Our History

In 1980, an early morning men’s prayer group at a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was planning a mission outreach to Guatemala. A member of that group, Harold Harder, a PhD pharmacologist and medical school professor, joined the team as its acting pharmacist after sensing a desire to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of Mayans. His role was to solicit donated medicines.

At the time, Guatemala was in the midst of civil war. Despite the apparent danger, Harold and his wife, Linda, knew they had to be obedient to God. After returning from the trip to Guatemala and after much prayer, the Harders were able to successfully obtain donated pharmaceuticals to help other teams going on similar short-term medical mission trips.

In July of 1981, Blessings International was incorporated as a non-profit and opened its doors to a world in need of its service. The ministry was originally created to serve as a source for donated and low-cost pharmaceuticals to mission trips. Today, Blessings International provides pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to clinics and hospitals in developing countries and to some in the United States. Blessings International has expanded its territory to work with churches, non-governmental organizations, universities, and medical institutions.

Today, Blessings International maintains a growing staff of over fifteen full-time employees and operates a 14,000-square-foot warehouse and repackaging facility, all for the sake of providing medicines and medical supplies to mission teams, in country clinics, and hospitals which are healing the hurting, building healthy communities, and transforming lives with the love of Christ.