blessings OPERATION BLESSING
SEPTEMBER 2026
Your stories of help and hope for a hurting world
Precious in His Sight A MIRACLE FOR BABY YIJIA PA G E 3
HOPE ARRIVED JUST IN TIME PA G E 6
REBUILDING HOPE AND PEACE PA G E 1 4
At a Glance A Miracle for Baby Yijia
Friends like you saved a precious girl’s life in China
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Hope Arrived Just in Time
Your kindness reassured earthquake victims that they were not alone
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They Are Precious in His Sight
You are helping children like Oliver find nourishment and hope for the future
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A Long-Awaited Gift
Clean water gives joy to families in Nigeria, thanks to you!
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Rebuilding Hope and Peace
Your love gave Iryna a fresh start in Ukraine
“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” –Luke 18:16
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CHINA
A Miracle FOR BABY YIJIA Friends like you saved a precious girl’s life in China
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an you imagine bringing a new life into the world only to have someone tell you to give up on your child— simply because she was ill? This is exactly what happened to baby Yijia’s parents in China. A few days after sweet Yijia was born, she became incredibly sick. Her stomach was swollen. She suffered from a constant fever and often vomited. Desperate to help their young daughter, Yijia’s parents sought both traditional and nontraditional care. Continued on page 4
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They rushed her to money just to pay for their the emergency room daughter’s birth. They pleaded and learned her with friends and intestines were family, but no one SHE WAS twisted, preventing could loan them the WAITING her from digesting additional $1,300 they FOR US TO food. Baby needed to spare their Yijia desperately little girl’s life. SAVE HER. needed surgery. “She was waiting –Yijia’s father Yijia’s parents for us to save her,” were already said Yijia’s father. drowning in debt. After losing “We knew if we took her home, their crops, they had to borrow she’d die within a few days.”
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Thanks to friends like you, a miracle happened. Yijia’s parents were referred to Operation Blessing, and your kindness helped provide the lifesaving surgery Yijia was waiting on. Now, Yijia can eat and digest her food without any challenges. “She likes to play in the field and loves to laugh now,” said Yijia’s father. During the child’s healing process, our team prayed with Yijia’s parents, and they accepted God as the one true living God. Thank you for helping to bring healing to this family and the love of Jesus into their hearts.
Thanks to friends like you, a miracle happened for baby Yijia!
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Hope Arrived Just in Time Your kindness reassured earthquake victims that they were not alone
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hen the earth began to shake, Fatima’s first instinct was to protect her grandson. As the powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Mindanao, she hurried outside carrying the child in her arms. Then she watched as disaster changed their world. “My house has collapsed,” Fatima told us. “Everything is gone. Everything is destroyed.” 6
PHILIPPINES
Fatima sat on the dirt, overwhelmed by what had happened. Most of her belongings were buried beneath the rubble—including basic necessities. “Almost all that we had is gone,” she mourned. “Even rice,” she said. That night, Fatima and her family slept outside. She gathered pieces of tin roofing from damaged structures and fashioned a temporary shelter so they would have some protection. But it wasn’t just the loss of her home that weighed on her heart. “I am emotional because I don’t know if someone will help me, because I am already a widow,” Fatima said. She was not alone in her suffering. Nearly 90 percent of the houses in their area were destroyed. Some families crowded into evacuation centers. Others camped beside roads, basketball courts, or the remains of their homes. But thanks to friends like you, help was already on the way. Your generosity reached Fatima’s community with food
bags, hygiene kits, blankets, mats, solar lights, and tents. Ninety families received emergency relief, including shelter and light while electricity remained unavailable.
Thank you for blessing this Filipino community. And your kindness also rushed help to families in the hill country of Texas after devastating flooding tore through dozens of counties. You brought reassurance that they had not been forgotten. That hope made all the difference.
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COSTA RICA
P O R T R A I T S
O F
PROMISE
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They Are Precious in His Sight
very day, 4-year-old Oliver takes the same walk through the busy streets of San José. Hand in hand with his mother, Katherine, he passes crowded sidewalks, small storefronts, and the constant movement of city life. Their neighborhood is tightly packed together, with sheet-metal homes and shared spaces where opportunities can be hard to find. But Oliver’s destination is different. Thanks to your care, he found a safe place where he can simply be a child. Oliver has been coming to our “Hope Bunker” since he was a baby. It has become a familiar part of his life—a place where he is welcomed, cared for, and encouraged to grow. Each day, Oliver arrives alongside his older brother, César. He quietly waits in line before sitting down to enjoy a nutritious meal. Though he is You are helping children like Oliver find nourishment and hope for the future
A nutritionist provided screenings and support for parents to help prevent malnutrition.
shy and doesn’t say much, his gratitude shines through in the simple way he enjoys every bite. “I like the food because it tastes really good,” Oliver shared. “I leave full ... and I like it when they give me soup.” For Katherine, those meals mean more than food on the table. As the sole provider for her family, she works hard cleaning houses and doing everything she can to meet her children’s needs. But some days, providing nutritious meals is a challenge. “It helps us so much,” she said.
