blessings OPERATION BLESSING
AUGUST 2020
Stories of how YOU help the hurting
ready in times of Crisis!
GETTING A HANDLE ON CLEAN HANDS PA G E 1 6
RESTORED VISION AND FUTURE PA G E 1 8
FEEDING FAMILIES, FOSTERING FAITH PA G E 2 2
Happenings
4 6
Catch up with the goings-on at Operation Blessing!
You’re There for Victims of Natural Disaster
Families in the U.S. get immediate and long-term help
Getting a Handle on Clean Hands
16 2
Handwashing stations for a Honduras hospital fighting COVID-19
Inside this this issue issue
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You’re Changing Lives During the COVID-19 Crisis OB Friends Bless Suffering Families All Over the World
Restored Vision and Future
18
Your generosity provided eye surgery for a young man in Haiti
Have a Happy School Year!
21
Praying for a 2020-21 school year full of learning, growing, and joy
Feeding Families, Fostering Faith
22
How you blessed a single foster mother during coronavirus
operationblessing.org | 977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach, VA 23463 | (800) 730-2537 3
OPERATION BLESSING
HAPPENINGS PHILIPPINES: Thanks to you, we’ve been able to send shipments of
supplies for fighting COVID-19 to the Philippines and around the world.
MEXICO: Kids in Mexico receive
encouragement to wash their hands and fight the spread of coronavirus and other diseases because you care.
VIRGINIA: Homebound seniors and those in high risk categories have groceries and supplies delivered right to their doorsteps during the pandemic.
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MYANMAR: You sent food packages to desperate families in Myanmar who couldn’t work due to the lockdown.
KENYA: You provided sack
gardens to mothers in a slum of Nairobi that help them grow abundant vegetables for their families during this time of food shortages.
GUATEMALA: Kids and
other hungry Guatemalans struggling during the COVID-19 crisis enjoyed hot meals thanks to you.
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an. pplies in Michig Handing out su
YOU ARE THERE FOR VICTIMS OF
NATURAL DISASTER Families in the U.S. get both immediate and long-term help in their time of need
F
rom hurricanes along the East Coast, to floods and tornadoes in the Midwest, to tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes across the globe, we are all too familiar with disasters. Friends like you have been helping through Operation Blessing
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in times of disaster both in the U.S. and around the world for decades. Thanks to generous friends like you, we can deliver disaster relief in real time—quickly reaching out to hurting families with hot meals, emergency supplies,
UNITED STATES
helping hands, love and encouragement. And we stay long after the media excitement is over, making sure to finish the job right.
FLOOD RELIEF IN MIDLAND, MICHIGAN
In Midland, Michigan, approximately 10,000 people received an urgent message to evacuate immediately. After rainwater caused multiple dams to fail, Sanford Lake and Wixom Lake both emptied out, swallowing up entire homes in their path of destruction. The residents of Midland, most of whom didn’t have flood insurance because they weren’t considered to be in flood zones, have been at a loss as to how to rebuild their lives. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, Operation Blessing’s Disaster Relief team continued doing what we do best: providing
relief to those devastated by life-altering crises. Thanks to your support, we partnered with Living Word Church in Midland, providing them with pallets of flood kits supplied by our partnership with The Home Depot Foundation and cases of fresh, clean water to deliver to the residents of Midland. The kits you helped provide have been very useful, as many residents came home to find that the inside of their homes were covered with waste water. These buckets are full of cleaning and disinfecting supplies, as well as trash bags—all of which are hard to find in stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Donna and Richard’s house was utterly destroyed. Richard said, “Ours is one of the homes that is beyond repair. It’s certainly a shock and certainly a mess.” Continued on page 8
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Continued from page 7
However, supplies you sent will help them to stay safe as they survey the wreckage of their home and search for anything that might be salvaged. We found 89-year-old widower Robert with a smile on his face, despite most of his belongings sitting in a pile of trash on the curb. A faithful believer in Christ, he also said, “I have a sense of humor. So that’s what keeps me going!”
Robert smiles despite tragedy
Robert couldn't drink the water in his house. He was so thankful for the clean water, supplies, and encouragement you sent to him—as are so many victims of this flood and other disasters across the U.S. and around the world! 8
LONG TERM RECOVERY IN FLORIDA
For Chad, Missy, and their three kids in Panama City Beach, Florida, their nightmare lasted long after Hurricane Michael severely damaged their home. Since they lived away from the actual beach front, they had thought they’d be fine—until the storm actually struck. As Missy recorded the hurricane through her window, everything turned white from rain. Then, she said, “The trees started falling, and cracking, and crashing.” Chad added, “Our roof was just lifting off our house.” Thankfully, the family made it through unharmed, but they could no longer stay in their house. The only place they could afford was a used RV that they bought online and parked in front of their ruined home. They all crammed into that small
CHAD GOT AN EXCITING CALL FROM OPERATION BLESSING.
FRIENDS LIKE YOU
WOULD PROVIDE AND INSTALL SHEETROCK AND INSULATION FOR THEIR HOME!
