blessings OPERATION BLESSING
OCTOBER 2025
Your stories of help and hope for a hurting world
HELP AND HOPE FOR TEXAS PA G E 3
WATER FOR GRACIELA, WATER FOR LIFE PA G E 8
BREATHLESS TO BOUNDLESS PA G E 1 4
Abundant Blessings BECAUSE YOU CARE!
At a Glance When Floodwaters Rushed In, Your Compassion Followed Help and Hope for Texas
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Blessing Farmers in Nigeria
You continue helping them reap abundant harvests
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Water for Graciela, Water for Life Because of you, clean water now flows
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Portraits of Promise
You are blessing hungry children in the Philippines
Breathless to Boundless
Yang Hui’s journey from fragile steps to running free!
Honoring WORLD FOOD DAY OCTOBER 16 “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” –Isaiah 58:10
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TEXAS
WHEN FLOODWATERS RUSHED IN,
Your Compassion Followed HELP AND HOPE FOR TEXAS
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or Collene, the day started just like any other. She went to work early, never imagining that disaster would strike so quickly, or that over 100 people would die tragically in her area. By evening, floodwaters were already starting to rise in some areas of the peaceful town of Kerrville, Texas–and her home was in the path. Continued on page 4
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COLLENE DISCOVERED A DIFFERENT KIND OF FLOOD: Continued from page 3
Around 6:10 p.m., a colleague told her a nearby business was flooding. That’s when panic set in. “At that time, I knew my house was flooding,” Collene recalled. Her husband was home alone and unreachable. “I tried to call him, and he wasn’t answering. I was getting panicky.” Determined to reach him, she drove toward their home— but her truck stalled in deep water. “I opened the driver’s door, I put my left leg out, and the water was almost up to my hip,” she said. “I knew at that time I could not save my husband.” That’s when she did the only thing left: she prayed. All the way to the firehouse, she cried out to God for help. Miraculously, her husband was rescued by first responders. Though their home had taken on devastating damage, their lives were spared. “We lost a lot of things,” Collene shared, “but we didn’t lose a life. And
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a wave of your love and support everybody needs to understand that lives are irreplaceable. Materialistic things can be replaced, but not a life.” Just when the wave of loss felt overwhelming, Collene discovered a different kind of flood: a wave of your love and support. Volunteers from Operation Blessing—powered by compassionate friends like you— showed up, ready to serve. “They have been a true blessing,” she said. And when they salvaged what they could from her home, “they managed to make a storage place for the boxes in our garage. It’s just been amazing.” You sent hot meals and truckloads of food, hygiene kits, and disaster supplies to the devastated area. You even provided extra support for local volunteer firefighters and families facing funeral expenses. With your help, Collene and her husband were able to move into a temporary apartment, knowing that everything they
needed was carefully organized and waiting. “We were wondering, ‘How in the heck are we going to do this?’” she said. But thanks to the help you sent, they were able to just “grab the stuff we need ... and move on.”
“They have been a
true blessing–
It’s just been amazing.” –Collene Because friends like you cared, Collene doesn’t face the future alone. She sees hope where there once was despair—and that, she says, feels “like a miracle.” Thank you for being part of her story and for reaching out during times of disaster in Texas and around the world.
NIGERIA
Blessing
FARMERS IN NIGERIA
You continue helping them reap abundant harvests
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o those in the rural farming community of Gombi, Nigeria, survival has a lot to do with weathering uncertainty. It’s not easy to raise crops, year after year, when rainfall is unpredictable and modern agricultural techniques are unknown.
For three years you have helped farmers in Nigeria overcome these challenges through our Gombi Farming Project. The training we provided to participating farmers—on modern techniques, pest management, and storing crops—was enhanced by providing seedlings and the supplies needed to control pests. All the elements a thriving farm would need. Your generosity and compassion helped these people learn to grow crops that were tolerant to drought. And what a difference that made to this community—a transformative, life-changing difference. When the first harvest came in, 20 beneficiaries harvested more than 43,000 pounds of maize, groundnuts, and rice!
“In my entire life, I have never been gifted such a gift before.” —Iliya
To ensure lasting impact, the Operation Blessing team continues providing training. Three years later, the good people of Gombi continue to reap abundant blessings … and they are so grateful.
For Iliya, planting maize had felt too unfamiliar, too risky. But with new tools, vital seeds, and modern techniques, he saw things differently. “I got something new from Operation Blessing,” he told
us—“a good harvest!” Sati, another participant in the farming project, stood in her thriving field of groundnuts and said, “I want to thank Operation Blessing for putting a smile on my face.” This is the Gombi Farming Project—your love and compassion and generosity at work. Through it, lives are being changed— one plot, one planting season, one harvest at a time. 7
GUATEMALA
WATER FOR GRACIELA,
Water for Life Because of you, clean water now flows
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hile many 13-year-old girls might spend their afternoons focused on school, friends, or playing sports, Graciela’s daily routine was very different. She had a challenging responsibility—to help gather water for her family. Her mother is a widow and works long hours picking coffee beans, so the responsibility of making sure the family has water often falls on Graciela. “We have to walk twice a day, every day, to a small pond in the mountains,” said Graciela. Each time Graciela journeyed to get water, she had to trek
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through a dense forest and up a mountain. With the danger of snakes, scorpions, and other frightening animals lurking on every footpath, she bravely continued while also fighting fatigue. Unfortunately, the water that she retrieved was also a danger —to her and her family’s health. “It’s rusty and the flavor is like mud. I don’t like to drink that water.”
