OPERATION BLESS ING INTERNATIONALOCTOBER 2014

Blessingsoperationblessing.org

Harvesting Hope

Operation Blessing brings life to a Kenyan village through a community- wide farming initiative

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A Message from THE PRESIDENT

Chlorine generators from Operation Blessing’s Virginia warehouse were sent to Liberia to fight the deadly spread of Ebola in West Africa.

David Darg, OBI's vice president of international operations, was recently in Ebola-plagued Liberia delivering crates of medicine and supplies requested by the Lutheran Church, which operates two hospitals there. The hospitals,

open since the 1920s, have already lost many patients, as well as four nurses and five ministers.

David had met with Liberia's minister of the interior who leads the Ebola task force. When he asked "What is your greatest need?" the minister answered, "Body bags and chlorine." One way Ebola spreads is by people with sweaty palms shaking hands, so the government has forbidden handshaking and installed chlorine-charged hand washing stations at intersections and outside public buildings, but chlorine supplies had run out. David told the minister that we could fly in chlorine generators. The minister was ecstatic and agreed to provide manpower and a facility, plus the salt and electricity needed to run the equipment.

We had five new chlorine generators in our Virginia warehouse that we were able to ship out immediately, each capable of manufacturing 110 gallons of chlorine a day. Each batch requires 15 pounds of salt mixed with 55 gallons of water. The generating unit, hooked up to 220 volt power, is inserted into the barrel of brine, and twelve hours later, the brine transforms into high test chlorine. David could train government staff in how to operate the equipment, and the Ebola task force would then be able to run the units 24/7 until the crisis passed. This is a classic example of how quickly and strategically OBI reacts to save lives and alleviate suffering.

Early this year we launched Club Bless, a group focused on sharing the blessings God has granted with those who need them most. You may already be sharing your blessings, but please consider becoming a part of Club Bless and help enable Operation Blessing to respond instantly to human crisis no matter where or when it happens.

May God bless you,

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A Message from THE PRESIDENT 4 Women of Worth Operation Blessing partners are helping women in Cambodia rise up out of poverty

7 Stolen Freedom With hope for a better future, young Gabriela accepts a promising job but soon finds herself trapped in slavery

11 Make your own Kenyan meal! This autumn, learn to make Githeri, a traditional Kenyan bean and corn dish

13 A Gift for Estrella A little girl receives an Operation Blessing-sponsored surgery that changes her life

14 On the Other Side of Hunger A family receives help from a local food distribution center in their time of need

Inside this issue Cover PAGE 8

Harvesting Hope Operation Blessing brings life to a Kenyan village through a community-wide farming initiative

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CAMBODIA

Women of Worth

Poverty is a thief — stealing hope and self-worth from women struggling to survive.

For this reason, Operation Blessing is partnering with an organization in Cambodia that is giving women the opportunity for a better life. Women of Worth (WOW) is a special sewing program dedicated to helping women realize their value and improve their way of life through the crafting and selling of handmade items such as bags

Operation Blessing partners are helping women in Cambodia rise up out of poverty

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and jewelry. For one widowed

mother of four, being a part of the program has already begun to transform her life. She has earned enough mon-ey with her sewing to improve her home by creating a separate kitchen to keep harmful smoke from her cooking fire away from her children. She is now able to provide nutritious food for her children as well as purchase medicine, clothing and other items they need.

“Seeing the improvements in their living standards gives me so much joy,” said Glenys McDonald, project manager for WOW. “Her children are healthier, and she is now ‘walking tall’ as she begins to feel worth and value.”

Many of the women have begun

selling their goods in local hotels, at street markets and even fulfill-ing international orders.

These women are now able to improve their living situations, send their children to school and some have even taken the steps to establish their own businesses — learning small business practices, budgeting and more.

“Thank you Operation Blessing for your part in en-abling these women to provide for their families and bringing them out of poverty!” McDonald said. ◆

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Visit ob.org/ClubBless to learn more.

Live Your Faith. Join Club Bless.

Join Club Bless today and bless the lives of vulnerable children all around the world! As a part of Club Bless, you can have an immediate impact in helping to relieve suffering and spread God’s blessings to those who need them most.

– CLUB BLESS – Monthly Yearly

President’s Circle $500 $6,000

Bless-The-Greatest Need 250 3,000

Bless-A-Village 100 1,200

Bless-A-Family 50 600

Bless-A-Life 25 300

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Gabriela* was still a little girl when she ran away from home, escaping one form of abuse only to be caught up in another.

Struggling to survive on her own on the streets of Brazil, she accepted a job offer to work in the cocoa fields when she was just 12 years old — a job she hoped would provide her with food for her empty stomach and a safe place to sleep at night.

“I didn’t realize that it was another form of slavery, until I was trapped in it,” Gabriela said.

For three years, Gabriela worked long hours in the fields, often from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., getting only a short break for lunch and earning just a few dollars a day.

