2017_August_Blessings_forweb

lessings
OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL AUG 2017
Not a Drop to Drink
Water everywhere, but
P A G E 1 2
AN EDUCATION
CLOSE TO HOME
BREAKING THROUGH
THE DARKNESS
P A G E 7 P A G E 1 6 P A G E 12 90
INVESTING BILL'S BLOG: IN HAITI'S BEAUTY
CHILDREN IN THE BROKENNESS

HAPPENINGS
Catch up with the goings
on at Operation Blessing!
4
7
10
AN EDUCATION
CLOSE TO HOME
Operation Blessing builds a
school for a remote community
in Honduras
GOD MAKES A WAY
Cleft lip surgery changes a
child's future in Kenya
2

Inside this issue
12 WATER EVERYWHERE, BUT
NOT A DROP TO DRINK
Operation Blessing brings safe water
to a unique floating island community
in Peru
16
19
20
BREAKING THROUGH
THE DARKNESS
A young woman is rescued
from life in a brothel
INVESTING IN HAITI'S
CHILDREN
Shaping a brighter future in Haiti
with education and more!
BILL’S BLOG
Implementing the Parable of
the Talents and reaching those
in the most need
operationblessing.org
P.O. Box 2636, Virginia Beach, VA 23450 (800) 730-2537
3

1CAMBODIA: A girl learns to
sew at a workshop sponsored
by Operation Blessing and
partner, Apple of God’s Eyes.
Here, girls who have been victims
of trafficking or other abuse get the
chance to start over.
1
2
3
2RWANDA: Mothers and children
gather at an early childhood
development program run by
Operation Blessing partner, Gardens
for Health International. Here, the
children get healthy meals and enjoy
playing with toys!
3
HONDURAS: Children learn the
basics of dental hygiene at
an Operation Blessing health
clinic in Honduras.
4PERU: Operation Blessing’s
water programs manager,
Ignacio Romero, distributes
Kohler Clarity water filters to families
in Terrazas del Vallecito, Peru.
5IRAQ: A boy washes his
hands in water flowing
from Operation Blessing’s
mobile water tank in Qaraqosh,
Iraq. ISIS destroyed this Christian
city’s water supply, so Operation
Blessing is providing temporary
solutions as engineers rebuild.
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4
6HAITI: Students from
Operation Blessing’s
chess program celebrate
their victories at the national
competition—two first place and
two second place trophies!

5
5
OPERATION BLESSING
HAPPENINGS
6
5

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Operation Blessing Int'l Providing relief to those in need and equipping families
with sustainable soulutions to combat povert─ changing lives in dozens of countries
every day! www.opersationblessing.org
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT …
THIS MONTH ON INSTAGRAM
KENYA – If you don’t follow us on Instagram, you may have missed this
beautiful photo and post from an Operation Blessing food distribution
in famine-struck Africa. OB Kenya distributed food and cooking supplies
to more than 300 families in Kwale County, Kenya, to help them survive
devastating famine and drought.
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Do not miss another inspirational post! Follow us at
instagram.com/operationblessing

HONDURAS
education
AN
CLOSE TO HOME
Operation Blessing builds
a school for a remote
community in Honduras
Every morning Stephany had to get up early and
endure a long, and at times dangerous, journey
— just to get to school. Her father would walk
with her when he could, but often she had to make the
trip alone. The passage was especially hard during the rainy season when the river
that crossed Stephany’s path would rise. After several hours she would arrive muddy
and wet, only to retrace her steps after class.
Stephany is from the small farming community of Brisas de Occidente in
Honduras. Here, growing corn and beans is the primary source of income. Stephany’s
father works as a day laborer on the farms. Opportunities are few and far between
in Brisas de Occidente, and most residents don’t have more than a sixth grade
education. Without a school nearby, they have been forced to choose between an
arduous, time-consuming march to a faraway school and simply dropping out.
continued on page 8
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continued from page 7
Stephany's school was dilapidated and leaked during the rain.
Worried for their children’s safety
and education, the community decided
to build their own makeshift classroom
using resources they had on hand —
sheets of wood and old roofing. They
then requested that the education
authorities send a teacher to work in
the school. But, though their intentions
were good, the ramshackle structure
was just too hot for Stephany and the
other students to be able to concentrate
on learning. To make matters worse,
the classroom could not keep out
mosquitos and other insects, and when
it rained, water would soak the students
and their schoolbooks.
Operation Blessing staff arrived in
Brisas de Occidente to distribute shoes
to the children there, but it didn’t take
them long to realize that the kids were
missing more than just footwear. Soon,
construction of a brand-new school
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was underway, and in a little over two
months it was finished.
Thanks to Operation Blessing
partners, Brisas de Occidente now boasts
a first-class school facility complete with
a brand new classroom; bathrooms for
boys, girls, and teachers; a kitchen; and a
playground. Stephany and her classmates
also received new desks, notebooks,
backpacks, and school uniforms!
Today the people of this impoverished
farming community finally have a school
they can be proud of, and Stephany will
no longer have to endure a treacherous
journey just for the chance to receive an
education. With gratitude in her voice,
she exclaimed, “Thank you so much for
giving us a beautiful school!” ◆
Students enjoy learning in their brand new classroom!
“THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR GIVING US A
BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL!”
~STEPHANY, AGE 12
9