“I know my children have a meal every day, and it’s balanced— something I can’t always provide.” Through your love and Hope Bunkers, children receive hearty meals that help them grow and develop properly. For families facing financial hardship, those meals provide both nourishment and peace of mind. But you are giving Oliver something more, too. At Hope Bunkers, children can find a safe place to play, learn, and build friendships. Through Bible lessons and caring mentors, they are reminded that they are Continued on page 10
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Little Angie now has a safe place to learn and grow through one of our Hope Bunkers.
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valuable, capable, and deeply loved by God. Oliver has been discovering stories from Scripture, including the story of young David and how he learned to trust God and not be afraid. Those lessons help shape the boy’s heart during some of his most important years.
“I know my children have a meal every day, and it’s balanced.” –Katherine And his mother, Katherine, sees the difference. “It makes me so happy,” she said. “Because 10
they enjoy coming here.” There is something powerful about knowing a child is well cared for. When a child feels safe, confidence begins to grow. When a family finds support in the middle of hardship, hope begins to take root. And when a child discovers that he is seen— not for what he lacks, but for who he is—his future begins to look different. Because of you, Oliver has a place where he belongs. A place where he is nourished. A place where he is encouraged. A place where he is reminded that he matters. Because he is precious in God’s sight. And thanks to you, he is beginning to see it, too.
DERS
BLE
ING BU IL
SS
Join the Blessing Movement! Would you like to wake up each morning with the amazing feeling of knowing you’re making a difference? You can be a part of building blessings across the globe every day. Whether it’s through food for struggling neighbors, life-changing surgeries, clean water for vulnerable villagers, or vital disaster relief,
you can be the blessing the world desperately needs. Get involved in rescuing the hurting on a daily basis for $19 a month or more. You can make it possible for us to respond to urgent cries at a moment’s notice. In return, you will receive a handmade chambira-fiber cross from Peru as our gift to you!
ob.org/blessingbuilders
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NIGERIA
A LONG-AWAITED
Gift
Clean water sends joy to families in Nigeria, thanks to you!
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jang Nyam is a small community in central Nigeria, nestled among rolling hills and quiet valleys. Yet their search for water was a constant battle—until you intervened. During the dry winter months, women like Akuben had to rise before the sun to collect water from distant streams and pools— even though they knew the water might harm their families. “Usually, we dig out the sand along the riverbed to get water when the river is completely dry,” explained Akuben. But what they found was rarely enough. 12
“ WE DANCED AND SANG SONGS
as we dedicated our new water well.” –Akuben
To provide for her children, Akuben makes cheese—a process that requires large amounts of water. But the lengthy and tedious undertaking of gathering water kept her from expanding her business. Open water sources were often polluted and unsafe. Families in Ajang Nyam struggled with illnesses such as malaria, headaches, ulcers, and typhoid. Akuben’s two sons— Goji (15) and Amos (12)— once became so ill, she feared she would lose them. But what alternative was there? Then you saw their hardship and sent safe, clean water to the precious people of Ajang Nyam. Your generosity helped
construct three hand-pump wells—providing a lasting, long-term solution and then turned it over to people in the community to maintain. When the well near Akuben’s home was dedicated, 75 members of the community showed up and danced for joy! “This is something we never imagined would happen in our community,” an exultant Akuben told us. “My children and I no longer spend all day traveling to the river … because I now have clean water right by my house.” After decades of struggle and deprivation, what a precious gift this is for God’s children in the hills of Nigeria. Thank you for your part in making this happen! 13
REBUILDING
Hope and Peace
Your love gave Iryna a fresh start in Ukraine
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hen the war in Ukraine forced Iryna and her family to evacuate, she left nearly everything behind— including the manicure studio that she worked so hard to build and even her sense of peace. Then your compassion surrounded her when it mattered most. “Leaving our home was the hardest moment—driving into
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the unknown, not understanding what awaited us,” Iryna shared. “We had to learn how to live all over again. The first months were full of fear, depression, and inner turmoil.” While Iryna’s husband returned to the front lines to defend their homeland, Iryna stayed with their 18-year-old daughter and tried to build a new life. Eventually, Iryna’s mother
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and aunt joined them. “We were no longer at home, but at least we were together.” Then Iryna heard about a business grant made possible through generous friends like you and felt a glimmer of hope. She told us, “When the grant was approved, I felt such relief and joy—as if someone had given me a chance to start life again.” With financial assistance, Iryna could replace the supplies she left behind and restart her manicure business. More importantly, she wasn’t rebuilding alone. Today, Iryna’s business is growing—and with it, the sense of peace and stability she feared she had lost forever. But Iryna dreams of doing even more. “I want to share my skills with those who might be standing at the crossroads now, not knowing where to start.” Your love and care have been with Iryna every step of the way. “You helped me recover a part of my life that the war had taken away,” she said. “We feel your support every single day.”
“ You helped
me recover
a part of my life that the war had taken away. ” –Iryna
SCAN HERE TO GIVE
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU When we work together to meet the needs of children, we empower their families to overcome poverty and create a new future—not just for themselves, but for generations to come. You can change a child’s future today. Visit ob.org/giveblessings
operationblessing.org
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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.