blessings OPERATION BLESSING
JANUARY 2021
Stories of how YOU help the hurting around the world.
You give HOPE to the
HOPELESS
A HUNGER FOR HOPE PA G E 6
HELP AND HOPE FOR VICTIMS OF HURRICANE DELTA PA G E 1 6
FILLING THE GAP
PA G E 1 8
Happenings
4
Catch up with the goings-on at Operation Blessing!
A Hunger for Hope
6
How you fed a starving and fearful family during COVID-19
Crowdfunding a Cure!
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Your generosity brings healing to a father in needÂ
Inside this this issue issue
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Hope for the Hopeless
You sent disaster relief to embattled flood victims in Cambodia
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Help and Hope for Victims of Hurricane DeltaÂ
When two hurricanes struck in a row, you sent helpÂ
Filling the Gap
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You met the needs of a struggling U.S. family during the pandemic
You Send Hope to Nicaragua
22
Empowering families vulnerable to sex trafficking
operationblessing.org | 977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach, VA 23463 | (800) 730-2537 3
OPERATION BLESSING
HAPPENINGS PERU: Thank you for providing small business support that offers amazing opportunities for families to earn income for food, education, healthcare and more—especially during COVID-19.
MEXICO: Collecting trash is a dangerous job during COVID-19. Several of Faustino’s co-workers died of the virus, then you sent reusable face masks with filters to help protect him and his team.
PHILIPPINES: A widowed father and his three young children huddled for safety in a makeshift shanty after a typhoon destroyed their house, until OB found out—and you gave them a sturdy new home. 4
KENYA: Floods in the village of Tangulbei destroyed food, livelihoods, and water sources, but you provided water filters and other essential supplies to help the hurting throughout the area.
TANZANIA: A huge cyst on the back of baby Innocent’s head threatened his life and caused him distress, but his family didn’t have the resources to get him help. Then you made possible a surgery that changed his life.
UKRAINE: People in Ukraine have been ravaged by war, COVID-19, and now fires in the Luhansk area. Thankfully, caring partners like you sent hundreds of food packages to respond to this latest crisis.
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HOW YOU FED A STARVING AND FEARFUL FAMILY DURING COVID-19
PERU
A
Hunger for Hope I
t was the first day of a new school year for Judith’s children. On a crisp morning in March, she happily prepared them for enrollment and even requested a day off from her job for the occasion. But she had no idea of the struggles, hunger and hopelessness lying ahead. At the time, Judith worked as an assistant cook in a nearby restaurant. Since her husband’s employment as a trucker takes him away from home for weeks at a time, Judith is often left with the sole responsibility of caring for their kids. That morning, Judith readied her four children for school, anticipating a busy day at the restaurant. That evening, she received a life-changing phone call. Judith’s boss informed her the restaurant would be closing indefinitely. COVID-19 had officially hit the highlands of Peru where Judith’s family lives. Suddenly, their world turned upside down. “It was like a bucket of cold water in my face,” Judith said. “In my mind, I had a job waiting for me the next day, but that did not happen.” Continued on page 8 7
Continued from page 7
Before Judith knew it, everything in sight and her resources changed. Not only was she out of disappearing, Judith became work, her children were no longer overwhelmed by fear permitted at school buildings. and hopelessness. Lessons for the new Peruvian school But thanks to you and other year were being provided only generous partners, you enabled via radio or internet. Her oldest Operation Blessing to respond to daughter walked a long distance to meet her most critical needs. In a relative’s house for internet access, partnership with a local church, while her eldest son tried to listen to OB Peru distributed mannapacks class through a walkie-talkie. to many struggling families But she noticed her in Judith’s community. “THEY ARE children falling behind. The team later went SAYING THAT THE To make matters directly to Judith’s worse, Judith’s lack house with bags of PANDEMIC ITSELF of income meant a groceries to sustain WILL NOT KILL diminishing food her family through US, BUT HUNGER supply. Her husband this difficult time. WILL” – Judith was away when the Your kindness quarantine started, and means Judith’s he couldn’t return home. children won’t go hungry. As Without any outside support, the they grow and learn every day, your family quickly ran out of food, compassion will not be forgotten. “I soon eating mostly boiled potatoes was overjoyed because you arrived to fill their stomachs. Despite just in time when I was most Judith’s best efforts, the children’s desperate,” Judith said. “Thank you, motivation to do their schoolwork Operation Blessing, with all my steadily decreased. heart. My family thanks you!” With no end to the pandemic
Judith and her children now have the food they need because you cared. 8
We
Remember... This month we honor International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Thank you for supporting Holocaust survivors in Israel.Â
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CROWDFUNDING A
YOURYOUR GENEROSITY GENEROSITY BRINGS BRINGS HEALING TO HEALING A FATHER IN NEED TO A FATHER
IN NEED
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M
eet Dominic, a hardworking father doing his best to provide for his family as an industrial painter in Nairobi, Kenya. One day a few years ago he developed what he thought was nothing more than a pimple on his face. He assumed the blemish would go away but it began to grow, instead. Over time, it became a large benign parotid tumor that bulged from the left side of his face. Dominic’s life was greatly affected by the enormous tumor.
