When Army Sergeant Larry Kaibetoney and his wife Chani touched down at Samaritan Lodge Alaska this summer, it was the first time either of them had been welcomed by an American flag-waving crowd. “When we landed and there were all these people here who came out to meet us, I felt energized. I felt welcome.…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Veterans Day 2018: Operation Heal Our Patriots Refreshes Military Couples
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couples Mark New Beginnings in Alaska
Mike Parsons served as a Marine from 2002-2006 and was first injured in 2003 during an IED blast in Iraq that left shrapnel in his leg, arm, and back. He continues to require surgeries for these physical wounds. But like many Marines and soldiers, airmen and sailors, Mike has struggled hardest with post-traumatic stress disorder…
Wounded Veterans and Spouses Find God’s Healing through Operation Heal Our Patriots
When Army Sergeant Joe and Brittany Gray arrived at Samaritan Lodge Alaska on Sunday, July 21, they had been separated several weeks and were on the verge of getting a divorce. In fact, the very day they got there they had originally planned to go to dinner and discuss next steps—possibly giving up on their…
Women's Programs
Women in Cambodia Support their Families by Raising Healthier Chickens
Porleang and her husband Pheap are farmers in Cambodia’s Kratie Province. Like many families in their village, they had a few chickens and planned to sell them at the local market. However, they did not know how to properly care for the chickens, and they died of disease. Porleang was so discouraged that she considered…
Discipleship, Education & Training
We Remember 9/11 and How God Is Healing Our Heroes
Each year in September we’re reminded why the United States is at war—why so many of our military men and women have been deployed into combat zones over the past 18 years. The world-shifting events of September 11, 2001, launched our nation into a global war on terror that continues to this day. Since 2012,…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Remember Me
Retired Army Sergeant First Class Ronnie Busbin and his wife Beth of Cunningham, Tennessee, participated in the first week of the Operation Heal Patriots summer season in Alaska this year. Ronnie deployed to Iraq in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2006 and 2011-12. He suffers from multiple traumatic brain injuries received while performing his duties as…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Volunteers Cleaning Up After South Carolina Tornado
Samaritan’s Purse has deployed to Spartanburg County, South Carolina, where an EF1 tornado left behind a 10-mile path of destruction on Thursday morning, Feb. 6. Our volunteer teams began work on Feb. 8 and they have helped almost 100 homeowners remove trees and debris and tarp damaged roofs. U.S. Disaster Relief staff are on the…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Team Patriot Veterans Bless Tornado-Devastated Tennessee
Christy Autry described the dark early morning hours in her Nashville neighborhood after power was knocked out by a March 3 tornado: flashlight beams and people wandering and shouting for loved ones. And, of course, no one slept. When the sun rose, she could finally see the devastation caused by a powerful twister that struck…
Samaritan’s Purse Completes Work in Arkansas
Samaritan’s Purse has completed work in Arkansas where an EF-3 tornado ripped a 20-mile destructive path through Jonesboro communities on Saturday, causing damage to hundreds of homes. A number of homes were completely destroyed and 22 people were injured as the city and surrounding neighborhoods took a direct hit. This was one of three tornadoes…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Families Continue to Give Back
When Marine Staff Sergeant Curtis Fowler walked on his own for the first time in two years his family praised God for a healing that once seemed impossible. Curtis had been unable to walk normally after something went wrong during a procedure to repair a decade-old back injury suffered in Iraq. Curtis went into the…
