MEXICO – For most of her young life, Mili lived with an invisible pain: an umbilical hernia that kept her from doing the things other children often take for granted. While friends ran across the playground, Mili sat on the sidelines, watching with longing. Even at home, simple movements brought discomfort.
Her parents spent years searching for answers. Eventually, they were told that umbilical hernia surgery was the only way forward—which felt like a cruel answer because healing was just out of reach. They had no way to afford it. Worry hung over their home like a cloud, darkening Mili’s childhood and shadowing her future.
Healed from an Umbilical Hernia
But that’s when friends like you stepped in. Because of the love of our compassionate family, Mili received the life-changing surgery she so desperately needed. Together, we lit up her world with hope and healing—and gave her back the childhood she was missing.
“I’m so happy because it doesn’t hurt anymore, and now I can finally play with my friends at school,” Mili shared, her eyes full of joy.
Her parents are overwhelmed with gratitude. The burden they carried for so long has been lifted, and their hearts are full of peace. “Seeing her without pain and without worries is a miracle for us,” her mother said. “Now she has a future full of possibilities.”
“Before, she always had to be careful,” Mili’s mother added. “But now she can participate in all activities without any problem. We are so happy for her.”
Dear friend, this is the power of your compassion. A little girl’s dark and difficult journey to overcome an umbilical hernia, is now filled with light. Thank you for shining so brightly—and for transforming the lives of children like Mili with your kindness.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — In late August 2005, the skies over the Gulf Coast darkened as Hurricane Katrina barreled toward the city of New Orleans. The forecasts were dire. Everyone knew the storm would be bad—but no one knew just how much life would change, or how this tragedy would give rise to a global mission.
When the levees broke, the city fell silent. “No lights, just death everywhere,” one responder recalled. “The amount of need was hard to even describe.”
But that moment of heartbreak sparked something powerful—something still changing lives around the world today.
Friends Like You Helped Launch a Global Mission
In the midst of the devastation, God stirred hearts to respond. That faithful commitment transformed local relief into a global mission—planting the seeds for Operation Blessing’s Global Disaster Response ministry.
Flip phones in hand and boots on the ground, our early teams didn’t yet know that two months of crisis work in New Orleans would become two years of divine assignment. They saw destruction firsthand… but they also witnessed hope, resilience, and the miracle of partnership.
“We were just trying to help wherever we could. There weren’t enough hours in the day,” one staff member shared. “But God kept opening doors.”
What began as one urgent response grew into a full-fledged global mission—reaching disaster zones across the U.S. and around the world. From feeding families in flooded towns, to offering solar light and water filters after earthquakes, Operation Blessing has now helped survivors in more than 90 countries and territories. And it all started with Katrina.
Relive the Moment That Changed Everything
Now, on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we invite you to watch a powerful new trailer that tells the untold story—how one storm helped shape a ministry that continues to bring God’s love in times of crisis.
The power of partnership to rebuild broken communities
As one team member says in the video, “This is a new thing. A new day. A new opportunity to solve a new problem.”
And that global mission continues today—because of friends like you.
Together, we’ve seen how tragedy can be transformed into triumph. You are part of this incredible legacy of hope. Thank you for being there when it mattered most. And thank you for continuing to care.
📽️ Don’t miss this inspiring story—click to watch the trailer now!
NORTH CAROLINA – One year ago, Hurricane Helene roared into western North Carolina, bringing devastating floods that left the serene mountain communities of Asheville and Swannanoa cloaked in chaos and destruction. Floodwaters surged, landslides swallowed homes, and beloved small businesses teetered on the edge of collapse. After devastating floods, many felt like the light had gone out. But friends like you refused to let the darkness win.
In the wake of devastation, Operation Blessing launched an ongoing response to help the region recover. Thanks to your unwavering support, that journey became one of restoration, revival—and radiant hope. One of the most powerful stories to emerge is that of Robert, a quiet man seeking peace in Swannanoa. His path had already been marked by decades of chronic illness and pain. He moved to the mountains in search of rest, but even the beauty of the Blue Ridge couldn’t shield him from hardship. As his body weakened, his hope waned. Then Hurricane Helene hit, worsening the already deteriorating conditions of his home. The darkness in his life seemed complete—until your love broke through.
Devastating Floods from Hurricane Helene
With your support, volunteers came alongside Robert with prayer and support. Now, his house is being repaired, and he’s receiving the help he desperately needed to create a clean, livable space where he can finally breathe again. And more than anything, he’s rediscovering something he’d long lost—hope.“It gives me hope and makes me very happy,” he said. “It gives you life.” And Robert wasn’t the only one whose life was touched.
