Operation Hope Kuwait

"We cannot all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love." –Mother Theresa

How It All Began...

"In November 2004 my husband, Husain and I were in the market for a very special room divider. My mom was making her 1st trip to Kuwait and we wanted everything to 'look' just right when she arrived. After weeks of searching we were tired, cranky and frustrated. Mom was coming soon and still we had not found what we wanted.

One day as Husain was away at work, I ventured out to Kuwait’s largest furniture market in Dajeej area. I figured I would finally get what I wanted there. The day was icy cold, one of the coldest on record in 80 years. I entered the market and began my search but what I found was instead something I wasn’t prepared for.

Walking nearby was a janitor. He wasn’t any janitor – but one of the most broken-spirited men I had ever laid eyes on. His thin cotton top and pants hung on his frail body frame. The shoes that he wore were at least twice the size of his petite feet and he wore no socks. His eyes were deep pools of emptiness. Overcome by profound compassion I broke down and began to weep. Tears flooded my face and poured like a heavy rain. I was also overwhelmed by a very strong sense of shame. I was being convicted by the Lord of my image building selfishness. Embarrassed I fled the market to the safety of my car. It took a very long time while sitting in that parking lot to compose myself enough to drive.

My husband arrived home and I shared the incident with him insisting we return immediately with warm clothes, shoes, socks and money. We returned to that furniture market and found him almost immediately. We gifted him with the warm apparel he needed, money in his pocket, shoes and socks that fit and some food. The poor man received our gifts of compassion reluctantly but gratefully.

Months would go by before I would remember his face again.

In November 2005 having just celebrated the annual Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends, I began to make plans for another annual celebration at our home – Christmas. For 17 years my husband and I opened our home to family and friends each and every Christmas Eve, as had my parents and grandparents before me. As I took down my Christmas cookbooks to begin the task of deciding what foods and sweets I would serve my guests, I had heaviness come over me and remain. The next day I took out the cookbooks again and the same “cloud” came over me. By the third attempt to begin my party planning, I knew something was wrong ~ but what was it? Was someone I loved going to die? Would something tragic happen? Why was I so burdened? I began to pray.

“O Lord – What? Why am I so down at a time when I am always so joyful? Lord show me- lead me – Help me” At that moment the face of the broken man we had helped a year earlier came to my mind’s eye. I saw his emotionless face and his thin, frail, frame so poorly dressed for the winter cold. I began to weep once more for him and others like him.

I resolved with the Lord at that remembrance that I would help the poor for Christmas instead of hosting our annual Christmas Eve Open House. Joy immediately flooded my spirit once more. I emailed our guests to let them know of our new plans for the holiday and apologized that I would not be having our usual party. I invited them to join us in our delivery of some warm coats, hats and gloves to about 30-50 men and women who could not clothe themselves adequately for the winter. The response that email generated really shocked me. Every person I emailed ended up pledging their financial support to those who needed coats. Hence the birth of OPERATION HOPE.

OPERATION HOPE has warmly clothed 20,000 men, women and children, helped repatriate the less opportune, given medical help and provided rations for needy families since 2005 through the support of individuals and local communities."

Sheryll Mairza- Founder/Director.

This mission of mercy is scripturally founded on Matthew 25: 34 – 40 ~ Giving God Almighty every thanks, honor and exaltation for the outstanding service we have provided through HIS provision!

If you would like to know more or want to volunteer [link]