At a Glance
Portraits of Promise
How you help war refugees feel at home
The Joy You Gave Her
Your compassion helped Mili live and laugh without fear
You Shine Light in the Darkness
A story of hope in North Carolina
The Life-Giving Gift of Clean Water
Friends like you changed the lives of villagers in Nigeria A Recipe
One Year of Help and Hope for Asheville
In September 2024, deadly floods devastated western North Carolina. Since that time, you’ve reached out with unwavering love and compassion. Together, we’ve rebuilt homes and businesses, while offering hope and healing to brokenhearted residents.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
–Psalm 34:18
PROMISE PORTRAITS OF
How you help war refugees feel at home
What is it like for a 15-year-old girl to survive as a war refugee?
For Karolina, who lived in Ukraine until brutal Russian attacks forced her family to flee their homeland, it meant starting all over. Just five years earlier, her family had moved into their dream home in Ukraine—and Karolina had finally gotten her own room.
But when war broke out, they rushed to Poland for safety. Leaving behind her friends and everything she knew was hard—not to mention having to adapt to an unfamiliar place and learn a new language. There was little privacy in their Polish home, and the only place to study was at the kitchen table.
For Karolina, starting over at a new school was overwhelming. She was lonely.
Thankfully, caring supporters like you made her transition easier. Karolina heard about the Helping Hand Training Center in the town of Zabki—a wonderful resource for refugees.
There, Ukrainian women and children receive humanitarian aid daily—such as food packages and hygiene packets—thanks to friends like you. The Center’s educational programs help them adapt, find friends, and hear the Gospel message.
In fact, for the 200 mothers and children who visit the training center each month, it’s the only place in a foreign country where they are surrounded by their own language. They receive physical, mental, and spiritual support, as well. The kids can also play sports, take Polish language courses, and become involved in music lessons and Bible studies—including CBN Animation’s Superbook!
“When I came to the Center, I didn’t feel like the teachers were just teachers,” Karolina said. “They became friends, a support I so badly needed.”
You help teens like Karolina feel less disconnected from everything they once knew, while also gaining confidence at school and with their peers. Not only did Karolina grow and flourish, she eventually began working as a tutor for other children—her way of giving back. This also enabled her to earn a little income.
“Volunteering and working as a tutor gave me the opportunity … to learn financial literacy,” Karolina said. “After working at the Center, parents began asking me to hold lessons for their children. Now I work independently as a tutor in math and English.” She added, “May God bless you for your kind heart and generosity.”
Truly, you have helped refugees like Karolina by shining a light in the darkness—so they can see a better way ahead. Thank you for your kindness!
They became friends, a support I so badly needed.
—Karolina “ ”
A Gift of healing and joy
FRIENDS LIKE YOU HELPED MILI LIVE AND LAUGH WITHOUT FEAR
For most of her young life, Mili lived with an invisible pain: an umbilical hernia that kept her from doing the things other children often take for granted. While friends ran across the playground, Mili sat on the sidelines, watching with longing. Even at home, simple movements brought discomfort.
Her parents spent years searching for answers. Eventually, they were told that surgery was the only way forward—which felt like a cruel answer because healing was just out of reach. They had no way to afford it. Worry hung over their home like a cloud, darkening Mili’s childhood and shadowing her future.
But that’s when friends like you stepped in. Because of the
love of our compassionate family, Mili received the life-changing surgery she so desperately needed. Together, we lit up her world with hope and healing—and gave her back the childhood she was missing.
“I’m so happy because it doesn’t hurt anymore, and now I can finally play with my friends at school,” Mili shared, her eyes full of joy.
Her parents are overwhelmed with gratitude. The burden they carried for so long has been lifted, and their hearts are full of peace. “Seeing her without pain and without worries is a miracle for us,” her mother said. “Now she has a future full of possibilities.”
“Before, she always had to be careful,” Mili’s mother added. “But now she can participate in all activities without any problem. We are so happy for her.”
Dear friend, this is the power of your compassion. A little girl’s dark and difficult journey is now filled with light. Thank you for shining so brightly—and for transforming the lives of children like Mili with your kindness.
I'm so happy because it doesn't hurt anymore, and now I can finally play with my friends at school.
“
–Mili
You Shine Light in the Darkness
A STORY OF HOPE IN NORTH CAROLINA
One year ago, Hurricane Helene roared into western North Carolina, leaving the serene mountain communities of Asheville and Swannanoa cloaked in chaos and destruction. Floodwaters surged, landslides swallowed homes, and beloved small businesses teetered on the edge of collapse. For many, it felt like the light had gone out.
But friends like you refused to let the darkness win. In the wake of devastation, Operation Blessing launched an ongoing response to help the region recover. Thanks to your unwavering support, that journey became one of restoration, revival—and radiant hope.
One of the most powerful stories to emerge is that of Robert, a quiet man seeking peace in Swannanoa. His path had already been marked by decades of chronic illness and pain. He moved to the mountains in search of rest, but even the beauty of the Blue Ridge couldn’t shield him from hardship. As his body weakened, his hope waned.
Then Hurricane Helene hit, worsening the already deteriorating conditions of his home. The darkness in his life seemed complete—until your love broke through.
Robert in Swannanoa
With your support, volunteers came alongside Robert with prayer and support. Now, his house is being repaired, and he’s receiving the help he desperately needed to create a clean, livable space where he can finally breathe again. And more than anything, he’s rediscovering something he’d long lost—hope.
“It gives me hope and makes me very happy,” he said. “It gives you life.”
And Robert wasn’t the only one whose life was touched.