way
Cleft lip surgery changes
a child's future in Kenya
KENYA
GOD MAKES A
Nkunkat’s parents already had four children by the time he was born, but no
amount of parenting experience prepared them for his condition. Little
Nkunkat was born with both a cleft lip and a cleft palate.
In developed nations, finding corrective treatment is easy, but in Kimana, Kenya,
such care simply does not exist. The closest hospital was just too far for the family to
reach on their own.
His father works hard to provide for the family, but they did not have enough
to cover the surgery Nkunkat needed. Without it, the baby boy faced eating issues,
difficulty swallowing, malnutrition, and other long-term problems.
A missionary doctor who works with Operation Blessing’s community health
workers in Kimana learned about baby Nkunkat and his family. Soon, OB Kenya
reached out to the family offering help — free of charge!
At 4 months old, Nkunkat underwent the first of two corrective surgeries. The
surgeons repaired his cleft lip, and he is scheduled to return in a year for the procedure
to fix his cleft palate. After the surgery, his parents were elated.
“I am the happiest mother in the world, now,” Nkunkat’s mother, Jennifer, said.
“It’s amazing how God makes a way where there seems to be none,” Nkunkat’s
father, Kipalero, added. “I cannot believe it happened with such ease! May God bless
Operation Blessing so much.” ◆
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Nkunkat prior to his surgery.
Nkunkat with a repaired cleft lip.
PERU
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Water everywhere, but
Not a Drop
PERU
On a Peruvian plateau
surrounded by the Andes
Mountains, lies the world’s
highest navigable lake. At 12,500
feet, the air is thin and the sun beats
down with an intensity belied by
the cool temperatures. Along the
shores of Lake Titicaca, tortora, an
inconspicuous reed, grows thickly.
Tortora is the unlikely building
material used by the Uros people to
construct both the islands they live on
and the homes they live in.
Several thousand Uros live
on dozens of islands scattered
throughout the lake. The Uros fish
Lake Titicaca for food and sell their
handicrafts to tourists to make a
living. Despite their simple lifestyle
and constant struggle against poverty,
education for their children is vitally
important to these island people.
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In the community of Ccapi
Uros, the local school serves as a
center of island life. Its buildings are
situated in the shallows, and stilts
raise the classrooms above the thick
mat of tortora reeds that makes up
the “ground.” The floating mass of
reeds feels something like walking
on a mattress as it bounces and
compresses underfoot.
continued on page 14
continued on page 14
Operation Blessing brings relief to
Bedouin tribes in the Judean desert
to Drink
Operation Blessing
brings safe water to a
unique floating island
community in Peru
Continued on page 14
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continued from page 13
The teachers come all the way from
Puno to serve the children of Ccapi
Uros. Each morning, they all load
up in a tiny boat, wrap themselves in
blankets, and settle in for the two-hour
journey across the lake. Upon their
arrival, 95 students, including 5-yearold
Zaida, line up in the reed-covered
schoolyard, all wearing their brightly
colored traditional school uniforms.
The children live on other small
reed-islands clustered around the
school. Every morning Zaida gets into
a small boat, piloted by an older child,
and makes her way to school. After
assembling in the schoolyard, Zaida
and her schoolmates file into their
classrooms for the day’s lessons. While
they’re in class, several mothers gather
outside to make a lunch of freshcaught
fish and potatoes. The food is
good, but, unfortunately, the drinking
water is not.
The school’s only source of water is
the lake itself. In the shallows, the water
is murky and full of sediment and other
Zaida helps
young Soledad get
a drink of water
from their new
Kohler Clarity filter.
Continued on page 17
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contaminants, including the waste from
the school bathrooms. To find cleaner
water, the men take a boat a quarter mile
or so out into the lake to fill their buckets.
Though it’s an improvement, the water
still contains dangerous bacteria, and
other harmful contaminants, that make
it unsafe to drink, putting Zaida, her
teachers, and her classmates at risk.
With water in abundance, what the
school children of Ccapi Uros needed was
a way to make it safe to drink. Thankfully,
a partnership between Operation Blessing
and Kohler provided the perfect solution.
The Kohler Clarity water filter can
eliminate more than 99 percent of bacteria
and protozoa in the water, making it ideal
for treating the water from Lake Titicaca.
Operation Blessing brought a Clarity filter
for each classroom. Now everyone at the
school, including Zaida, no longer has to
worry about whether the very water they
drink is making them sick! The Kohler
Clarity filters will provide safe drinking
water every day for the children of this
impoverished island community. ◆
15

