, crafts, and games at our Borders of Love community center.
from page 7 of places. Emel and her family received life-changing support from friends like you. A team from the Orphan’s Promise Borders of Love outreach found Emel’s family and helped them relocate to a camp made of safe container homes—a place where they could finally feel secure. But perhaps the even greater gift was that it was a place where Emel felt seen. Three times a week, she and her siblings attend classes at our Borders of Love community center, a safe space designed to bring learning, creativity, and joy to displaced children. Thanks to friends like you, we provide English
lessons, arts and crafts, and games, giving Emel a chance to explore a world beyond the unimaginable hardships she has faced. Now, Emel and her siblings celebrate birthdays, receive warm meals and clothing, and experience the love they had long lived without. Once a child who blended into the background, Emel is now a vibrant part of a new portrait painted with hope—all because supporters like you care about at-risk children and provide them with safe spaces and educational opportunities. She has friends. She laughs. She raises her hand in class.
Your compassion is more than a gift—it is a quiet and confident voice that speaks through the dark, telling children like Emel,“You matter.”
Emel has become a leader among her peers and dreams of becoming an English teacher to help children just like her. No longer does she feel like an outsider weighed down by rejection. Through your kindness, Emel is finding the gift of belonging.
Emel’s story has become a portrait of promise. Her desperate loneliness has been replaced with the excitement of learning, playing, and splashing in water on hot summer days—simple pleasures that once seemed impossible. The girl who lived in the shadows of war and disaster is now thriving and
We are deeply grateful for your generous hearts that make transformations like this possible. Your compassion is more than a gift—it is a quiet and confident voice that speaks through the dark, telling children like Emel, “You matter.” Emel’s future is no longer defined by what she has lost, but by the promise of what’s to come, and that’s thanks to you.
Gifts That Keep On Giving
YOU HELPED A MOTHER FEED HER FAMILY
One of the most beautiful things about helping
Operation Blessing is how the very people you help then turn around and bless others, creating exponential impact in the world. Your support lets us partner with organizations like Freedom Church and its food distribution program—a partnership that connects your gifts to the people who need them most.
Pastor Fred of Freedom Church couldn’t agree more. “The weekly distribution was supposed to last for two or three months—now it’s continued for four years,” he said.
“It’s been an amazing relationship. Over the last four years, we reached over 5,000 families.”
Families like Wilma’s in Virginia. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, her husband and one son were stuck overseas. Then Wilma lost her part-time job working as a nanny, but she still had two sons at home to care for. “So not having an income—that was rough,” she said.
Fortunately, Wilma learned about the Freedom Church food pantry near her, where we regularly deliver the food your compassionate generosity helps provide.
Wilma received comfort and support in her time of need.
Receiving food from Freedom Church and Operation Blessing was a lifesaver for a mom trying to feed her sons. “I was overwhelmed,” Wilma said. “It was an outlet for people to come and get help for food … and that’s huge.” And she couldn’t get over the quality. She said it was top of the line. “It was great.”
Wilma is incredibly grateful for your support. “I thank Operation Blessing and Freedom Church for everything that was provided for us during those times.”
What eventually came out of this blessing was a tremendous desire to give back. Wilma became a crucial part of Freedom Church’s food ministry. “I came here to help,” she said. “Then God opened up the door. I was able to bless somebody, and then God blessed me in double portions.”
I was able to bless somebody, and then God
portions.
Pastor Fred agreed. Partnering with Operation Blessing allowed Freedom Church to reach the lost and hurting. “We’re making a difference together. … I’m saying to the donors that … every dollar contributed goes way, way beyond. It probably impacts 50 times more in our community.”
Like ever-widening ripples on a pond, what you give keeps blessing others. Thank you for your kindness!
blessed me in double
Wilma moved from despair to hope thanks to you.
you bless families Mothers, By blessing
Many mothers across the globe carry a heavy burden, but not just for themselves. Every day, they worry about their children—growing up without access to adequate medical care, clean water, or nutritious food.
Yet thanks to friends like you, many of those precious women have been set free. They can now provide for their families and give their children a brighter future, because you have changed their lives.
LONG JOURNEY TO HEALTH IN KENYA
“I was afraid.” For months, Anna had battled severe chest pains. But the quiet, remote village of Suguta in Kenya had no medical clinic. Her children needed her. So despite the agony, she pushed herself forward. Then her youngest child, Neyesu, got sick with a fever.
You are giving families hope through clean water, medical care, and food security.
Anna felt helpless. “Seeing my child sick made my heart heavy.”
When Anna heard about a mobile medical clinic you sent to her region, she knew it was her chance to find help. “I told myself, I must go, even if it means walking for a long distance,” she said.
By the time Anna arrived at the clinic with Neyesu, they were weak and tired from the long journey. But Anna held on to hope.
Thanks to you, both mother and child were treated with compassion and care. “The doctors welcomed us with smiles and listened carefully to our problems,” Anna recalled. They left with the medications they both needed so that they could recover.
For the first time in months, Anna felt relief. “They saved my child and me,” she told us. “My child is laughing and playing again, and that brings me so much joy.”
Continued on page 14
PROVIDING FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE IN PERU
Naivy sold food near her home on the outskirts of Iquitos, Peru, to provide for her three children—Milenka (15), Franco Paulo (13), and Hammed (2). But even combined with her husband’s income, they barely earned enough to buy food for two people, let alone five. They had nothing left over to cover other expenses.
