More than 200 Samaritan’s Purse volunteers from 26 states are building a church on remote Nunivak Island this summer. The construction site lies at the edge of the Native Village of Mekoryuk, the only year-round settlement on the tundra-covered Alaskan isle. Cup’ig speaking people have lived on Nunivak, the second largest island in the Bering…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Field Hospital Pledged for Rural Alaska
Samaritan’s Purse has committed one of our Emergency Field Hospitals to the town of King Salmon, Alaska, as a massive influx of commercial fishermen and fishery workers are expected to swell the area’s population this summer—bringing the ominous potential of a COVID-19 outbreak. “Many locals are frightened, remembering what happened when the Spanish flu came…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Airlifts Field Hospital to Alaska
Samaritan’s Purse airlifted a 30-bed Emergency Field Hospital and critical medical supplies to King Salmon, Alaska, on June 1 in advance of a possible COVID-19 outbreak. The threat is expected to significantly rise this summer as more than 10,000 fishermen and cannery workers from around the world descend upon the Bristol Bay region. Many of…
God Used a Fishing Trip in Alaska to Reel in a Veteran Who No Longer Believed
Standing waist-deep in chilly water just downstream from Tanalian Falls, Army Specialist Eric Stacy had hooked a large Arctic grayling, one of the most beautiful freshwater fish in Alaska—”the sailfish of the north” with its sweeping, colorful dorsal fin. He was reeling in this prize catch one moment, and the next was watching that signature…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couples Encouraged, Strengthened in Alaska
Day after day, Army Sergeant Russell Gaskins scrambled to take cover from incoming mortar rounds fired into the camp. They’d come at all hours, and, eventually, he’d had enough. “There were times the mortar rounds came in at night and you got knocked out of bed. I just crawled back into bed,” he said. “I…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Airlifts Medical Supplies to Alaska
The Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 aircraft landed in Alaska on Monday, April 6, with over 8 tons of supplies critical for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. At the request of the governor’s office, we provided hospital beds, thermometers, and personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, and gowns. These will be delivered to rural areas…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Veteran Couples Find Spiritual Renewal in Alaska
The last thing Natalie heard was a mortar round exploding and her husband shouting, “We’re taking incoming.” Then, the phone line went dead. Natalie wondered if that was the last time she’d hear his voice. Natalie endured many restless days and nights while her husband, Army Sergeant Eddie Shanks, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couple Begins New Life in Christ During Alaska Retreat
“How is dad?” the children inquired when their mother picked them up from school. Her answer was important, because it determined how the twin boys entered the house. Would they smile and say hello to their dad? Or would they keep their heads down and slip in unnoticed? Debbie Gonzalez tried hard to shield her…
A Veteran Couple Finds Hope for Their Marriage in Alaska
Evan Benton joined the Army in 2010 with lofty expectations and planned to make the military a career. When he reported to boot camp as a teenager, he couldn’t have been more excited. “There aren’t too many places that let an 18-year-old kid shoot automatic weapons and play with explosives,” he said. Evan was deployed…
Reconnecting in Alaska
Army Sergeant Omar Cortes served in the military for 15 years and was deployed twice to Iraq. He was medically retired in 2013 due to his combat injuries. After returning home to Puerto Rico, Omar and his wife Heidy started growing apart and desperately needed to reconnect—not only with one another but with God. Omar…