BREAKING through
T H E D A R K N E S S
A young woman is rescued from life in a brothel
Actual victim
not shown
Naseen* left home with the
promise of a better life, but
found herself trapped in a
brothel — a victim of modern-day slavery.
She had given up school after the
eighth grade when her parents could
no longer afford her tuition. As a young
teenager, she started working to help
support her family.
One day, Naseen was offered a dream
opportunity — the chance to perform in
a Bollywood movie. All she had to do was
move to Mumbai, and she was guaranteed
her spot. Naseen loved dancing and
*Name changed to protect identity
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INDIA
© International Justice Mission
© International Justice Mission
Naseen stands under a painted rainbow,
no longer a prisoner to the darkness.
Footage of the brothel owner who held
Naseen and other young women captive.
singing as a child, so she leapt at the
offer, unaware she had fallen prey to
a trafficker’s scheme.
When they made it to Mumbai,
the trafficker sold Naseen to a
brothel where she spent the next
year. The brothel manager forced her
to wear revealing clothes and service
up to 20 men a day. Whenever she
resisted she was severely punished,
beaten and tortured by her captor.
Naseen’s life was a cavern of
darkness until Operation Blessing’s
partner, International Justice
Mission, burst through. Working
with local police, IJM successfully
raided the brothel and liberated the
young girls held captive there.
Though the rescue freed Naseen
from her abuser, the scars from all
she had endured refused to heal.
She battled the feeling that she was
somehow tainted and “dirty.” The guilt
and shame overwhelmed her, but
IJM, with support from Operation
Blessing, continued pouring life and
light into her until she finally believed
in her self-worth again.
continued on page 18
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continued from page 17
© International Justice Mission
© International Justice Mission
Naseen holds her trophy to signify her
graduation from IJM’s aftercare program and
the beginning of her new life.
Naseen attended trauma-focused counseling with IJM to help her grapple
with her emotions, and as her confidence grew she branched out to take
classes in tailoring and literacy. She started to see a future free of her past.
When Naseen was ready, her captor was brought to court and
she testified against her. With the help of her testimony, the judge
sentenced the brothel owner to prison.
The news was incredible for Naseen. “Now she will not be able to
torture others the way she damaged me,” she said.
The case closed, Naseen has moved on with her life. She moved
home, reconnected with her family, and married a kind-hearted man
in her hometown. The abuse and torture she endured no longer form
her self-identity. ◆
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HAITI
Investing
in Haiti's
Children
Operation Blessing is investing
in the children of Haiti, helping
shape a brighter future. With
OBI’s support, children are receiving
an education and the opportunity
to engage in activities that teach
discipline, critical thinking, and
other important life skills. The Tang
Soo Do martial arts program is
going strong, and this year the chess
club earned several trophies at the
national competition! ◆
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IMPLEMENTING
of THE PARABLE THE TALENTS
Bill's Blog
by Bill Horan, President
Operation Blessing International
Read more from Bill's Blog
at ob.org/bill
In the Parable of the Talents,
Jesus tells a story about a
wealthy landowner who was
leaving on an extended journey and
entrusted three servants with a share
of his treasure. When he returned
many years later, he was pleased that
two of the servants had invested
and multiplied their share of the
treasure — but the third servant had
only buried his share. The master
was angry and gave his share to
the servant who had invested most
wisely, casting out the third servant
for squandering the opportunity.
When designing OBI strategy,
I often reflect on this parable and
its timeless message that each of us
is expected to multiply our Godgiven
