Jesus said: “…when you give to the least of these, you give to me.” May God richly bless you and return to you the hope and love you have so generously given others. From grateful hearts around the world and here at home: “Thank God that you were there…”

OUTREACH

Making Life Beautiful Again

By Ken Hulme
The 700 Club

CBN.com – They don’t have much, but 23-year-old Ani and her husband, Karno, of Indonesia are in love.

"My heart beat very fast on my first glimpse of him," Ani says. "Then I fell in love with him."

So, they got married. And three years later Ani gave birth to their first child -- a girl they named Ayu, which means beautiful. But there was something different about Ayu, something that prevented others from seeing her as her parents saw. Ayu was born with a cleft lip.

"The first time I saw my daughter’s condition, I felt very sad," Ani explains. "I was thinking about her future, when she grew up. I could not afford a surgery. I was afraid that my daughter would still have a cleft lip when she became an adult. I really felt tormented witnessing my daughter’s condition."

And Ayu’s father felt helpless too. He knew that the wages he earned as a farm laborer would never be enough to pay for surgery for his daughter.

"Why was my daughter born with a cleft lip?" Karno thought at the time. "I felt so desperate and hopeless, but I had to accept the situation."

But in the midst of their despair, Ani remembered hearing about someone from an organization called Operation Blessing that performs free surgeries for children with cleft lips. Within two weeks, little Ayu was on her way to the hospital for a surgery that would change her life!

"When Ayu’s bandage was removed, I felt as like it was not my daughter!" Ani says with a smile. "I just stared at her, she looked different, she had changed. How can I explain it? Ayu’s face had been transformed!"

Now, Ani can’t keep her eyes off of her baby. And she’s overjoyed at what the future holds for Ayu now that she looks likes other children.

"When I watch Ayu, oh, she looks pretty. Now, she is just like other normal children. She can socialize. She can join other children. I don’t feel embarrassed any more to bring Ayu along with me."

And it was your gifts that made this all possible! You helped to share the love of Jesus Christ with this young Muslim family.

"At that time I did not know anything about the ministry of Christian people," Ani shares. "I only knew that there was a foundation named Operation Blessing who was willing to offer us some assistance."

"I want to express my thanks to Operation Blessing; my heartfelt thanks."

Surgeries like Ayu's are made possible only with the help of friends like you. Thanks to you, Ayu and her Mom and Dad have seen the love of Jesus in action. And it doesn't stop there. Your faithful gifts are helping to feed and clothe children here in America and around the world. You are providing medical care to those in desperate need and are helping share the tangible love of Jesus with people everywhere. You can help bring the love of Christ to hurting people by becoming a partner with CBN. Click here to join now.

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