Karina Petersen reports from Alabama.

Noah Galloway walks on a prosthetic leg. He was hit with a roadside bomb when serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq five years ago. His left arm and leg were amputated.



Noah, who lives in Alabaster, Alabama, wanted to help when tornadoes devastated the area. But when he came to the Samaritan’s Purse command post in the Birmingham area he didn’t know if we’d put him to work. He remembers thinking, “They probably looked at me and said, ‘What is he going to do? Are we going to sit him down somewhere, because you know, there are physical limitations?’”

Havard Harris, a Samaritan’s Purse staff member and Vietnam veteran, saw something different.

“I just saw a gung-ho guy,” Havard said. “You could see it in his face the way he carried himself. He can do anything he sets his mind to.”

Noah said, “I want to prove to myself and others that I can help out just as much as someone else, even with my injuries.”

And he did. After Noah, 30, signed up to volunteer, Havard sent him with a team to tarp a roof. Since then he’s worked at sites removing debris—wood logs, tree branches, and pieces of what used to be a roof.

“I look at people as people,” Havard said. “I try not to judge what they can or can’t do. They’re there to tell me or show me that they can do it. I could see the gleam in his eyes. He’s a guy that could do anything. You could see the strength in his arms, neck. He was strong before he lost his arm and his leg and he’s strong now.”




Noah concurs.

“Missing an arm and a leg, I cycle, I swim, I run,” he said. “I do all these things. I don’t let anything stop me. I just realize that yeah, I do things differently than other people, but I get it done. And when they see that, they say, ‘Oh, maybe I can do the same.’”

Indeed, Noah has been a tremendous encouragement to others. We’ve continued to see him inspire the Samaritan’s Purse staff, volunteers, and the homeowners we are helping. As a peer counselor for other amputees, Noah has been able to use his skills, gifts, and heart to help homeowners cope with the disaster.

“Basically, I signed up for worse things to happen to me than lose an arm and a leg,” he said. “These people did not sign up for this. These were their homes. This is where they were safe, and this happened. And for me, why does somebody join the military? They join the military because they care about their fellow countrymen and want to take care of others. Just because I’m not in the military anymore doesn’t mean that changes. I have no reason not to be out here.

“I don’t have the money to give as much as I’d like, so I donate my time, and that’s why I’m out here, just trying to get things done like everyone else. I’ve been impressed about Samaritan’s Purse. They’re an organization that’s bouncing around, getting things done, helping the communities that have been affected, and I think that’s great.”

“I think there are a lot of things that soccer does in the communities that transcend the soccer field.” – Brandi Chastain.

Soccer is considered one of the great neutralizers in developing countries around the world. In Haiti, it is the heartbeat of a child’s youth. At any given moment a soccer game is being played, on open dusty fields or in the middle of temporary camp communities. It’s impossible to experience Haiti without experiencing her love for soccer.

Read about how Samaritan's Purse is reaching out to "the least" in Cite Soleil.

Samaritan’s Purse has begun community engagement events in Cite Soleil, to help bring some happiness in an area where recreation is a rare luxury during the daily harshness of life. For several weeks in March and April, Samaritan’s Purse hosted the “Tournament of Hope” soccer tournament to help diffuse election-related tension and provide a healthy outlet for young adults residing in the large slum.




Players representing seven different city zones played each weekend until the final match, when zones Wharf and Belecout competed for the trophy. Fans came from the competing zones to cheer as the teams played an action-packed final under the setting sun. The game ended in a tie and went to a heated series of shootouts, where Belecout won by a narrow margin.

Celebrating erupted as the trophies and medals were handed out. Players from the winning team carried the team captain on their shoulders and exclaimed, “We did it! We did it!”




Community outreach is an integral part of the work Samaritan’s Purse is doing in Cite Soleil to continually show this forgotten area that we care for their needs—both physically and spiritually.

