“Thank You a Thousand Times!”

Peru

Mary is a single mom who lives in Peru. On the day we met her, she showed us their house which had collapsed in a storm.

“My children were sleeping when I got home from work. It was raining because it was rainy season. Suddenly I started hearing the wood cracking in the house,” Mary told us.

Mary worked as a recycler, collecting and sorting items to sell to buy food for her children. 

“I left the house every morning at 3AM,” she said. “Sometimes my children would not eat all day until I came from selling. I also worried every day that, at any moment, my house would fall down.”  

Finally it happened. “I remember it was July. My house was making more noise than usual so I could not sleep. Suddenly, one of the main columns started to break. I woke the children, and shouted, 'The house is falling down! Get out over there,’” she said pointing to a small opening in the wall. 

They went next door—but no one slept. “The next morning at dawn we heard a loud crash and we knew it was our house,” said Mary with tears in her eyes. “The walls and roof had collapsed crushing everything.” 

Mary and the children tried to recover what they could, but most of their possessions were damaged by the rain or the fallen roof. Mary said she had hoped the local government would help. “I told them, 'This is urgent. I don’t have a place for my children.’ I thought they might help but they told me that it would take a long time.”

When Operation Blessing learned about her situation, we partnered with the local government to build Mary and her children a new house. They provided wood and metal sheets and Operation Blessing hired the engineer and the construction crew. “When they started constructing the house, I was so eager to see it finished!” said the grateful mom.  

When the house was complete, Operation Blessing also gave the family new furniture, including bunk beds, storage cabinets, a table and chairs. We also provide a new propane stove top for cooking. And to help Mary earn more income we gave her what she needed to start a mobile food business near her new home.  

“God is so good. I am very grateful for a plate of food, for the business I now have.  Before I didn’t even have enough money to buy soap! Now the children have something to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And thank you for the house, for keeping my children safe. Thank you a thousand times."