KENYA
He became very self-conscious, wearing a hooded sweatshirt wherever he went in an attempt to hide the unsightly growth. Dominic needed surgery to remove the tumor, but his income as a painter and his wife’s work as a subsistence farmer weren’t enough to pay for such an operation. When Operation Blessing found out about Dominic’s condition, we knew that the kindness of OB partners like you could change Dominic’s life. We set up a crowdfunding campaign to raise the $2,000 needed for Dominic’s operation—and faithful friends like you responded! Although Dominic’s surgery was funded quickly, then COVID-19 hit, placing a hold on non-emergency surgeries. Thankfully, the hold was eventually lifted and Dominic’s tumor was finally removed. Now Dominic is completely healed! To help people like Dominic, who struggle with medical conditions requiring surgeries they cannot afford, Operation Blessing created our Life-Changing Surgeries catalog where you can read stories like Dominic’s and change lives of adults and children forever through the priceless gift of healing. YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT AT OB.ORG/SURGERIES
THE RESULTS OF DOMINIC'S SURGERY ARE ASTOUNDING!
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You sent disaster relief to embattled flood victims in Cambodia
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s is so often the case these days, the people of Cambodia were already struggling with the effects of COVID-19 when another disaster came their way in the form of devastating floods.
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CAMBODIA
In the midst of the rainy season, tropical storms struck the nation hard, bringing damaging floods to 20 out of the nation’s 25 provinces. Rural areas, small towns, and the capital city of Phnom Penh all suffered the wrath of these storms as flash floods ripped through the country. Cambodia’s disaster management committee
estimates that nearly 150,000 families have been affected, and the government had to intervene in helping more than 9,000 families escape the danger. In the end, at least 44 lives were lost, around 130,000 homes damaged, and over 900 school buildings flooded. Businesses and farms also received heavy damage, creating long-term struggles for many Cambodian citizens. Continued on page 14
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Continued from page 13
And as always, behind each number is an affected, precious individual life. Young Souen Da offers us a poignant face to this tragedy. His family already had a difficult life in Cambodia, and now they’ve suffered an incredible toll from the floods. His father once served in the Cambodian military, but a mine explosion cut his career short many years ago. Today today he is disabled. So Souen Da’s mother, Yu 14
Rom, worked hard growing and selling vegetables to support their family, which includes the two smallest children who still live at home. Then came the flood. It took the family by surprise, waking them in the night. It was hard for Yu Rom to help her disabled husband and two small children evacuate to a safer location. By morning, their home had suffered damage, and the
crops they depended on were destroyed. Yu Rom was exhausted, and the whole family was in desperate need of hope. Theirs is just one story out of many, but partners like you came to the rescue.
With your help, Operation Blessing quickly responded with relief for families in need, including Souen Da’s. The OB outreach team employed boats and tractors and trekked through deep waters, determined to get relief to the victims in need. You sent vital food packages, plus chemical packets to purify water that had been contaminated by the flooding. Because of your compassionate support, OB also reached out and helped provide medical care. And this is only the beginning, as Operation Blessing continues to reach out to flood victims in Cambodia as they rebuild their lives. Thank you for giving hope to the hopeless in their time of need!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – ROMANS 15:13 15
LOUISIANA
HELP AND HOPE FOR VICTIMS OF HURRICANE DELTA
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F
irst came Hurricane Laura. Then, just when homeowners thought they could begin recovery work, Hurricane Delta struck along the same path. The Category 2 storm ripped through Lake Charles with high winds, torrential rain, and devastating force during one of the most active hurricane seasons in recorded history. Trudy felt she’d been left without hope—between the two storms, her house and possessions had largely been destroyed. She said, “I’ve never seen so much destruction at one time. I was just in total shock.” Her home suffered intensive damage from wind, water and mold. But because Trudy’s family is older and not in the best of health, she had no one to turn to. “Everybody’s trying to get through and get their own damage taken care of,” she said. And the task appeared far too much for Trudy to tackle alone. Thankfully, you provided hope for Trudy and other victims of Hurricane Delta when they needed it most. Thanks to your generosity, OB staff arrived at Trudy’s home ready to work. They helped her remove debris, rip out moldy drywall, and sift through her precious belongings. “God has you covered. You think you’re alone in a situation and He just sends somebody to say, ‘Hey, we’re here to help you through this.’ It’s awesome. It’s really, really awesome to know that somebody cares,” Trudy said. “I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
When two hurricanes struck Trudy’s home in a row, you sent help.
