January 2024 Blessings Magazine by Operation Blessing

blessings OPERATION BLESSING

JANUARY 2024

Stories of how YOU help the hurting around the world.

SAFE SPACES YOU PROVIDE FOR THOSE IN ISRAEL PA G E 6

YOUR COMPASSION REACHES ACROSS THE GLOBE PA G E 1 0

YOU BRING A FRESH START AND A NEW FUTURE PA G E 2 2

CELEBRATING New Life in the New YEAR PA G E 1 2

Inside this issue

Celebrating New Life in the New Year You Eased Fears for an Expectant Mother

Happenings

Catch up with the goings-on at Operation Blessing!

Safe Spaces for Those Suffering in Israel

Thank you for aiding displaced Israelis during a time of war

Compassion from Across the Globe

10 2

Friends like you provided clean water to a grateful village

Unforgettable Love from Friends Like You

A Kenyan pastor can now face the world

Triumph Over Tragedy

You provide food and community to Americans struggling with health issues

A Fresh Start and a New Future

You gave a widow in Honduras a new beginning

operationblessing.org | 977 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach, VA 23463 | (800) 730-2537 3

OPERATION BLESSING

HAPPENINGS MEXICO: After Hurricane Otis, a catastrophic Category 5 monster that barreled into Mexico, friends like you provided aid through our disaster relief team to those who needed it most.

COSTA RICA: Your gracious giving provided children in Costa Rica with vision exams and needed prescription eyeglasses.

ISRAEL: As the war in Israel persisted, your faithful support allowed Operation Blessing to prepare and serve hot meals to hurting, displaced families.

PERU

UNITED STATES: Thanks to people like you and our friendly volunteers, Operation Blessing and Regent University gathered together and packed over 1,500 bags of food for those in need.

MOROCCO: A devastating earthquake left many children in Morocco without the ability to attend school. Thankfully, generous supporters like YOU provided students and teachers with a safe

PERU: Because of generous friends like you, Cirila and

place to continue their education, along with classroom furniture and necessary school supplies.

her six children now have access to clean drinking water after Operation Blessing completed a clean water project in their remote community of Llinquipata. 5

SAFE SPACES FOR THOSE SUFFERING IN

THANK YOU FOR AIDING DISPLACED ISRAELIS DURING A TIME OF WAR

ast October, the world watched in horror at what is being called the deadliest and most brutal attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Lina and her family experienced it firsthand. “I lived in Ashkelon for 30 years, and I was used to missile attacks. During any normal day, a siren sounds and we’d have to hide. But this time it was like a

ISRAEL

horror movie. So many children, so many people, were killed for nothing. Ashkelon is like a war zone now. There is a smell of burning everywhere. The smell of war.” Like so many others, Lina and her children grabbed only a few items and fled. They escaped to the city of Eilat at the southern tip of Israel—far from the fighting. There, you offered them comfort, support, and a safe place to stay. In partnership with our sister organization, CBN Israel, and compassionate friends like you, Operation Blessing provided them with a room in one of the hotels we had secured for displaced Israeli families. These safe spaces gave them a place to heal, to be with others in the same situation, and to rest and regroup for the future. You supplied these families with the things they needed to get through this difficult time, like hot meals, transportation, trauma counseling, and educational supplies for the children. Continued on page 8

Continued from page 7

“We fled from our houses with practically nothing, and we are left without work or income,” Lina said. “What you do is a blessing, honestly. You gave me a complete hygiene kit—toothbrush and deodorant and everything we need.

You also gave me some money to buy whatever I needed. So tomorrow I’m going to buy some clothes and toys for my children. I couldn’t bring any toys at all. I did not even think of that.” Her young son actually jumped on the hotel bed in joy, so grateful to have escaped the terror and to have a place to stay. Lina said, “It’s helping us very much. My children are happy to be here. They can play, and for a moment they forget everything that’s happened.” Thank you so much for reaching out to displaced Israeli families with a heart of love and generosity! We pray for peace in Israel and that God will comfort and protect innocent people throughout this region.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. –Isaiah 43:19

Wishing you a blessed and happy year in

2024

Compassion from Across the Globe

THAILAND

aan Pa Kia Nok village in Thailand has long been a loving and hardworking community. Although this remote mountain village has over 500 residents, sadly they did not have a reliable source of water. The nearest source was muddy and undrinkable in the rainy season. Other times of year they could boil it to make it safe to drink, but there simply wasn’t enough for everyone. In addition, they suspected contaminants from at least one of the sources they used were making their people ill. With most residents unable to afford bottled water, they often had to walk to other villages and beg for help. Seven-year-old Mobai said, “My mother had to pay in the morning and fetch water at noon. I got tired every time I went to get water because we had to travel a long distance.” These dear people just couldn’t seem to win. Then compassionate friends like you came alongside them through Operation Blessing. We provided not only a reliable well, but also a treatment system, chlorination, training on the system, and even classes on hygiene and sanitation! The community is delighted and so grateful that people like you from far across the globe care enough to help.

