Stories of how YOU bring help and hope to a hurting world.
HOPE DELIVERED: MEDICAL CARE FOR NIGERIAN VILLAGE
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PAGE 10 JOY TO THE WORLD–ONE ORNAMENT AT A TIME
YOU BROUGHT HOPE AND JOY IN THE MIDST OF DESPAIR FOR DESPERATE HURRICANE HELENE SURVIVORS
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Happenings
Catch up with the goings-on at Operation Blessing!
Hope Delivered: Medical Care for Nigerian Village
You bring healing to the hurting in troubled times
Joy to the World–One Ornament at a Time
You gave business opportunities to women in need
One community in Peru has a new future, thanks to the gift of clean water
HAPPENINGS
KENYA: Because of your generosity, Muyiai Kutata was provided with a goatrearing business to help her family with income to pay their expenses like school fees, food, and clothing.
COSTA RICA: Friends
like you are providing women with training to take on different employment opportunities, ranging from using tools for creating handicrafts to managing economic balances.
CAMBODIA:
Your gracious giving provided Baby Khanun with a free surgery to repair his cleft lip.
PHILIPPINES: Following typhoons in the Philippines, you sent love, comfort, and disaster relief to residents in need.
HONDURAS: Your compassion provided a mobile medical clinic for those facing health difficulties at a remote village in Honduras.
PERU: Thanks to Operation Blessing’s art workshop, Elita was able to improve her craftsmanship skills and earn income by making chambira fabric crosses for generous donors like you!
Hope DELIVERED:
MEDICAL CARE FOR MBAK EKPE
You bring healing to the hurting in troubled times
As tensions filled the air in Nigeria, an Operation Blessing medical team embarked on a grueling 12-hour journey to the little village of Mbak Ekpe. Despite the potential dangers of nationwide protests against the government, they pressed on, driven by the support of friends like you and a mission to bring hope to a community in need.
When they arrived at Mbak Ekpe Primary School, team members received a warm welcome. The community leader beamed as he shared how thankful his villagers were to have this incredible help. This mission was about more than just medical care—it was about restoring hope.
Then it was time for the work to begin, but not before giving it to God. The team gathered for a morning devotional, seeking strength and guidance for the days ahead. Then they introduced the innovative BackpackEMR technology—specifically created to provide medical
records for clinics in rural locales— that would improve local care by allowing physicians and volunteers to focus on what mattered most— caring for patients.
As the team welcomed patient after patient, it quickly became clear what a difference good technology could make, taking quality care to the next level. The registration unit efficiently checked in people via iPads, while nurses recorded vital signs and doctors made informed decisions based on comprehensive patient histories they could access for the first time digitally.
In a temporary surgical theatre, volunteer surgeons performed minor procedures with precision. The lab buzzed with activity as technicians conducted various tests,
from malaria screenings to blood sugar tests.
One patient expressed her overwhelming gratitude. “Many of our people have been suffering from different kinds of diseases. So this week we are happy because … so many kinds of medicines were given to them.” Continued on page 8
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Specialized units offered tailored care to many residents. The pharmacy unit ensured that patients left with medications if prescribed by a doctor. Optometrists checked for conditions like glaucoma and myopia, providing glasses and medication to those in need. And in the dental unit, relieved patients received much-needed extractions and cleanings.
Another beneficiary shared, “It’s not easy in these hard times for somebody to do something like this to help people, so I appreciate it. May
God bless you in Jesus’ name.”
Yet your love didn’t stop with physical care. Our team partnered with local pastors who provided comfort through counseling and prayer, sharing good news of hope in Jesus Christ.
For four days, the team worked tirelessly, touching many lives. By the end of the mission, they had treated 378 patients, each one a testament to what your compassion can accomplish for a hurting world.
As the Operation Blessing team prepared to leave Mbak Ekpe, they were thankful as they recalled the joy on so many faces.
Your support made this possible. Through your generosity, you’ve not only provided essential medical care but also rekindled hope in a community. Thank you for being a part of initiatives like these.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
shining God's love around the globe and bringing joy to our world.
John 1:14
Joy TO THE WORLD YOU BRING
One Ornament at a Time
“
This project is great. It changes the lives of the women of our church. Mothers who care for young children at home earn a living. They are overjoyed. They have also received additional money as a result of this project. ... Thank you, Operation Blessing! –Methawee, age 26 “
You provided small business opportunities to women in need
We’re so thankful that our generous partners like you love to give a hand up to hardworking people who are struggling. And one of the exciting ways you’ve gotten to do that in recent years is by training women to make traditional handcrafted items—including festive Christmas ornaments! In both Thailand and Indonesia, our artisans create beautiful handicrafts that help them support their equally beautiful families. Thank you for making these inspiring outreaches possible!
Ican’t begin to describe the impact your love has meant to me and the people of western North Carolina following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. As an Operation Blessing staff member, I have seen the damage that storms can cause. But this tragedy was personal. This one hit my home. And so I was asked to tell the story of Helene from my unique perspective, and to share how your compassion has made a huge difference.