In the heart of Swannanoa, Short Sleeves Coffee was just days from opening its doors when the floods came. Founder Daniel Lancaster had poured his heart into restoring a century-old
Short Sleeves Coffee Founder “
The help we’ve received has been incredible. It’s allowed us to move forward again.”
–Daniel,
building, only to see it ruined. Then you stepped in. Operation Blessing volunteers joined Daniel to help with cleanup and repairs.
Your generosity didn’t stop there. Daniel received a beautifully refurbished commercial coffee roaster to help launch his business. “The roaster is the biggest gift we could’ve received,” Daniel said. “The help we’ve received has been incredible. It’s allowed us to move forward again.”
And move forward they did— joined by others whose homes and businesses were revived through your compassion. A beloved BBQ restaurant was rebuilt with fresh drywall. A local tire shop was equipped with
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brand-new machines. Volunteers like you showed up with tools, time, and tenacity—each act a spark of light driving back the darkness.
And up in Flat Rock, you helped retired fire chief Gary Brown—battling terminal cancer—rebuild a safe deck and home for him and his family. From landslide-buried homes to storm-shattered businesses, your love has been a steady presence in Asheville and beyond. Your ongoing compassion and support are empowering neighbors to rebuild stronger than before.
catastrophe struck central Texas wreaking havoc and death, you reached out there, as well. You provided meals, helped resupply a flooded fire station, and supported the heartbroken residents with love and care.
It’s been a year since Helene, and thanks to you, the light is still shining. Recently, when an all-too-similar flooding
You’ve shown us all what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus—responding in times of crisis with open hearts and a willingness to serve. So thank you. For shining light in the darkness. For restoring dreams. For bringing hope to North Carolina, Texas, and hurting people around the world. And for reminding us all that no matter how deep the shadow, God’s love—through friends like you— will always break through.
Chief Gary with his extended family
BUILDING A FUTURE Together
When Hurricane Helene tore through Swannanoa, North Carolina, Thomas and Hannah fled on foot with their four young children as hundreds of trees crashed around their farm. The storm left their property buried in debris. Then, Operation Blessing brought volunteers from Northeastern University in Boston to help. Even the Gibsons’ young son joined in—eagerly helping his parents clear wreckage with a tiny toy chainsaw in hand. “It’s very humbling,” Thomas said. “You’re doing the work of Jesus.” Thanks to friends like you, hope is growing again. RELIEF
CAROLINA
2,887
TOTAL VOLUNTEERS
39,676
TOTAL HOT MEALS SERVED
The Life-Giving GIFT OF CLEAN WATER
Friends like you changed the lives of villagers in Nigeria
In the fertile farmlands of Benue State, Nigeria, lies the small community of Tse Yebe. Home to the Tiv people—predominantly Christians and subsistence farmers—these rural villagers thrive on crops like cassava, yams, and oranges. But despite the abundance of natural beauty and hardworking spirit, the community has long battled a heartbreaking lack of clean water.
Peace and Ruth, two young women from different parts of the village, became friends while fetching water from the nearby
stream—a risky, 30-minute journey they made every day. They knew the water wasn’t pure, but they had no other choice.
That river brought more than just water. They told us it also brought stomachaches, typhoid, and fear. The overgrown footpaths teemed with snakes, especially during rainy seasons. Carrying the water home was exhausting and scary, but Peace and Ruth had to keep going—until the day everything changed. Thanks to compassionate friends like you, Operation
“God Bless Operation Blessing for this wonderful gift to our village. WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL.”
–Ruth
Blessing drilled not one but two borehole wells for Tse Yebe. Now, fresh clean water flows freely—safe, close by, and life-giving.
Peace rejoiced. “I am delighted! We will no longer be walking the distance and climbing the hill from the stream anymore.” Ruth added, “God bless Operation Blessing for this wonderful gift to our village. We are forever grateful.”
For a village of over 100 people, this gift of clean water has transformed daily life. Children can now attend school without the burden of collecting water. They are healthier. And the presence of a local church beside the well reminds everyone of the eternal living water available through Jesus. Thank you for being part of their story and for offering life-giving water to those in need around the world.
A Recipe for Hope
You gave a young woman the gift of cooking
Giang Thi Xung spent her childhood surrounded by limitations. Born in Nhiu Co San, located in the misty mountains of Vietnam, she was well versed in the challenges that come with poverty and isolation. It was a region where education is cut short and job opportunities are rare. Where the future often looks narrow for young girls like her.
But where so many stories might have ended, Xung’s was only beginning. She was selected to participate in a three-month culinary training program made possible through a partnership between Operation Blessing and Oneway Ministry. Xung left her village for the very first time and joined a small group of other young men and women, each hungry for knowledge, community, and change.
Every day, Xung learned about nutrition, hygiene, and meal preparation, developing her skills and growing in confidence.
“The best part was learning so many things and making new friends,” Xung said.
“Most importantly, God led me through challenges without any difficulty.
I’m really thankful to the ministry for supporting us. Without them, we wouldn’t have what we have today.”
Xung soon discovered that the
program was the beginning of a new journey, fueled by your support. You gave her more than just a simple cooking course; you helped provide Xung with a path to purpose.
After earning her certificate, she returned to Nhiu Co San and was hired as a cook at the local preschool—the very same school she once attended as a child. Now, Xung wakes early each morning to prepare warm, healthy meals for the next generation, nourishing little bodies with skills that bring health and life to herself and the community.
Because of your kindness, a young woman who once faced an uncertain future now plays a vital role in her community— offering love, faith, and full plates to children who need it most.