In the heart of Swannanoa, Short Sleeves Coffee was just days from opening its doors when the floods came. Founder Daniel Lancaster had poured his heart into restoring a century-old building, only to see it ruined. Then you stepped in. Operation Blessing volunteers joined Daniel to help with cleanup and repairs.Your generosity didn’t stop there. Daniel received a beautifully refurbished commercial coffee roaster to help launch his business. “The roaster is the biggest gift we could’ve received,” Daniel said. “The help we’ve received has been incredible. It’s allowed us to move forward again.”
And move forward they did— joined by others whose homes and businesses were revived through your compassion. A beloved BBQ restaurant was rebuilt with fresh drywall. A local tire shop was equipped with brand-new machines. Volunteers like you showed up with tools, time, and tenacity—each act a spark of light driving back the darkness.
And up in Flat Rock, you helped retired fire chief Gary Brown—battling terminal cancer—rebuild a safe deck and home for him and his family. From landslide-buried homes to storm-shattered businesses, your love has been a steady presence in Asheville and beyond. Your ongoing compassion and support are empowering neighbors to rebuild stronger than before.
It’s been a year since Helene, and thanks to you, the light is still shining. Recently, when another wave of devastating floods struck central Texas—wreaking havoc and death—you reached out there, as well. You’ve shown us all what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus—responding in times of crisis with open hearts and a willingness to serve after devastating floods. So thank you. For shining light in the darkness. For restoring dreams. For bringing hope to North Carolina, Texas, and hurting people around the world. And for reminding us all that no matter how deep the shadow, God’s love—through friends like you— will always break through.
THAILAND – Imagine having to choose between your children going hungry and sending them away so you could find work in another country. That’s one of the difficult choices a woman named Phraeowanit faced not too long ago—a choice this loving mother couldn’t bear to make. Thankfully, God provided another way, through you! A way that included support with her business selling chicken.
“Some days we had no money,” she recalled. Even though Phraeowanit had a business selling chicken at the market, she didn’t earn enough to cover operating costs, let alone the children’s school fees. “Paying bills felt impossible … it was so stressful.”
Despite her best efforts, her food stall had fallen into disrepair, but she had nothing left to fix the floors or the exhaust system. When she couldn’t afford ice to store her products, precious food often spoiled.
Phraeowanit truly feared her children would starve if something didn’t change. “I blamed myself—that I was a bad mother.” But she continued crying out to God, and your compassion intervened when she needed it most!
YOUR Generosity Invigorates a Business Selling Chicken
The generosity of our faithful donors provided ingredients, equipment, and training in finance and management, so that this dedicated mother could renovate and relaunch her food stall with maximum potential. Phraeowanit expanded her stock to include both chicken and pork, and with a new refrigeration system she no longer worries that food might spoil.
Phraeowanit’s children have also become actively involved in the business—measuring ingredients, steaming rice, and taking care of the chickens. After a year, she reports that she is now earning enough money to cover her debts, household expenses, and school fees for her children! She no longer worries that they might starve or that she may have to leave them to find work. “I don’t have to be far away from them,” she said. “I just want to be near them.”
You have given Phraeowanit and her children the financial freedom and stability they needed to become a stronger family, physically and spiritually. You took her struggling business selling chicken and gave her the means to succeed. Now she is grateful for your kindness. And she says, “I thank God for you.”
CALIFORNIA – Life in Altadena, California, was never easy—but it was home. For Brian, that meant smiles on familiar faces, the echoes of his mother’s encouragement, and the tools of his trade as a local business owner and track coach. Fires in Los Angeles had threatened the mountains before, but they had never reached his doorstep.“I saw embers fly down the driveway,” Brian remembers. “I turned and looked at my son sleeping on the bed and I said, we’re out of here.”
As the wildfire consumed everything in its path, Brian fled— hoping, praying, that somehow his home and livelihood would be spared. But when he returned, all he found was ash. His home, his plumbing tools, and the specialized track coaching equipment he used to mentor young athletes—gone. “You still have your memories,” he said. “But there are some things you never get back.” Brian’s story could have ended in despair. But thanks to compassionate partners like you, Operation Blessing was there to meet him at the moment of greatest need.
Recovery After Fires in Los Angeles
Operation Blessing’s president, Gordon Robertson, stood beside Brian in the rubble and shared how your support made it possible to replace every essential tool he needed to get back to work after fires in Los Angeles. From basic plumbing equipment to a high-tech running timer for coaching—so much of what Brian had lost was being restored. “It’s a true blessing,” Brian said. “It’s overwhelming.”