God’s Love
When the alarm on my cell phone blared at 3 a.m., I panicked. “Flash flood warning. Evacuate to higher ground immediately.” I raced to the front door, unsure of what awaited outside. I could hear the roar of the river across the street from my home. The problem was … we couldn’t see it in the darkness.
My husband put on his boots and grabbed a flashlight. For the moment, our road was clear, and we were safe. We packed our car and waited—checking every hour until dawn, having no idea how badly our area would soon need your help.
When the track of Hurricane Helene shifted toward our region, I had been concerned but not worried. A lowpressure system had already saturated the ground and rivers prior to the storm. We had experienced heavy rains before and knew they would cause downed trees and power outages, but we never expected what would happen next.
You helped traumatized people in Appalachia begin to heal after
Love in the Eye of the Storm
by Operation Blessing Staff Member from the Asheville
Region, Carolyn Fraiser
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By the morning, our river had overflowed its banks. It continued to rise until the storm passed. Then the water level held steady. Even though we lived in a designated flood zone, the river never reached our neighborhood.
We were lucky. But so many others were not, and they would desperately need your support.
The towns of Chimney Rock and Swannanoa were destroyed. Popular areas of Asheville, like the River Arts District and Biltmore Village, were under water. Homes and businesses crumbled into the swelling rivers. People were trapped behind mountain roads that had completely washed out. The death toll kept rising, eventually into the hundreds.
In the days that followed, even as you were sending help, residents across Appalachia struggled with no electricity, water, or any communications. They waited in long lines for hours to get a few gallons of gas or purchase food from the grocery store—that is, if they had cash. Cell towers had been damaged, and all card readers were down. I couldn’t even send a simple text to my family for several days to let them know I was safe. Helene left our strong mountain community vulnerable and traumatized.
friend and coworker Hayley Henson, our national media liaison who lives in Asheville. “There are many lowincome communities. They can’t leave. They don’t have access to cash. And the jobs that they had are gone.” Hayley couldn’t contact her loved ones for two days, but she stepped into action.
Thanks to you, our US Disaster Relief team was already in place to respond. Immediately, they shifted their focus from Florida to devastated areas of Georgia and North Carolina. For the first time, our international disaster relief team joined them for a combined effort. Together, and with your support, they offered hot meals, supplies, debris cleanup, and hope to our heartbroken communities.
When Hayley reported the stories, she struggled to hold back tears. “This is where we live. These are our neighbors. I moved here because it was a haven. But the town I loved is gone. And people just down the road have lost everything and are living in tents,” Hayley said.
“Many would have left town if they had the resources,” said my
As the situation unfolded, you made it possible for our team to utilize helicopters to make drops to remote areas, delivering vital supplies and much-needed water filtration systems. Operation Blessing also partnered with churches to provide an uplifting
event to encourage people’s souls.
But for both Hayley and me, the biggest thing to come out of this tragedy was seeing our community, as well as friends like you from around the country, unite to help those who were hurting most. Strangers cried together in parking lots. Neighbors checked in on each other. Churches set up relief centers to offer support in any way they could. In partnership with Operation Blessing, your love sent tangible aid and hope to people trapped in devastated neighborhoods who couldn’t get help. For them, you were truly a lifeline!
“This was traumatic,” Hayley said. “But God is using these dark moments to invite us to call on Him.”
When I first arrived at our distribution point in east Asheville, a coworker hugged me. I couldn’t stop crying. You had sent them all this way to help my community. “It’s the least we can do,” he told me. “It’s the very least we can do.” And I knew he meant it.
I felt the heart of Operation Blessing that day in a whole new way. That’s the love you give through this ministry. Thank you
A Special Sunday Worship Service and Outreach
Your support enabled us to show love and kindness to the people in the Beaverdam community of Asheville. You blessed them with food, supplies, prayer, worship, and love in the midst of tragedy.
One community in Peru has a new future, thanks to the gift of clean water
As the sun rose over the beautiful mountain vistas in Peru, Jhan Marco (age 9) gathered an armload of buckets and bottles. But he didn’t notice the stunning views that attract
tourists to the Andes highlands every year. He didn’t visit the closest city of Puno, nearly two hours away, or take tours of Peru’s famous ancient ruins. Jhan Marco was on a mission.
“
With the containers in hand, he grabbed his bike and started on his journey. He rode down a dry, rocky path, alongside pastures where his family’s livestock grazed, to reach the river. Once there, he filled each bucket and bottle carefully. He couldn’t afford to lose a single precious drop. Then he loaded up his bicycle and headed back home again.
The mission took Jhan Marco over an hour each day, but he had no other choice. The only water available within Llinquipata, his village, was an open artesian well filled with bacteria. “The well water smells bad and has frogs,” Jhan Marco said. His family desperately needed water for drinking, cooking, and washing. So, every day, he made the long journey to the river—until friends like you intervened and brought the gift of joy.
Like Jhan Marco and his five siblings, their parents had lived in Llinquipata since birth. The daily struggle with clean water was one his family had known for generations. “We need water for living,” said Cirila, Jhan Marco’s mother. “Our animals, our cattle—they all suffer too, because they need water to drink.”