Then your compassion and support brought a poultry program to Franco’s school. When our team learned about his family’s unstable income and Naivy’s
OVERFLOWING BLESSINGS IN CAMBODIA
And, for mothers like Kheun and Ouch in the dry, remote village of Kampong Touk in Cambodia, water was a constant battle until you intervened. They had to walk more than a mile to dirty ponds in the forest that surrounded their community. The water was muddy and full of insects, but it was all they had for drinking, cooking, and washing dishes. Ouch was often so busy working in the fields that she had to walk through the forest late in the evening. She said, “If I did not fetch the water for only
struggle to put food on the table, they knew she would be a great candidate for our animal husbandry opportunity.
“My son brought me the news when he returned from school,” Naivy said. “That excited me a lot … the help I was going to receive was great news.”
Raising chickens would provide Naivy’s family not only with additional food but also give her a stable income stream so she could better provide for her family.
one day, I did not have water to use and serve my family.”
Their problems didn’t stop there. Ouch told us that even after boiling the water, it often made their children sick. And during the dry season, what little water these families had simply disappeared. Then you changed everything for these hard-working mothers. Your kindness provided a new well in their village and training on proper handwashing and hygiene practices. For Kheun and Ouch, it was a long-awaited dream come true! “We have enough clean water to use nearby our home—even in the dry or rainy season,” said Kheun. “Small kids could collect the water by themselves; it is safe and easy to draw out the water from the well.”
Ouch added, “Everyone smiles because of having clean water nearby their home … we are so blessed to have it.” Thank you for raining blessings on these precious mothers around the world. Your love has given them hope for a brighter future—not just for themselves, but for their children too!
CELEBRATING
Mothers!
This month we celebrate and honor all of the women who nurture and guide the next generation—all those who show the heart of God for children around the world.
MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO BLESS OTHERS.
By faith,not by sight
Shay Lee received a miracle—corneas sent from the US! Your kindness made this gift possible and restored Shay Lee and her mother’s hope for healing.
South Africa
I have
never seen so well before. I can see everything close up and far away!
–Shay Lee “ “
a condition that caused problems with her corneas. Shay Lee’s mother was desperate for Shay Lee’s vision to be healed so she could enjoy the beauty around her and be successful in school, and eventually adulthood. “She is on eyedrops and gels and many different treatments, but nothing has worked,” said Shay Lee’s mother. Even with glasses, Shay Lee still struggled to see. The only thing that would heal her and restore her vision was a cornea transplant. Continued on page 20
Continued from page19
Shay Lee spent five years on the donor list because this type of transplant is so rare in her country.
Then, friends like you came along and helped Shay Lee receive a miracle—corneas sent from the US! Your kindness made this gift possible and restored Shay Lee and her mother’s hope for healing.
You gave this family who already experienced their share of trials a new lease on life.
Just two short weeks after surgery, Shay Lee’s world changed. She still wore glasses, but this time it was different.
Shay Lee said, “Mommy, I
have never seen so well before. I can see everything close up and far away!”
There are no words to fully express the gratitude sweet Shay Lee and her mother have for the invaluable partners and donors
You Provided More Than Just Meals
The story of Concepcion, a hurricane, and a community united
For Concepcion, life was going well enough. Her days were filled with preparing delicious meals and smoothies for weary travelers that found themselves in Acapulco, Mexico. By cooking for them, Concepcion was
Continued on page 22
Continued from page 21
able to provide a steady enough income for herself.
When a Category 5 hurricane hit her city, it left behind a trail of devastation. Within a few furious hours, the hurricane became the costliest tropical cyclone to strike Mexico on record. With 48 lives lost and over 500,000 people without power after the storm’s carnage, Concepcion suddenly found herself unemployed and in need of food. Faced with the stark transition from preparing meals every day to seeking sustenance for herself, Concepcion felt lost.
That is until friends like YOU showed up in her life. Upon hearing that Operation Blessing was providing free food daily to those affected by the hurricane, Concepcion jumped at the opportunity to secure a good meal. Little did Concepcion know that she would not only get her need for food met, but also discover a whole new opportunity.
Upon hearing of Concepcion’s skillset, our team quickly hired her for a pivotal role in the disaster relief efforts. Concepcion began serving hundreds of meals to storm victims and relief workers each day, all while
forging friendships. Thanks to your support, Concepcion was not only able to gain a work opportunity but also create a new community around her. But this was not the end of the story.
As the city of Acapulco gradually began getting back on its feet, it was time for Operation Blessing to say goodbye to the community kitchen. It was also time to say goodbye to Concepcion, our newfound friend. However, rather than simply parting ways and leaving her to scrape together a living, they came up with a plan. With your aid, we provided Concepcion with some amazing gifts—a water tank, refrigerator, coffeemaker, microwave, blender, and other
entrepreneurial venture selling smoothies and sandwiches from home!
Expressing her gratitude, Concepcion said, “I’ll miss the team dearly but will think of you every day while starting my own business. Thank you, Operation Blessing!” Your gift to Concepcion not only encouraged her to embark on her business but also gave the Acapulco community lasting support during the challenges that came with a devastating hurricane.
Thank you so much for making it possible for us to stay in places like Acapulco, Asheville, and Los Angeles long after disasters have passed to help more hardworking people like