Abigail Kajumba reports from our office in Uganda.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress ...” (James 1: 27)

Mary’s husband left her when she was very sick, even before she tested positive for HIV. Once diagnosed, she was put on HIV/AIDS treatment. But she could not continue with her treatment after giving birth to her first child. She was undernourished, and the drugs were making her ill. She also struggled to feed her baby as her body was not producing enough milk.

Last November, Christians trained by Samaritan’s Purse visited Mary in her home and found her in a very critical condition. There was no food for her in the house, and no milk for the baby. She explained to the group that she was HIV positive. She did not want her baby to be infected with the virus, but didn’t know what to do with her child or her life.

The church group decided to take care of the 2-month-old baby by providing milk, and encouraged Mary to resume her antiretroviral treatment. They found Mary’s parents, told them they were new grandparents, and helped reunite the family. The group made sure that there is food in her house, and plowed her field so she can grow crops when the rain comes.

They later built a better hut for Mary and her baby. Church youth built a second one for her mother and father.

The group however, did not limit themselves to only providing for her physical and social needs. They also introduced her to Jesus.

Mary is now the mother of a healthy 6-month-old. Her own physical and spiritual health have greatly improved.

“I am so thankful to God for rescuing my life and my baby,” Mary said. “I am very grateful and happy with the church action group and with Samaritan’s Purse for the things that they have done for me and my family.”

Chelsea Pardue reports from Tuscaloosa.

Michael W. Smith wanted to help victims of the terrible twisters that hit Alabama last week, so he visited the Samaritan's Purse base in Tuscaloosa on Monday. Smith’s wife and daughter, Debbie and Annie, joined him, along with his neighbor Big Kenny of the country band Big and Rich, and Kenny’s wife, Christiev.

“Smitty” is one of the biggest stars in Christian music, but the musician and his family and friends came ready to work. Just like regular volunteers, they stepped in to clean up debris at the home of a single mother.

“I can do more than just sing,” Michael said. “I helped my dad build a couple of houses in high school.”



Michael especially made sure to spend time talking with the homeowners. He wasn’t just worried about their physical condition; he wanted to make sure their emotional and spiritual needs were met too.

As soon as we pulled into the first neighborhood, Michael walked up to a woman named Diane Merryweather.

“I just came down to check on my older neighbors,” she said. “We got hit, but you have to check on everybody else.”




Diane’s sister lived in the neighborhood with her husband and seven children. Although their house was completely flattened, all of them lived and only the husband was injured.

“We’re just completely amazed that eight people survived,” Michael said. “The Lord was very faithful to this family.”

He continued to talk to other homeowners. He met a woman named Brenda Anthony who had survived cancer and was watching her six grandchildren when the storm hit.

“There’s a lot more people in a lot worse shape than me,” she said. “The Lord blessed me, so I’m going to bless somebody else.”

When Michael walked over to start on his work order, it became obvious that he wasn’t in Tuscaloosa to just chat. He put on his work gloves and started lifting ruined items into a wheelbarrow to put in a trash pile on the curb. He swept glass out of the grass, and when he was finished, the home looked different. With some rebuilding, it could certainly become livable again.

As Michael was leaving the neighborhood, a woman stopped him and asked if Samaritan’s Purse could help. Her mother’s bookstore had been blown over in the storm, and she wanted to dig the undamaged books out of the debris to take to her home. Michael and his crew gladly agreed to help.

“I’d like to think if it was pieces of my life, somebody would come along to help,” Kenny said. “It’s a blessing to be here.”




After a full day of working, Michael had to go back to Nashville. But he said he hoped this was the first of many trips he would make to Alabama.

“I’m glad to be a part of it,” he said. “It was good to get my hands dirty.”

We appreciated having Michael and Kenny and their families come to help. They worked hard to help people who don’t even know where to start. When a disaster like this tornado happens, many people feel like they don’t have anything to live for anymore. It’s the love and care of people like Michael and his friends that shows people there is hope after a storm.