OPERATION BLESSING
Jonathan: Sweet Dreams Restored
CBN.com
– Kind, smart, playful; this is 11-year-old Jonathan, from Saba in the Philippines. Jonathan is small for his age due to a condition called kyphosis, a deformity in his backbone.
"He was normal until he was about one or two years old," says Jonathan's mother, Maya. "When I would bathe him, I would feel something like a lump on his back. So we brought him to a local doctor to have his back massaged."
Jonathan's family is poor, and selling cotton candy is their only source of income.
"At first, I really didn't know how to make cotton candy," says Jonathan's father, Jaime. "But I tried really hard to learn."
According to medical doctors, Jonathan's condition can no longer be corrected surgically because the bones in his spine have hardened. But they are hopeful that they can improve Jonathan's condition by giving him some simple vitamin supplements. And that's where Operation Blessing stepped in to help!
When Operation Blessing saw the needs of Jonathan and his family, they placed him in a one-year feeding program, which includes balanced meals, regular medical checkups, and supplements like Vitamin D and Calcium.
"There's a big improvement in him," Maya observes. "Before he used to catch his breath. But ever since Operation Blessing started providing him with medicines and vitamins, he is feeling better."
And thanks to you, Operation Blessing's Back to School Program will help Jonathan with tuition and school supplies for the next two years!
"At the start of the school year they gave us shoes, socks, a complete uniform and the things needed for school, like a notebook and bag" Maya says with a smile.
Meanwhile, Operation Blessing is helping Jonathan's father with his small business by teaching him some basic business principles.
"Operation Blessing conducted a seminar on the importance of saving money," says Jaime. "After that, for every dollar I made, I held some back as capital to use to build a second cart. Now I have one for party rentals, and another I use for street vending."
Thanks to your support of Operation Blessing, Jonathan's family has received more than just help for today. They now have hope for the future.
"We really received a lot of assistance," Jaime declares. "We were introduced to a better way of life - a life where God is beside you! I am learning that you can always call on Him."
Friends like you help to make these small miracles possible for people around the world, and right here at home. Every day, thousands
of hurting people are touched by Operation Blessing, and the many outreaches of CBN. You can help provide
these answers and discover God's secret of reciprocity by becoming
a CBN Partner today. God has given CBN many wonderful ways to share
His hope with millions of people -- but we need your help.
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