There were times when Graciela and her siblings became sick with stomachaches, and sadly, they had to suffer because their mom didn’t have enough money to buy any medicine. Thankfully, friends like you helped turn the situation around for Graciela and her community. Your outpouring of kindness helped us provide a clean water system that brings water right to their homes. Thanks to generous friends like you, we built a water tank that holds nearly 4,000 gallons of water. The tank also disinfects
“The water tastes delicious and I feel very happy.”
the water, so that Graciela’s family and neighbors no longer have to risk becoming sick just so they don’t go thirsty. Thank you for this abundant blessing that changed Graciela’s life along with so many others, including adults who had never enjoyed clean water before. “I am happy that I no longer have to walk to that pond,” she said with relief. “The water tastes delicious, and I feel very happy.”
P O R T R A I T S
O F
PROMISE You are blessing hungry children in the Philippines
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or children living in poverty in the community of Zabales, Philippines, a full belly was a luxury that few, if any, had experienced. Hunger was a daily battle. In desperation, their families prayed for a miracle. And God sent you! At just 9 years old, Evelyn should have been playing with her friends and excited about what she was learning at school—a world of possibilities ahead of her. But a bigger concern outweighed everything else: whether or not her family would have enough food to eat.
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PHILIPPINES
“My stomach hurts because I’m hungry,” Evelyn told us. Yet, she tried to be brave for her hardworking mom. Her mother, Vernalyn, had to support her children on her own. She sold bamboo souvenirs in a beach town close by. When sales were good, she earned about $5 each day. But most of the time, she brought home very little—often not even enough to feed her precious children more than a tiny portion of rice with salt.
Vernalyn watched in desperation as her children failed to grow and thrive. “I felt like I could not do it anymore,” she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “But because of God, I didn’t give up.” Her faith held steadfast until help arrived—and your love answered Vernalyn’s prayers!
Continued on page 12
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Continued from page 11
Thanks to your support, Orphan’s Promise began helping these hurting families in Evelyn’s village overcome chronic malnutrition. Generous donors like you provided healthy meals, medical care, medicine, and school supplies to 80 children, including Evelyn and her siblings. Evelyn’s excitement overflowed. “I love eating vegetables and chicken!” Your kindness shone even further, helping Vernalyn and other mothers start their own businesses. “It’s as if I have a partner in life
now,” Vernalyn told us with a smile. “I’m so grateful to everyone who helped.”
You are blessing families like Vernalyn’s abundantly every day through your support. Thank you for giving them hope for the future.
“I felt like I could not do it anymore. But because of God, I didn’t give up.” –Vernalyn
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SHOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST
THROUGH TAX-WISE GIVING With the end of the year approaching, here are some tax-wise year-end charitable gift ideas and possible benefits for you. DONATE SHARES OF STOCK OR OTHER SECURITIES • Charitable deduction for the fair market value • Eliminate capital gains tax on the appreciation FUND A CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY • Receive an income stream for the rest of your life • Potential for a portion of income to be tax-free • Immediate (partial) tax deduction MAKE A QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTION (QCD) • If you are 70 1/2 or older, give “tax-free” directly from your IRA • A QCD will help satisfy your Required Minimum Distribution, if applicable To learn more about year-end giving strategies, please contact us at 800-333-2373 or email PlannedGiving@ob.org
Breathless to Boundless YANG HUI’S JOURNEY FROM FRAGILE STEPS TO RUNNING FREE!
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hen little Yang Hui was diagnosed with congenital heart disease at the age of 1, her parents saw their world turned upside down. Her father, a welder earning an unstable income, watched helplessly as his daughter could only run about 30 feet before needing to rest. The family faced crushing debt and an impossible choice.
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“When we learned that our daughter had a heart problem, we were worried that as she grew up, the hole in her heart would grow too,” her parents shared. “We felt as if there was a time bomb in our hearts that would explode at any moment.” The surgery would cost 200,000 yuan, which is equivalent to about $28,000—an amount far beyond their reach. “Even if our family house was sold, we wouldn’t be able to pay for the surgery.” But because of the caring hearts of friends like you, Yang Hui’s story didn’t end there. Through a special partnership with the hospital, Operation Blessing was able to arrange a lifesaving surgery for Yang Hui. The transformation has been remarkable.
CHINA
“Even if our family house was sold, we wouldn’t be able to pay for the surgery.” –Yang Hui's parents
“My daughter can now walk nearly a mile to and from the commissary without us having to hold her,” her father beamed. “She likes to run after the big children in the village and can chase for more than an hour non-stop.” With Yang Hui’s renewed strength, her parents can rest a little bit easier. “We sleep with our daughter, and we can’t hear the murmur in her chest anymore,” they said. Your compassion gave this family help when they needed it most, and that help has turned to a new, vibrant hope. “We are especially grateful to the donors we have never met for helping us,” Yang Hui’s father said. “In the future, when our lives are better, we will also do our best to help others.”
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SCAN HERE TO GIVE
As the Christmas season approaches, don’t forget to choose a special gift from your heart to bring help and hope to a hurting world.
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