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NORTH CAROLINA
FILLING
E
die and her husband, Robert, have poured themselves into their community for decades. They both worked in the medical field as EMS first responders for 20 years. In fact, that’s how they met and fell in love. The couple now has a son, 10-year-old Robbie. After years of lifting patients into ambulances, Edie and Robert began to feel the effects the strenuous work took on their bodies. Edie eventually had a neck
Cheerful volunteers safely deliver food.
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THE GAP
You met the needs of a struggling U.S. family during the pandemic
operation, while Robert received surgery for both his neck and back. In fact, Robert’s injuries have permanently disabled him, and he no longer works. Edie transitioned out of the EMS field and into retail. But when COVID-19 hit the United States, it rocked Edie’s steady income. “Of course, they had to lay people off,” Edie explained. “I lost my job because of the pandemic.”
The new normal Edie and Robert were thrust into took an immediate toll on their family. With no income, they applied for government assistance. But these meager subsidies didn’t provide enough for the entire family. That’s when Edie learned of Operation Blessing partner Eastern Star Church of God in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. When COVID-19 shook the lives of Continued on page 20
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Continued from page 19
families in the community, like Edie’s, Eastern Star set up a regular food distribution to feed hundreds of struggling men and women every single week. The groceries your kindness helped provide are being safely delivered into trunks of cars and, in some cases, directly to front doors. Your generosity means families can feel confident that they’ll have food during these uncertain times! “It saved us—literally!” Edie exclaimed. Ministry director George Brackett has served his community for over two decades and has seen a significant increase in the need for food because of COVID-19. “In this city, we have a lot of folks that are hungry,” George explained. “A lot of people have lost their jobs. And that’s what gives me
“It saved us—literally!” —Edie
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a stronger drive to push through this. We don’t turn anybody down.” Likewise, Edie has been so inspired by the compassion of Operation Blessing partners that she has also committed to caring
for other people in her community who can’t make the trip. Your faithful support is causing ripple effects through Elizabeth City! “Thank you,” said Edie. “That’s the biggest thing anybody can say.”
MAKING AN IMPACT WITH BENEFITS Rolling over your IRA’s “Required Minimum Distribution” can reduce your tax bill while supporting a cause you care about. Compare taking your RMD versus making an IRA Charitable gift to OB.
Regular RMD
• You pay income tax on your distribution • May push you into a higher tax bracket • Your tax dollars go to Uncle Sam
IRA Charitable Gift
• You will pay no income tax on your gift • Qualified Charitable Distribution counts toward RMD • You can designate your gift the way you want For more info, email PlannedGiving@OB.org, call 1-800-333-2373, or visit ob.plannedgiving.org 2121
NICARAGUA
YOU SEND HOPE TO NICARAGUA
Empowering families vulnerable to sex trafficking
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llison is much like any other 16-year-old girl. She lives with her mother and sisters, she works hard to get good grades, and she dreams of studying at a university in her home country of Nicaragua. But a few years ago, her life was on a starkly different Allison has hope for a bright future, thanks to you. trajectory. Thankfully, her mother, Reyna, took the brave step to escape a life of prostitution—a life that could easily have become Allison’s, as well. Gabriela, another young woman who escaped prostitution in Nicaragua, can relate. She spent several painful years in the bondage of sex work, struggling to survive on the streets. But thankfully, after her son Leonardo was born, God provided a way out. Reyna and Gabriela both have better lives and their children have brighter futures because of you and a 22
partnership with House of Hope. This ministry serves women in Nicaragua seeking escape from prostitution and trafficking. They offer housing and programs to successfully reintegrate these women into society. Regular prayer and Bible study lay the foundation for this ministry, while job training empowers women to take control of their futures. Thanks to your support and the partnership between Operation Blessing and House of Hope, both Reyna’s daughter Allison and Gabriela’s son Leonardo have scholarships that keep them safely in school. Allison is in her fifth year of secondary school and is more motivated than ever to keep her grades high, as she dreams of becoming an architect. At age 5, Leonardo has a favorite color: green. He loves to play soccer and hopes to be an engineer. He said, “Thank you for paying for my schooling.” Thanks to you and other generous partners, families like Reyna’s and Gabriela’s are being transformed. Chains of bondage from prostitution are breaking away through your gifts and Leonardo enjoys the education you made possible. prayer support! 23
Smiles THEIR
BEGIN
IN
YOUR
HE ART
LET’S START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT!
Your love can send more smiles to those in need today.
o b . o r g / g i v e
operationblessing.org
977 Centerville Turnpike Virginia Beach, VA 23463 Copyright © 2021 by Operation Blessing
(800) 730-2537