Do you prioritize providing for your family’s needs, that you have given up on the possibility of being healed?

Don’t lose hope. God sees your heart and can answer your prayers in ways you never imagined.

Joel Bucay from Albay endured a lump in his neck for years. At first, it was just a simple pimple on his shoulder that suddenly got infected. Lacking the financial resources to remove the lump, his suffering persisted for nine years.

In addition to the pain he is experiencing, he suffered from bullying and had low self-esteem as a result. It came to a point where every time he went to crowded places, he would wear a scarf to hide his neck.

He also felt unproductive in his work as a construction worker due to the constant pain. He felt like it took so much time especially when he would lift heavy objects.

Joel tried different remedies to remove the lump or at least lessen his agony. He tried herbal treatments, but it was hopeless. He also tried going to the doctor, but he doesn’t have enough money because his priority is his family’s needs.

Until one day, God sent Operation Blessing to Albay where Joel lives. He did not waste any of his time and grabbed the opportunity to avail the free medical checkup.

The doctor explained the cause of Joel’s lump and told him that he needed surgery to remove it. He did not think twice and decided right there and then to undergo surgery to remove the cause of his suffering.

Joel was very grateful to the Lord for answering his prayers through Operation Blessing. After nine years of pain and feeling unproductive, he can now give his 100% to his work and can now face people with a big smile without wearing a scarf. (nyicff.org)

Joel’s life is a testimony of how God hears us and sees our hearts. Remember that God cares for His children, as 1 Peter 5:7 NLT says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

May this story inspire you to hope in God and trust that He can answer your prayers in unexpected ways.

Through the generosity of Operation Blessing donors, patients like Joel receive the medical attention they need for free. Hundreds of our kababayans were reached during the recent medical mission in Albay, and with your help, we can help more. To know how you can take part in changing lives, visit cbnasia.com/give.

Abandoned. Rejected. Never enough.

Those were the thoughts of young Joanna Sedol when her father left their family for another woman.

At first, her young mind couldn’t understand why she had to grow up in a broken family and why she suffered because of her father’s mistakes.

It was unfair.

But as she grew to become a young adult woman, she concluded that every man on the planet was like her father—irresponsible, had no sense of commitment, and would always leave her alone in the end.

Joanna’s bitterness toward her father led her to find a sense of belonging and completeness in her friends and to turn to alcohol to escape the pain.

However, life always finds a way to force you to confront your reality.

Joanna was unable to avoid the reality of poverty. She realized this after graduating from high school—she was unsure if she could finish her studies because her family could not afford it.

But God works in mysterious ways, indeed.

When she was ready to accept that someone with a broken family and a poor background would never succeed, a friend invited her to a youth camp.

There, she heard for the first time that she wasn’t fatherless. Instead of being abandoned, she was chosen. Instead of being rejected, she was accepted wholeheartedly. And instead of not being enough, she realized that she had been made complete.

All because of Jesus, who died for her sins.

“I realized that all along, I was not alone. God was with me,” she said.

Because of her newfound faith and having received God’s unconditional love, Joanna chose to forgive her father and initiate contact with him. She was surprised when her father asked her forgiveness, too.

With her heart free from anger and bitterness, God awakened a strong passion in her to continue her studies and teach people God’s Word.

With the help of Operation Blessing’s Back to School Program, Joanna graduated Cum Laude with her bachelor’s degree.

“I’m so thankful for Operation Blessing for helping someone like me without asking anything in return,” Joanna said.

If you know someone who is like Joanna—a child who felt hindered due to broken family situations and poverty—know that you can help change their lives for the better, too.

Partner with us today!