Sometimes the call came in the middle of the night, and her husband would be gone by morning. She often had no idea where, for how long, or when she would hear from him again. Courtney Keith began to fear an officer’s knock on her door—the signal that her husband had been killed on military…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Spouses Open Up About Trials, Triumphs, and God’s Redeeming Love
Discipleship, Education & Training
New Friendships, Stronger Marriages Built Among Military Couples
Army Sergeant Larry Kaibetoney and his wife Chani touched down on the runway at Samaritan Lodge Alaska to a hero’s welcome—with a crowd, young and old, cheering and waving American flags. They might have expected such a welcome after Larry’s injury in Iraq more than a decade ago, but those hopes had never before materialized.…
Discipleship, Education & Training
“My Life Has Been Changed”
Army Sergeant Marco Solt expected to find improvised explosive devices (IED) during their route clearance mission in Iraq. That was his job as a combat engineer. They’d find the bombs and neutralize them. But this bomb found their vehicle first. In the confusing seconds after the explosion, he thought he’d lost his teeth. However, it…
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,’”…
Celebrating God’s Work in Our Military Couples
Army Specialist Shawna Watkins and Army Sergeant Jesse Watkins started dating after serving on combat deployments in Afghanistan. They’d been on the same mission together in 2011 when their convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device, and Shawna was sent flying from atop her vehicle’s gun turret. Next thing she knew she was in…
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…
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…
Media
Biography: Ken Isaacs
Ken Isaacs Vice President, Programs & Government Relations, Samaritan's Purse As vice president of programs and government relations, Ken Isaacs oversees all international relief projects for Samaritan's Purse. Isaacs has more than 35 years of experience working in the relief and development communities, and his work has taken him to nearly 150 countries in response to…
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…
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…