Thank you for giving clean water! 11

PERU

Celebrating

New Life in the New Year here is no place quite like it: the Floating Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca—the highest navigable lake on earth. Tourists flock to the southern highlands of Peru to see this remarkable site and learn about its inhabitants. Here, on the outskirts of the lakeside city of Puno, Elsa lives with her husband and their children on the charming and unique island of Ccapi Uros. The floating island they call home is actually made of reeds, one their people built themselves.

ECUADOR

Says Elsa’s husband, Eduardo: “We only fish and craft for a living. Here where we live, we have a lot of visitors who come to learn about our lifestyle.” The area is both lovely and remote. And while this brings some advantages—like a thriving tourism industry that helps support families like Elsa’s—that remoteness carries a hefty price for low-income residents: limited access to good medical care. It takes about an hour and thirty minutes to reach the closest city, Puno, traveling by boat and car. Elsa and Eduardo already had two daughters—Cintia (17) and Mirian (11)—when they realized Elsa was again pregnant. Normally, native women in this region can’t afford much in the way of prenatal care.

Lake Titicaca

PUNO BOLIVIA

Continued on page 14

Continued from page 13

But several years ago, after Operation Blessing learned of this community’s need, that changed. We introduced programs to train local health volunteers, offered nutritious food for preschool children, and introduced a prenatal counseling program. In fact, that’s how we learned about Elsa and her family. Now, thanks to caring friends like you, expectant moms are prepared to enjoy their pregnancy, give birth to healthy babies, and strengthen the allimportant bond between mother and child. The Operation Blessing team also performs monthly home visits. When Elsa realized she was pregnant again, little did she and her husband know how big a blessing it would be. An ultrasound, provided by the Operation Blessing team, revealed that she would be giving birth not just to one child, or even two— but to triplets! “I did not expect these results, but I thank God that He wants to bless me with another baby,” said a jubilant Elsa when she learned the news. “I will be waiting for all of them!” Your compassionate

aid meant Operation Blessing could also help Elsa meet the special needs of having a multiple birth. We taught her how to have a safe pregnancy and delivery— and provided her with a newborn kit filled with essentials like diapers, wipes, clothes, socks, and baby soap. The new mother was delighted with this support. “With my first pregnancies, I didn’t participate in this kind of workshop; we don’t have those kinds of things around here. But thanks to Operation Blessing, now I could participate in a very useful program like this.”

And there were some unexpected benefits. “Thanks to this workshop, I could see my babies’ gender,” Elsa said. “I am also happy because the doctor said they are healthy and in a good position for giving birth.” And so you helped this grateful mother bring three new children into the world: sons Yosep, Yosias, and Juan. Thanks to the continued support of generous partners like you, this family in the Peruvian highlands received abundant blessings—along with the miracle of three new lives!

KENYA

BEFORE

AFTER

Unforgettable Love

from Friends Like You A Kenyan pastor can now face the world

uncan faithfully serves his community as their pastor. A single adult with no wife or children, he is usually able to support himself as a farmer. But for the past several years, a health problem has disrupted his ministry.

“I wanted so much for the surgery to be done,” he told us. He was able to save a little bit of money from time to time, but it was never enough. When our compassionate Operation Blessing family heard about Duncan’s struggles,

”

During that period, Duncan struggled with painful growths around his neck and face called keloids. They often itched and swelled, leaking a discharge of pus that caused him even more discomfort and soiled his clothes. People in the community stared at him because of his disfiguring growths. Some even asked invasive and uncomfortable questions. Because Duncan held a very public position as pastor, he began to feel self-conscious. He lost his confidence, and his self-esteem plummeted. How could he continue to serve God and his congregation with this condition? He searched for a solution from several hospitals. Doctors advised that he needed surgery and radiation. But his income from farming wouldn’t cover the cost. Instead, Duncan kept struggling day after day with a condition that continued to worsen.

What you have done in my life is not something to forget.

”

friends like you wrapped their arms around him and gave this beloved pastor the gift of a lifechanging surgery—paid in full! The operation was a gamechanger for Duncan. “Now I can go do my day-to-day activities without any worries,” he said. “People don’t look at me so weirdly.” Duncan is grateful for your love and compassion in his time of need. “What you have done in my life is not something to forget. You have really changed my life.”

UNITED STATES

Triumph Over Tragedy

”

Worrying about food was the thing I thought was going to tip me over.