Eventually Gabriela was brought to a safe shelter supported by Operation Blessing. There she has been able to recover from years of abuse and start thinking of her future. Today, she is working to finish her education — with hopes of one day helping others still trapped in the bondage of slavery.

“God has restored what was stolen from me ,” she said. “Now, I want to give my life for those that are trapped in slavery around Brazil.” ◆

BRAZIL

With hope for a better future, young Gabriela accepts a promising job but soon

finds herself trapped in slavery

Stolen Freedom

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One impoverished community in Africa is overcoming extreme poverty thanks to 48 women, hard work and beans.

For months, these women have been weeding and tending their crops as part of an OB Kenya initiative aimed at improv-

ing the living standards in the community as well as providing food for families during seasons of drought.

KENYA

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Operation Blessing brings life to a Kenyan village through a

community-wide farming initiative

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After harvesting the beans by hand, the women use them to feed their families and also sell at the market to earn money for clothes, tools or other necessities. OB Kenya’s Continued on pg. 10

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school nutrition program also benefits from the large harvest, using a portion of the food collected to ensure that its students receive a nutritious lunch each day.

The farming program teaches villagers how to cultivate drought-resistant crops, tend their own personal gardens and grow nutritious foods that will help fight malnutrition. Participants also learn money management and

other skills so they can run their own businesses once they’ve completed the program.

The food, skills and resources cultivated through this program continue to bring hope to impoverished families in Kimana with each new harvest. ◆

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GITHERI:Make your own Kenyan meal!

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The harvested beans are called Bahazi, a popular type of drought-resistant bean that

can be cooked with maize to make a traditional Kenyan dish called Githeri (pronounced ghi-DHE-ri). Follow this recipe to make your very own Githeri at home this autumn!

INGREDIENTS2 cups beans of your choice 2 cups maize or corn kernels1 medium onion, diced2 medium tomatoes, diced3 medium potatoes, diced2 tbsp oilSalt and Pepper to taste*add spices to taste, such as cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper and garlic

DIRECTIONS• Add corn and beans to a large pot with

enough water to cover. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat.

• Reduce heat to low and simmer until cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

• In saucepan, fry tomatoes, potatoes and onion in oil. Then mix with corn and beans and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-5 servings.

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Hunger ends with

You

12operationblessing.org/cfc

CFC#10530

Take part in this year’s 2014 Combined Federal Campaign

(for military or federal government employees)

or your local United Way campaign and choose Operation Blessing as your designated charity of choice —

CFC #10530. Whether

it’s providing food for hun-gry children, rescuing girls from traffick-

ing and abuse or offering safe

water to a village in need, every dollar

of your support has the power to change lives. Thank you for your compassion!

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BeforeAfter

Born with a cleft lip and palate — a condition often accompanied by societal shame — little Estrella was abandoned by her parents before her second birthday.

She also suffered from a mild form of hydrocephaly (swelling of the brain) and was severely malnourished when Operation Blessing found her. OB Honduras’ Safe Homes program placed Estrella in the loving care of a temporary family where she soon became healthy enough for treatment.

Operation Blessing then arranged for her to undergo surgery to remove the fluid on her brain, a procedure that had to be completed before the repair of her lip and palate could be scheduled. Soon after, she received the necessary operations to correct her lip and palate free of charge.

Now, thanks to Operation Blessing partners, Estrella is a happy little girl with a beautiful new smile and a bright future ahead of her. ◆

HONDURAS

A little girl receives an Operation Blessing-sponsored surgery that changes her life

A Gift for Estrella

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GEORGIA

A faithful volunteer at a local food distribution center, Sheila never dreamed her family would one day be on the receiving end of the help she so often provided to others.

When Sheila’s husband Lacy sustained several injuries from a motorcycle accident, they found themselves struggling to make ends

A family receives help from a local food distribution center in their time of need

On the Other Side of Hunger

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meet. With Lacy unable to work and Sheila retired, their limited income simply wouldn’t be enough to get them through until he was able to work again.

“We’ve always been in a position to help others, but then it was us in need,” Lacy said.

They turned to the Operation Blessing-supported food distribution center where Sheila had volunteered for so long, and there they were able to get food and other necessities that helped make ends meet during their most challenging times.

“We’re thankful for the support that was given to us when we needed it, so now it is up to us to help others,” Sheila said.

And that is exactly what they are doing. Lacy, fully recovered and back to work, helps organize motorcycle rides for the needy, while Sheila continues to volunteer each week at the distribution center that partners with Operation

Blessing to help over 250 local ministries and non-profits serve more than 3,000 families each week. ◆

On the Other Side of Hunger

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Copyright © 2014 by Operation Blessing International, P.O. Box 2636, Virginia Beach, VA 23450. For more information, call (800) 730-2537 or visit our website at operationblessing.org

Operation Blessing’s Giving Catalog is here, offering gifts that change lives.

Few gifts have the power to do good and feel great — demonstrating God’s love to those who need it most. But that’s what the amazing gifts in this catalog have to offer. Which will you choose?

Give a gift that puts your faith in motion.

Select your gift at

ob.org/givingcatalog