Rebuilding after fires in Los Angeles doesn’t just happen with tools and materials—it happens with heart. “The people want to rebuild,” Brian said. “We want to be ‘[Alta]Dena’ Strong. One big community. One family.” Because of you, Brian’s tomorrow is looking brighter. He can work again. He can coach again. He can lead again.
PERU – Imagine living in a world where you don’t have access to water in your home. No water that is safe to drink, to cook or to shower. For Reyna and the people of San Jerónimo de Ullagachi, no imagination is required because this was their reality. “Our old well does not provide enough water for everyone,” said Reyna.
At over 9,000 feet above sea level, in this remote village in Peru, an hour-long journey to gather water is a daily task for many people in Reyna’s community. And the water they bring home after their long, hard trek isn’t even safe to drink and can cause sickness.
Operation Blessing saw how dire this community’s need for clean water was, and—thanks to friends like you—we were able to provide a solution. Your kindness helped provide 61 families with clean drinking water and access to sanitary restrooms at every home.
A System Providing Water that is Safe to Drink And Use
Operation Blessing installed a water system that treats the water and distributes it through the village. “Now my family and I are very happy,” said Reyna. “The water we received is safe to drink without worrying about getting sick.”
Because of your thoughtfulness, Reyna, her family, and their community can focus more time on earning income and spending time raising their children. You restored dignity and hope to a neighborhood that was drowning in despair. Having water that is safe to drink has changed their whole lives!
“Thank you very much, Operation Blessing, for making our dream of having water come true!”
KENYA – In the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya, Naneu is one of many children excited to go to the preschool that you’ve help provide for them. But for this young girl, there is a clear favorite among the school’s offerings. Where many children might choose the playground or the colorful classroom, Naneu’s attention is drawn to something different, a poultry program. “The farm is my favorite part!” Naneu gushed, her voice bubbling with excitement.
A bustling poultry farm sits on the school’s property, housing dozens of hens and bringing endless happiness to the students like little Naneu. Most importantly, the poultry program and farm provide a stable source of nutritious food in a region filled with poverty and need, where hunger among children is a constant reality.
“Before we had the poultry farm, I barely used to eat eggs,” Naneu said. “Thanks to the farm, I get to eat eggs three times a week at school!”
Providing Nutrition Through a Poultry Program
Not only did generous partners like you give these kids an education, you have provided generous funding to the poultry program initiative as well, filling a critical nutritional gap for the students. These eggs are often part of the only reliable meals the children can count on—since, for some, what they eat at school could be all they receive that day.
Naneu continued, “Our teachers tell us that eggs are very good for us because they have important nutrients. I can run faster and play longer with my friends because of the good food we get at school.”
Thanks to the faithful generosity of supportive friends like you, hundreds of children have been nurtured and cared for through this school. Your compassion is showing children like Naneu that they matter and are loved. Just as the school gives them promise of a brighter future, each egg helps to tell the story of dignity recognized and childhood preserved.
“Thank you for giving us free meals that help us grow strong and stay healthy,” Naneu said. “I love coming to school, and I love learning new things every day. I am very happy and grateful!”
UKRAINE – In wartime, bombs fall on military and civilian alike, often with dreadful consequences. Survivors of war in Ukraine face daily challenges to scratch out even the most basic existence. For Olexiy, living in the Donetsk region of Ukraine where shelling is fierce and frequent, life changed in an instant.
The day started much like any other. Olexiy had finished his shift at work and returned home to help his mother around the house, then tend his chickens and rabbits. Suddenly a Russian shell exploded nearby—throwing his world into chaos.
The blast shattered his left forearm, leaving Olexiy with what doctors called an “explosive injury” that would require a complicated surgical procedure involving bone grafting. “My hand was basically nonfunctional,” Olexiy said. “The injury left me unable to work.”
The Plight for Survivors of War
In fact, the trauma specialist told him that if the injury wasn’t treated properly, Olexiy would be permanently disabled—unable to support himself, much less a future family. But the advanced surgery and metal reconstruction he needed were far beyond what he could afford. That’s when you stepped in again to help survivors of war.
Because of compassionate friends like you, Operation Blessing was able to the provide the surgery. He underwent the complex operation—and thanks to your generosity, healing is now within reach.
“I am glad that I can live and work fully with my left arm,” Olexiy said gratefully. “Once my arm heals, I plan to work and just live my usual life. Start a family, have children. … What else is needed?”
Since the start of the conflict, Operation Blessing has been offering emergency food, water, blankets, and generators—as well as critical, life-changing surgeries for survivors of war. For survivors like Olexiy, your love has meant the difference between despair and hope, creating a brighter tomorrow.
NORTH CAROLINA – For Joi McPherson and her family, their house wasn’t just a structure. It was a living legacy, filled with memories of family gatherings, Sunday dinners, and years of love passed down through generations. Now, that legacy needs to be rebuilt in Asheville.