”

magine, one moment you’re going to work, playing with your children, and enjoying life, then suddenly life as you know it changes forever. In the blink of an eye, you feel your face become numb, your limbs begin to weaken, and you can’t seem to understand what anyone around you is saying, nor can you utter the words to say the things

you’re experiencing. Your worst fears are confirmed— you’ve suffered a stroke. Now imagine that this terrible experience happens twice to the same family in a decade—to a mother and daughter who desperately need outside help. That’s the reality sisters Charlotte and Tanya faced. Although their shared experience was a tragedy, the healing power of community and food built a closer bond for this family. Nine years ago Tanya, a

single mother, suffered a stroke that left her in need of love and support. Her sister Charlotte stepped in and did her best to help Tanya and her children. This was no easy feat, as it sometimes meant the needs of Charlotte’s own household weren’t completely met. And then, just as Charlotte began to hit her stride in her career, tragedy struck the family again. “It went really fast,” said Charlotte as she recounted the day their mother suffered a stroke. “In April she woke up one morning and said, ‘Hand me that.’ I thought she was talking about her toothbrush, but she looked at it like she had no earthly idea what it was.” After her mother’s hospital stay and rehabilitation, Charlotte was left to pick up the pieces. Home alone with her mother, who could no longer move Continued on page 20

You provide food and community to Americans struggling with health issues

Know the signs of stroke

Loss of balance

Eyesight changes

Facial droop

Arm Speech weakness difficutly

Time to seek help

Continued from page 19

or advocate for herself, Charlotte knew it would be impossible to balance work and care for her mom, so she made the difficult decision to quit the job she loved. Now needing to help her mother and her sister without employment of her own, she was close to being overwhelmed. “Worrying about food was the thing I thought was going to tip me over.”

As it turned out, although Charlotte was giving up something she loved, she gained so much more. DC Church receives food deliveries for their food pantry from Operation Blessing. Your support provides a wide array of healthy foods that nourish the body and feed the soul. Charlotte received a flyer about the food pantry at her church. She said, “I think at first I was going to be a little too proud, but the name alone, Operation Blessing, it was like a light went off for me—that this is your blessing you need right now.” The outpouring of generosity by donors like you helped provide blessings beyond measure for this family. “You have meats, you have your fruits and vegetables, you

have snacks,” said Charlotte. “I’m making soups now.” Through this shared experience of dealing with sickness and avoiding the pitfall of hunger, Charlotte renewed her relationship with God, her family, and her neighbors. She and her family offered immense gratitude to you. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said Charlotte. “You have no idea how it has made a difference in my life. When you’re entrusted to take

care of somebody, and you walk into your kitchen and you don’t have anything—the rock that sits in your stomach, the doubts that go through your mind. When an organization like Operation Blessing steps up and goes, ‘Hey, I can help you through this time’ it means everything.” Thank you so much for being an important part of Charlotte and Tanya’s story and for giving food to the hungry—both in the U.S. and around the globe.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” –Charlotte

Should you be thinking about estate planning? THE SIMPLE

ANSWER IS

YES!

Experts estimate that only about one-third of adults have a will, and many people don’t realize a will is only part of an estate plan. The good news is, we have free resources to help guide you. Visit the “Learn About Wills” section of our special Gift Planning website for a Will Planner, Estate Planning Guide, and more!

ob.org/plannedgiving or call us at 800-333-2373

HONDURAS

YOU GAVE A WIDOW IN HONDURAS A NEW

BEGINNING

A FRESH START. A NEW FUTURE.

o one plans to become a widow— especially when you have young children. In a moment, everything changes. Young mothers have no choice but to become both providers and caregivers. While the struggle is challenging in any environment, women in developing countries face truly

limited opportunities. But you are giving them hope for a future! After she lost her husband, Dilcia fought tirelessly to support her twins, who were just 5 years old at the time. She sold food and cleaned houses, but her income was never enough. Every day was a battle to provide for her children. She has struggled for the past eight years to make ends meet. “I didn’t have enough money to buy school supplies,” she told us. Her growing children constantly needed new shoes and uniforms for their public school. Dilcia stretched her income as far as she could. Everything changed when she had an opportunity to participate in a training program you provided through our Canela y Miel cosmetology school. Dilcia learned how to cut hair, paint nails, and provide other cosmetology services to women in her community. While she was still training, she started receiving requests from family and friends for hair services, manicures, and pedicures.

Dilcia told us she was able to double her income and provide for her children, and that’s because of you. “Now I have the possibility to buy new shoes, uniforms, and what they need. This used to be difficult to achieve.” Dilcia is grateful to God for your generosity to help women like her. She is using her new skills to inspire other women to overcome their difficulties and become financially independent. She said, “Thank you for the opportunity to help us train and be able to stand on our own in life.”

Hope Will you give

to the hopeless in this new year?

You can help make 2024 a year full of hope for people in despair like Lydia’s family from Kenya.

GIVE TO THOSE IN THE GREATEST NEED TODAY ob.org/giveblessings SCAN ME

operationblessing.org

977 Centerville Turnpike Virginia Beach, VA 23463

(800) 730-2537

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.