But the water Jhan Marco brought home from the river wasn’t clean. Even boiling it didn’t help.
“At times, we’ve fallen ill,” Jhan Marco told us.
“I didn’t feel like doing anything and had no energy. I was feeling bad, tired, and dizzy.”
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This sweet family and their little lamb now have ample water thanks to friends like you.
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As a mother, Cirila was desperate for a solution. “Every one of my kids are very important for me. … I worry about their education and health,” she said. “We pray that God can hear us and let us one day have clean water for use and for drinking.”
God did hear her prayers and sent your love to the rescue! Together with the partnership of our faithful supporters, we were able to find an alternative water source for the residents of Llinquipata. Kindness from friends like you enabled us to build an above-ground tank to store the water and purify it through a chlorination process. The tank uses solar energy to pump fresh, clean water that then flows to every home and family in the community. And, thanks to your help, the residents of Llinquipata have bathrooms for the very first time. Now, they can wash their hands and practice good hygiene to stay healthy and free from waterborne illnesses.
Today, Jhan Marco no longer has to make the long daily trek to the river to collect water or fear getting sick from drinking it. Instead, he and the other children in his village can focus on their education and spend time with their families.
You have been a part of this incredible gift and hope for a different future for Jhan Marco and his siblings. “I am very happy to have clean water! Thank you very much!”
Cirila is so happy with access to clean water for her family. Thank you for helping to answer her prayers.
Softening a Harsh World with Joy
For families living in the vast Mathare slums of Nairobi, Kenya, life has never been easy. Over half a million people inhabit the flimsy, tin-roofed housing in this densely packed community.
But what had been difficult became truly impossible last spring, when the region was pounded with heavy rains that went on for days—leading to severe flooding after an upstream dam burst. This deluge swept away the homes and livelihoods of over 3,000 people.
You rescued families after a flood destroyed their world
was washed
away
and completely
destroyed.
We had no food or clean water. I did not know how we were going
“ –Mary
“When the floods happened, we lost everything,” explained Mary, a single mother of two. In the aftermath of the disaster, she faced unimaginable hardship as she struggled to provide for her children. “Our home was washed away and completely destroyed. We had no food or clean water. I did not know how we were going to survive.”
But through Operation Blessing, you stepped in with essentials to help people during this hard time. Your care and generosity made it possible for us to provide rice, beans, and canned goods to ensure nutritious meals. The mosquito netting you supplied helped prevent the disease that can run rampant after such a disaster, and blankets kept the survivors warm. The solar-powered Our home
Mary is so grateful for your love and care.
lights you sent have meant greater safety and security in the community. And jerrycans made it possible for families to collect and store water for drinking, cooking, and sanitation when their water source was compromised.
“I am so grateful to Operation Blessing Kenya,” Mary said with heartfelt appreciation. “The food they provided was a blessing. It meant my children did not have to go to bed hungry anymore. We had clean water to drink, and for the first time since the floods, I felt a sense of hope.”
Mary and her children were able to stay with a friend, so they had a roof over their heads. And they found hope amid devastation thanks to your timely intervention.
For Mary, the aid was a lifeline. “Now I can provide for my children again, and we are slowly recovering from the disaster. I will always be thankful for your support.”
Because of your love and care, Mary and 500 other families have found a path to recovery and a renewed sense of hope for the future.
“My children can now eat and sleep and are back in school,” Mary added with a smile. “The future looks bright, and I have hope again.”
Through Perseverance
As parents, you will do anything for your children. If they are sad, you’ll comfort them with hugs and love. If they’re in need, you’ll give them your last dollar. But what do you do when what they need is out of your reach to provide? When Baby Dey was born with a severe cleft palate and lip, his parents were plagued with how they would get their son the medical attention he needed. Oral clefts are birth defects that make it difficult for children to eat and drink. Since these babies often struggle to take in the nutrients they need to thrive, they can be at risk of malnutrition and a weakened immune system.
Your love brought healing to Baby Dey
WATCH VIDEO
Although Dey’s father worked hard, he knew his income wouldn’t be enough to care for his family and save for his son’s much-needed surgery. Dey’s health deteriorated as he battled frequent colds and weight loss.
The children in his community began to make fun of him, taunting him as “cleft lip boy.” His sister stood as his champion, defending him against anyone who spoke negatively of him, while his parents continued to hold onto hope that their little one would receive a miracle.
Thanks to you, their prayers were answered. Dey’s parents learned about Operation Blessing and found out that their son could not only receive surgery, but that it would be free! And through the generosity of supporters like you, Dey received surgery as promised.
The surgery was a success. Dey gained weight, his health improved, and his family was filled with joy. His mother smiled as she said that now he looks like
any other handsome boy. Dey’s new beginning is a testament to the power of compassionate care and the importance of supporting lifechanging surgeries. Your kindness helped give Dey’s family so much peace. Baby Dey can live a healthy life without derision. His sister does not have to worry about children bullying or picking on him. His parents know that their child is healed. And this profound impact is all because of you!