“My husband and his family have occupied this home since the ‘50s,” Joi explained. “Before my husband owned it, his father did. And before that, his father did.”
It was more than a home—it was a symbol of permanence in a world that often changes too fast. Leanne a different woman who also had severe damage to her home shared, “They started the house when I was about 5 or 6,” she recalled. “I remember roller skating on the foundation.”
She smiled at the memory, but the joy was bittersweet. The house that had once echoed with laughter and held the stories of their family history now stood scarred by floodwaters. For both women, the pain of seeing their generational home torn apart was more than physical—it was emotional, spiritual. At the time of the flood they could only hope their childhood home would be rebuilt in Asheville.
“All of our memories are in that house,” Leanne said. And in just one storm, so much was swept away.
When the Storm Hit
Raging floodwaters swept through their neighborhood, leaving destruction behind. Leanne’s voice trembled as she said, “We had to tear everything that was my real parents out of that house and start new.”
Riley West, an artist, lost not only her workspace but much of her art. “It was terrifying,” she said. “I had finished pieces in the gallery and in-progress work on my bench.”
Joi described the emotional toll: “It just sucked the good feeling out of your chest and put a lot of worry in there. Worry for… what are we going to do about this house? This is our home.”
The Hands and Feet of Jesus
That’s when Operation Blessing—and generous friends like you—stepped in. YOU gave so homes and lives could be rebuilt in Asheville!
“The cool thing about living through something like that,” Joi said, “is watching your community. Watching God’s people work with me. I just realized Jesus had that many hands and feet.”
Volunteers began the work of restoring homes, repairing damage, and simply being present. “You’re here to help us and make sure that WE’RE back on OUR feet,” Leanne shared gratefully. “And we know you’re going to be here for the long haul.”
Lives Rebuilt in Asheville
But the support didn’t stop with homes. Local businesses also received vital help—like a coffee shop run by Daniel
“To anyone that supported Operation Blessing,” Daniel said, “thank you! You’ve provided an opportunity for a business to survive and stay afloat.”
Riley West, an artist whose studio was destroyed by the immense flooding in the River Arts District, found renewed hope. “I’m able to continue to grow my business,” she said. “Even more than that, I’m able to feel the security of being able to provide for myself.”
You Made This Possible
Thanks to friends like you, homes were rebuilt, businesses reopened, and hope began to rise again.
“If I could talk to every donor,” Joi said, “I would hug every single one of them’s neck and say thank you for making a difference in my life, my neighbor’s life, my communities’ lives. Without the donors, we’d still be pretty close to square one. But here we are at square five! Isn’t that great?! This is so awesome!”
Help Disaster Victims Now
Your gift can help restore homes, revive businesses, and renew hope for families devastated by crisis.
MEXICO – In the remote highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, 12-year-old Petrona and her family once relied on a stagnant, muddy pool for all their daily water needs. This contaminated water—black, rancid, and teeming with health risks—was the only source available for drinking, bathing, and cooking. Like many indigenous families in the region, Petrona’s family lived under the constant burden of water scarcity, with no access to safe, clean water. In fact, battling water scarcity was a daily struggle for people in the village of Chiapas. It was a constant and exhausting battle they were losing. Of course, that all changed when you stepped in to help.
The Urgent Need for a Clean Water Solution
Her mother, Veronica, had endured this reality her entire life. “The water smells and tastes rancid,” she said. “We know it’s not good, but it’s all we have. During the dry season, eight families must share what little water remains. Sometimes, we go thirsty.” The lack of a reliable water source didn’t just cause thirst—it caused suffering. Petrona’s younger siblings became seriously ill after drinking the dirty water, resulting in long bouts of diarrhea and forcing the family to spend what little money they had on medicine instead of food or other essentials.
Rainwater Harvesting: A Sustainable Clean Water Project
That all changed when Operation Blessing introduced a rainwater harvesting system—a sustainable and affordable clean water solution tailored for communities in crisis. These systems collect and store rainwater in large tanks, then purify it using advanced filtration technology. Thanks to this clean water project, Petrona’s family—and seven others in the community—have a consistent supply of safe, drinkable water. Now they have the tools for battling water scarcity. Tools that help eliminate exhaustion, disease, and hopelessness.
Water Purification Restores Health and Hope
“Now I just grab my bucket and draw water from the tank,” Veronica said with gratitude. “It’s clean. We don’t worry anymore.” This simple yet powerful water purification setup has done more than quench thirst. It has restored dignity, improved health, and renewed hope. No longer bound by contaminated water and constant illness, the families in this village are thriving.
