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…
50 Years of Ministry
Caring for Couples Suffering the Wounds of War
In 2012, the United States had only recently passed a tragic milestone in the War on Terror—more than 48,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces had been wounded in defense of our freedom since the 9/11 attacks. Many of these brave men and women returned home with terrible physical and emotional scars. Samaritan’s Purse President…
50 Years of Ministry
Deploying Military Couples to the Frontlines of Disasters
At the 2019 Operation Heal Our Patriots Reunion in Dallas, Texas, we invited military couples to join our U.S. Disaster Relief efforts as part of our new Team Patriot project. Since the first Team Patriot teams deployed in August of last year, Samaritan’s Purse has sent more than 100 individuals to serve again on the…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Love Restored, Hearts Made New
Nearly every day for several months of his deployment, Army Sergeant Jake Southern’s unit came under enemy fire or were blasted by a roadside bomb. “It was nonstop, every day. The violence was increasing,” Jake said of the wartime situation in Afghanistan during 2009. Back at home, his wife Susan was raising their baby boy…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Alaska Restart
In 2011, Army Specialist Shelby Nelms was in a convoy that was rocked by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. Her vehicle took a direct hit from the blast. Army Specialist Nick Nelms was also in the convoy and rushed to aid his fellow soldiers. “I said ‘What’s up, girl? I’m here to rescue you,’”…
Discipleship, Education & Training
The 2019 Operation Heal Our Patriots Summer Season Started Memorial Day Weekend
Sunday afternoon nine U.S. military couples arrived at Samaritan Lodge Alaska to be greeted on the local gravel runway by a long line of excited townspeople and staff waving American flags. One participant, Army Specialist Sean Goetz of Cedar City, Utah, said of the experience, “It’s just overwhelming—the patriotism. I’m speechless. I’m just privileged to…
God Is Transforming Lives and Healing Marriages through Operation Heal Our Patriots
Retired Army Staff Sergeant John Hosea and his wife Sara know that every day and every breath are gifts from God. On June 9, 2012, John’s armored vehicle ran over a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. The resulting blast blew the truck 27 feet in the air, killing the driver instantly. John was severely wounded. That…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Faith in Jesus Carries a Mother Through Hurricane Florence
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR OUR HURRICANE RESPONSES Katie Martin didn’t fear as she drove back to Jacksonville with her four children after evacuating ahead of Hurricane Florence. “There were two thoughts in my mind: ‘God is doing this for a good purpose, even though we can’t see it right now,’ and ‘Lord, please be…
A New Peace
For a long time, Army Sergeant John Hosea’s only solace was mile after high-speed mile on motorcycle through the Nevada desert. Like many combat veterans, he missed the adrenaline and brotherhood of military service. Hundreds of miles on his Harley also quieted his mind from replaying the tragic events of June 9, 2012. Out on…
Through the Wilderness
Navy Corpsman Ben Hebert and his wife, Heidi, nearly called it quits. They trace the source of their troubles back to 2009 when Ben watched helplessly as a fellow Marine was killed in an ambush while on patrol in Afghanistan. That traumatic event changed him. Ben was plagued by sleeplessness at night and a short…
