Military veterans and their spouses gather for a special weekend of worship and marriage renewal.
“Is your soul safe and secure in the hands of God?”
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham asked military couples to consider that question during the 2026 Operation Heal Our Patriots Reunion. He kicked off the event in Orlando, Florida, with a powerful message from Luke 19 about Jesus’ encounter with a rich tax collector named Zacchaeus.
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham encouraged attendees to seek after God and salvation in Jesus Christ.
Zacchaeus, who was corrupt and hated by the Jews, had let the pursuit of worldly desires consume his life. “He was on the verge of losing his soul,” Graham said. “He worshipped his money and wealth.”
Graham translated Zacchaeus’ situation to a modern-day example. “Some people spend their whole life trying to get ready for retirement, but they neglect what’s coming—everlasting life—and they lose their soul.”
Zacchaeus climbed into a tree so that he could see Jesus enter Jerusalem. The tax collector was curious about Jesus, but as Graham explained, he wasn’t seeking a relationship with the Messiah. He simply wanted to know more about the man people were saying had performed signs and wonders.
Franklin Graham invited couples to put their faith in the Lord. Many responded.
Yet everything changed when the Savior stopped, looked at Zacchaeus, and called his name. “Zacchaeus could have stayed in the tree. But when Jesus called him, he didn’t wait a second.”
Graham reminded our Operation Heal Our Patriots alumni that God created them, loves them, and wants a relationship with them. “The same Jesus Christ who saw Zacchaeus, He sees you tonight. He’s willing to stop for you if you call His Name.”
Graham invited anyone who wanted to receive Christ to come forward and offer a prayer of repentance and faith. “If you’ve never surrendered your life to Him, come right now,” he urged. “God sent His Son on a rescue mission. He didn’t send His Son to condemn us, but to save us. The Son of God took your sins. God will forgive you and set you free.”
We praise God for all of the men and women in Orlando who repented of their sins and prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
Edward Graham, COO of Samaritan’s Purse and former Army Ranger, spent time encouraging couples.
Testimonies of God’s Faithfulness
The theme for the April 23-26 event was “Reaching Forward,” based on Philippians 3:13-14: “But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”
The weekend conference included fellowship, breakout sessions on marriage and spiritual renewal, and worship led by Charity Gayle, Dennis Agajanian, and the Tommy Coomes Band. Bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs and his band, Kentucky Thunder, also performed.
Bluegrass Legend Ricky Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder performed during the weekend conference.
Operation Heal Our Patriot alumni shared testimonies throughout the Reunion about how God used the ministry to transform their lives.
The Lord has continued to work in the hearts of Matt and Dawn Sheppard in the three years since they went to Samaritan Lodge Alaska. Although they experienced significant breakthroughs in Alaska, including Dawn’s rededication of her life to Jesus and baptism, their marriage still struggled. Matt’s ongoing battle with alcohol finally got to be too much, and Dawn considered leaving him.
Matt’s heart changed during the 2024 Operation Heal Our Patriots Reunion when he heard evangelist Tim Lee speak on being devoted to God. Lee gave an invitation for anyone who wanted to receive Christ as their Savior.
“I got out of my seat and couldn’t get to the stage fast enough,” Matt said. “I dedicated my life to the Lord, and it hasn’t been the same since that day.”
Melissa and Scott Riddle, 2021 alumni, shared about Team Patriot, the Samaritan’s Purse initiative that gives Operation Heal Our Patriots alumni the opportunity to serve in the aftermath of natural disasters. After their first deployment to Palisades, California, in the wake of devastating wildfires, they knew they wanted Team Patriot to be an important part of their lives.
“To see the beauty of what God can do has been a blessing,” Melissa said. “Scott and I can lean on each other, and we can pour into the homeowners we are serving.”
Scott and Melissa Riddle came to Alaska in 2021 and have since found a place to serve together through Team Patriot.
They are now Team Patriot leaders and have even experienced the joy of serving alongside their 16-year-old daughter on several deployments.
“Being out there with our alumni and serving with them, we have the most important thing in common—the love of Jesus,” Scott said. “We can live and do His Word.
COO Edward Graham gathered with Team Patriot volunteers at the Reunion.
Trusting the Potter
Jonathan Falwell, senior pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church and chancellor of Liberty University, spoke twice during the Reunion. His first message was from Jeremiah 18:1-10, when God sent the prophet to tell the people of Israel that although they had disobeyed Him, all was not lost—God still had a plan to use them for His glory.
“I believe God is declaring this message to us in this moment,” Falwell said. “He is sovereign and active in your life. He has a plan for you, and He created that plan before you were born.”
Jonathan Falwell, chancellor of Liberty University and senior pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, reminded couples of their purpose in God’s Kingdom.
Falwell reminded the military couples that the Lord wants to mold them for His Kingdom purposes. As a potter shapes clay and leaves his mark, our Savior desires to do the same for His children. “God wants to imprint Himself in our lives,” Falwell said.
“Our future is not dependent on our past,” Falwell said. “No matter how many times you have messed up, God can use you in ways you never thought possible.”
Falwell exhorted alumni to stop running from God. “This journey He has for us is greater than anything the world has to offer. Let’s determine to live in the abundant life of Christ.”
More than 700 couples attended the Reunion this year for Biblically based marriage enrichment, special times of worship, and encouragement from God’s Word.
Later in the Reunion, Falwell delivered an encouraging message from Acts 22 about the conversion of Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul. Before he met Christ, Saul persecuted believers and desperately tried to prevent the Gospel from spreading. Saul was passionate, but his passion was misplaced.
“You are either serving God or self. If you are serving self, you can be passionate, but everything is going to fall apart,” Falwell said.
Saul’s life radically transformed after he had an encounter with God. He began pursuing a relationship with Christ above all else and committed his life to sharing the Good News.
“When you are doing what God has called you to do, it is the only place in life that you cannot fail,” Falwell said. “All of us have a role to play in the Kingdom of God.”
Knowing Your Identity
Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry spoke Saturday night about the danger of disobeying God and refusing to repent. Strawberry did that for many years while he played professional baseball, turning to drugs, alcohol, and other addictions that trapped him in a “life of darkness and separated from God.”
Baseball legend Darryl Strawberry spoke Saturday night describing how faith in Christ transformed his life after years of addiction.
His life transformed when he came to faith in Christ. “I had nothing until I met Jesus,” he said.
Strawberry finally understood that a baseball uniform did not define his identity—and neither should a military uniform. Our identity must be in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“The enemy’s purpose is to deceive you so that you don’t know who you are. He doesn’t want you to find your purpose in God’s Kingdom,” Strawberry said.
No matter the sins of the past, redemption can be experienced in Christ through repentance and trust in Him. “Jesus will give you His peace. He doesn’t want you on the sidelines anymore,” Strawberry said. “God doesn’t need anything from you but your heart.”
Please pray that these veterans and their spouses will continue to grow strong in their faith and in their marriages. Pray also for new couples who will be attending a week of marriage enrichment in Alaska this summer through Operation Heal Our Patriots.