RV for nine months, as they made a little progress on their house. Then Chad got an exciting call from Operation Blessing. OB had responded to the disaster in the early days after the hurricane, and we were continuing to look for those in need of ongoing help like Chad’s family. Friends like you would provide
and install sheetrock and insulation for their home! As Chad watched the progress, he said with grateful tears running down his cheeks, “It just takes your breath away!” Thank you so much for providing for families struck hard by natural disasters. You are truly a light in the darkness and the answer to so many prayers.
SMART IDEAS FOR TAX-WISE BENEFITS Take advantage of some tax-wise charitable gifts.
Donate Stock – Give stock shares and receive a deduction for the full market value while avoiding tax on capital gains. Charitable IRA – Seniors over 70-1/2 receive a tax exclusion for donations reported as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from a Traditional or Inherited IRA. Due to the CARES Act, the RMD requirement for 2020 has been waived but qualified seniors can still give through the QCD if the donor decides to do so. Contact Planned Giving at 1-800-333-2373 or email PlannedGiving@OB.org
READY FOR ANY
DISASTER You have made it possible for us to quickly reach out wherever and whenever disasters strike! Thank you so much for being shining a light in the darkness during victims' toughest times. For disaster preparation tips visit ob.org/prep
Clean water, the essence of life and a birthright for everyone, must become available to all people now. - Jean-Michel Cousteau Up to 250 residents from the village of Bodiemo in Ghana are so grateful for the gift of clean water. They now enjoy safe and easily accessible water thanks to friends like you. One villager named Ama said, "God richly bless you. We really appreciate your kind gesture to us. This will help bring down the number of waterborne diseases in the community."
WORLDWIDE
In the U.S. and around the world you are ready to help.
You’re Changing Lives During the COVID-19 Crisis
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round the globe, COVID-19 has affected nearly every man, woman and child physically, financially or socially. Its unprecedented impact on global health is matched only by the economic fallout it created. Millions lost their jobs. Either they could not afford food for their families or it wasn’t easily accessible under mass quarantine restrictions and diminishing food supplies. Ko knows this struggle well. The hardworking husband and father of four children lives in Myanmar. Ko was employed at a dam on the river near his home. He and his wife, Thida, also harvested and sold firewood to supplement their income. But when COVID-19 hit Myanmar, the government shut down the country. Residents were told to stay home, businesses closed their doors, and customers stopped coming to buy firewood. Shortly after the lockdown, Ko lost his job. Continued on page 14
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“
When my children say they’re hungry, it breaks my heart. – Thida, mother of 4
”
Continued from page 13
Amid the fear of contracting the sometimes-fatal virus, Ko and Thida were suddenly overwhelmed with panic over their food and soap supply that was quickly disappearing. At one point, they were down to their last cup of rice and had begun rationing soap. “If we can’t go out, how can we survive?” Thida said. “There’s no job, no income. I prayed, ‘God please don’t forget us.’ When my children say they’re hungry, it breaks my heart.” Thankfully, her miracle was right around the corner. Because of you, Operation Blessing travelled throughout Myanmar to give struggling families critical supplies. Bags of rice, a box of oil, 14
beans, soap, and shampoo provided a welcome blessing for Ko and Thida. They were able to wash their hands, prepare the food, and enjoy it together with a new feeling of hope that YOU made possible!
Food distribution in Myanmar
Your gift has blessed families like Thida’s all over the world. In dozens of countries and across the United States, men, women and children are suffering. But you are offering relief. You make it possible to partner with food pantries throughout
Ko and Thida's family received food just in time.
the U.S. loading up carloads of groceries for parents who have lost their jobs. Your kindness provides critical disinfecting supplies to stave off the spread of the coronavirus, like soap and handwashing stations. Because you care, first responders and healthcare workers have been given N-95 masks, gloves, and cleaning supplies to safeguard themselves and those they protect from contracting the virus. We cannot say thank you enough! As we wade
through uncharted waters, coronavirus has certainly changed the world. But your generosity never let up. Our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends—no one has escaped the impact of this global crisis. But your love touches those you know and those you don’t, like Ko and Thida, in a time when hope seems far away. “I am so grateful!” Thida said. “Now I don’t have to worry about food for my family for a while. I know that God sent you as an answer to my prayers!” 15
Dr. Rodriguez shares how her hospital had no handwashing facilities.
Getting a Handle ON CLEAN HANDS
HANDWASHING STATIONS FOR A HONDURAS HOSPITAL FIGHTING COVID-19
C
OVID-19 has travelled to nearly every region of the globe. Millions of men and women have fallen victim to the virus. Even though the World Health Organization suggests 16
regularly washing your hands for 20 seconds to stop the spread of the virus, sadly, some don’t have that option. Take the hospital in Honduras where Dr. Martha Anariba Rodríguez works.
HONDURAS
Their handwashing sinks weren't working, and in one public restroom, the sink was removed from the wall. For weeks, Dr. Rodriguez and her colleagues coped without having this basic defense against the coronavirus—and other communicable diseases— available to those entering the facility. The hospital could easily have become a breeding ground for COVID-19. But thanks to your generous heart, Operation Blessing provided a creative solution for this dire need. OB Honduras partnered with an engineer that designed and created the prototype for a handwashing station. It is designed to be placed at the entrance of the hospital where visitors can easily disinfect before entering the building, helping protect not only the doctors, nurses, and medical staff, but also the vulnerable patients.
