In partnership with Life in the Son Saipan, and a local restaurant, Operation Blessing, provided warm meals and togetherness to Saipan residents. Operation Blessing is a faith-based global nonprofit organization that assists during natural disasters through faith-centered relief and development programs.

What was supposed to be an assessment of the damages done to the island and to get a better grasp of what the CNMI needs post-typhoon Sinlaku, turned into a time of fellowship and community. In an interview with KUAM, Chris, a video producer for the organization, recalled his experience in seeing the island community come together regardless of their faith, culture, or political beliefs.

“I saw some houses who were offering free charging stations. There are people who are a little bit well off, with not much damage to their home, have generators and along the road are offering free charging stations and those kinds of things," he recalled. "Speaking of helping out, even some of the volunteers of the church are affected but they came. Employees of the restaurant are affected, one of them said their home was damaged, washed out even, she was there, she showed up."

This is Operation Blessing’s second time in the region as the organization came to Guam in 2023 to assist with recovery efforts following the wake of Typhoon Mawar.

Supervisor of disaster response, Myla Malana, and Life in the Son Guam worship pastor Elmor De Rosas, told KUAM that communication and planning efforts to assist the CNMI were easier when compared to Mawar as this time they have connections and contacts already established.

Malana said, “i asked my colleagues in the office who lives in Guam or saipan that we can communicate, that we can coordinate. They would ask their friend or church mate just to try and look for somebody.”

Pastor De Rosas added, “In Sinlaku, there’s context now. There’s numbers that they can connect with which person they can be of help. Its a nice experience to see all kinds of people in different backgrounds and leaders in the community to be there to help each other out.”

Life in the Son Guam’s head pastor, Mark Benevente, told KUAM that coordination between them and their sister church in Saipan are underway, with the plan being to assist with long0term restoration efforts. “There’s a lot of food aid that’s coming for the immediate need, but the long-term need is rebuilding, and so we plan to be there for the long haul, as well," he said.