gifts, using them to help those
around us. Our teams always look
to invest in humanitarian efforts
designed to best leverage the funds
that our donors entrust us with.
By utilizing the entrepreneurial
principal of leverage, in other
words using every resource to its
maximum advantage, we multiply
the products and services we deliver.
We constantly search for new ways to
stretch every dollar so that OBI can
help more people in more places.
Here's a few examples of OBI’s
entrepreneurial strategy:
LAST MONTH IN THE CITY
OF QARAQOSH, IRAQ, we
purchased two huge cast iron valves.
The valves only cost about $2,000,
but they were the missing link in a
multimillion-dollar water system that
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Qaraqosh, Iraq
had been disabled by ISIS. The system
pumps water through nearly 10 miles
of pipeline from the Tigris River
to Qaraqosh, the largest Christian
community in Iraq. Thousands of
displaced Christians were waiting for
the municipal water system to resume
working before they could return.
OBI’s strategic investment in the
valves was all it took to enable those
beleaguered refugees to return home.
IN OBI’S HUNGER STRIKE
FORCE, we invest in a fleet of trucks,
trailers, drivers, warehouses, and
staff. Our procurement staff solicits
corporations every day for donations
of food, beverages, and relief supplies.
These efforts result in millions
of pounds of donated food every
month. Just last week we secured and
delivered 52 tractor trailer loads of
food, drinks, hygiene items, and relief
supplies. We serve church-supported
groups that feed the poor for free. The
value of each shipment is usually in
excess of ten times our investment.
IN OBI’S U.S. DISASTER
RELIEF DEPARTMENT, we
invest in equipment, tools, and a
seasoned staff that deploys when
continued on page 22
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continued from page 21
hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes
strike American communities. Our
team can respond within 24 hours
of any major domestic disaster. We
partner with local ministries and
manage thousands of volunteers
that come from all over the country.
We feed them, train them, manage
them, and direct their energies. By
focusing this energy, we provide
services to thousands of families
whose lives have been ravaged
by disasters. Our investment is
multiplied many times over by the
volunteer labor that we harness.
IN OBI’S GLOBAL SAFE
WATER PROGRAM, we invest
in equipment, training, and a
staff of seasoned experts to turn
contaminated water into safe
drinking water — and in so doing,
prevent immeasurable suffering
and death caused by water-borne
disease. By preventing disease, our
investment in safe water reaps huge
returns in the health of the poor.
IN OBI’S GLOBAL MEDICAL
PROGRAM, we invest in the
shipping and distribution of
millions of dollars’ worth of donated
life-saving medicines that our incountry
staff and partners distribute
to clinics and hospitals serving
the poor all over the world. Often
times, we only spend a few thousand
dollars to ship and distribute a
container full of medicines worth
several million.
IN OBI’S LIVELIHOOD
PROGRAM, we invest in the
training and equipping of the poor,
typically mothers in developing
countries. We encourage and
empower them to operate homebased
micro-businesses that provide
income for families so they can
break the chains of generational
poverty. These investments are truly
“gifts that keep on giving.”
These are a few examples
of ways that Operation
Blessing implements the
Parable of the Talents
every day. As you
give compassionately,
we will continue to
leverage your gifts to
help more families in
more places. ◆
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These precious children are
struggling
to survive poverty
A minor cut can become a
dangerous infection for a child in
Latin America without medical care.
A sip of water can make a young
girl in Zambia sick for days because
it is unsafe to drink. Little boys in
South Sudan are desperate for food
as famine plagues their land.
WILL YOU HELP CHILDREN LIKE THESE? VISIT OB.ORG/GIVEHOPE
Copyright © 2017 by Operation Blessing International