The station even includes instructions on how to properly wash your hands to stop the spread of the virus. Your gifts make a huge difference through something as simple as handwashing, a practice many of us take for granted. Thank you for your heart to see the most vulnerable protected from COVID-19.
This handwashing station will protect lives.
“We are so grateful to be THE FIRST to receive these wonderful handwashing stations,” Dr. Rodriquez said through a surgical mask. “This is an exceptional plan! With it we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious diseases just by hand washing! Thank you!” 17
HAITI
Jean will be able to pursue big dreams for helping others, thanks to you.
RESTORED VISION
AND FUTURE Your generosity provided eye surgery for a young man in Haiti
M
eet Jean, a hardworking and dedicated student. At 24 years old, he studies medicine at the University Chretien Haiti, is a capable translator (fluent in Spanish, English, and French), takes painting classes, and is learning to fix computers on the side. Not only that, this driven young man started his own T-shirt-making business in order to support himself and pay for his school tuition. Jean is working hard toward his dream of becoming an obstetrician, and for noble reasons. “In my home village there are many difficulties in childbirth,” Jean says. “The infant and mother mortality rate is very high. I want to make a difference to those mothers who cannot receive medical care.” Continued on page 20
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Continued from page 19
Sadly, a childhood incident threatened to dim Jean’s bright future. Years ago, Jean and his brother got in a fight, as brothers do. But this time a needle, which had been in his brother’s hand, got stuck in Jean’s left eye. Despite two visits to the hospital, Jean was never actually examined by a doctor. “I have been living with my injury and doing the best I can,” Jean said. “Presently, the problem has affected me quite a bit, it itches continually, I cannot see well, and in bright light it bothers me to see at all.” To make matters worse, in addition to the initial injury, Jean had developed cataracts in both eyes. “It’s difficult to live with,” he added. Jean needed surgery on both eyes—surgery that he could not afford. His family are traditional farmers in Haiti, with few resources to 20
obtain medical care. “My best hopes are that if I had a successful surgery, and everything were corrected, I would be free to help others with everything I can,” Jean said. Thankfully for Jean, his story reached Operation Blessing and a partner organization in Haiti. Together, and with your support, we made it possible for Jean to begin his progress towards healing. Because of your kindness and love, Jean has already had two surgeries, one on each eye, which have helped significantly. And he now awaits further treatment to fully restore his vision. “Now with the help I received from Operation Blessing, I feel better to continue my school,” Jean exclaimed. “Thank you for this opportunity… God bless you all who sacrifice yourselves to help people!”
HAVE A HAPPY
school year We wish all of our Operation Blessing kids, along with the children in your lives, a healthy 2020-21 school year full of learning, growing, and joy.
FEEDING FAMILIES, FOSTERING FAITH How you blessed a single foster mother during coronavirus
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ary never lets sorrow have the final word. This 62-year-old widow lost her husband 11 years ago to cancer. Despite the pain, she decided to channel her energy into the community and began fostering children shortly after he passed. She has since fostered 60 children, two of whom live with her now. “Once I got them, I kept them until they were 18 or 20,” Mary explained. “I helped them get into apartments and find jobs. If you’re going to be a foster mom, you have to put your whole heart and soul into it.” But when COVID-19 hit, Mary faced brand-new challenges. Like so many, she suddenly needed to
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NORTH CAROLINA
homeschool her 16-yearold and 10-year-old foster daughters. On top of that, she needed to keep them fed without supplemental school meals. Mary hadn't planned for these extra food expenses, and they’ve caused a strain on her finances. “I usually go to the store early because they sell out of everything so fast, and they’ve raised the prices on everything! It’s very expensive,” Mary said. “I make sure the kids are taken care of, but this has taken a big chunk.” Thankfully, your gift showed up in Mary’s life just at the right time! Operation Blessing partner New Calvary Missionary Church was providing groceries to local families. Mary heard of the distribution and knew it was the blessing she needed. She visited their drive-through service
and her car was loaded up with groceries to sustain her children during the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Bonzia Caison, pastor of New Calvary Missionary Church, has witnessed how her church’s partnership with Operation Blessing has richly blessed the community during this trying time. “There are so many people who are suffering,” Dr. Caison said. “This feeding ministry is a part of our missionary work. Jesus said, ‘When I was hungry, you fed me.’ We’re all servants.” Your gifts bless single mothers like Mary, as well as men and women all over the world. She said, “I want to say thank you, and that they are a blessing, and I hope and pray that they will continue to be a blessing to the families that really need it. God is going to bless them for being a blessing!" 23
TOGETHER WE CAN RESCUE VICTIMS IN CRISIS.
To make sure you’re there for the hurting when tragedy strikes, donate now at ob.org/give
operationblessing.org
977 Centerville Turnpike Virginia Beach, VA 23463 Copyright © 2020 by Operation Blessing
(800) 730-2537
