2022 Mid-Year Impact Report

Samaritan's Purse remained focused on the most significant part of our mission—helping people in Jesus' Name—as needs throughout the world dramatically increased during the first few months of 2022.

We quickly assisted families in conflict-torn Ukraine, welcomed Afghan refugees anxiously awaiting to begin their lives anew in the U.S., shared the life-changing message of the Gospel with millions of children, and assisted homeowners in the wake of devastating natural disasters. Through each of these projects and crisis responses, we partnered with local churches, empowering the body of Christ to rise up and reach their communities with God's love.

We are deeply appreciative for your partnership in ministry as we serve alongside one another as the hands and feet of Jesus.

Throughout Scripture, God uses His people to reach the broken and further His Kingdom. Like the Good Samaritan stopping to care for the hurting man whom others had passed by, we are helping the displaced, traumatized, and sick in Ukraine. We are humbled to labor alongside local churches and be part of God’s work in Eastern Europe as people desperately seek:

Healing.

And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Matthew 4:23 (ESV)

All across Ukraine, blood is shed as citizens fall victim to the ongoing violence. Others have become sick due to exposure to the elements or depleted medications. Local hospitals and clinics are overwhelmed and understocked. We are continually airlifting critical medical equipment and other relief supplies to conflict areas. We also are operating multiple medical facilities, including an Emergency Field Hospital, in various parts of Ukraine.

So far, more than 16,500 people have been treated through our medical interventions.

“My children have been having high temperatures and colds. The health workers here helped diagnose their illnesses and gave us treatment,” said Victoria, a mother who brought her children to one of our clinics. “Now we'll go back home very grateful and thankful for everyone here.”

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Hope.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

Many Ukrainian families have encountered loss and destruction on an almost daily basis, creating a tremendous need for emotional and trauma care. Our chaplains and staff are ministering to these individuals and letting them know that God loves them and has not forgotten them. We are also training pastors and churches in Moldova to provide counseling and emotional support to refugees.

“These stories are hard. We find that place of having an empathetic ear and sitting with people, mourning with them, and praying with them,” said Dan Bergman, a member of our Disaster Assistance Response Team. “We have to believe that He’s good, that He has power to save, that it's okay to hear the brokenness and not always bring an answer, but just point people towards the hope that we have in Jesus.”

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Provision.

Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Luke 12:24 (ESV)

Millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes with little, if any, supplies. Many of them have become trapped on the frontlines of the conflict without access to basic necessities. Samaritan's Purse immediately created a national supply network by utilizing our Operation Christmas Child church partners to put food, clothing, blankets, hygiene kits, and other supplies into the hands of many who are struggling to survive.

“We think that this is the ministry of the church, to do what it does now. If the church is not needed at the moment of help, then the church is probably not needed at all,” said Pastor Dima, whose congregation has partnered with Operation Christmas Child for more than 20 years.

Once food and other essentials are procured, local Christians selflessly transport these items into areas of great need where they love and know firsthand the communities that are suffering. Families who have been cut off from food, medicine, and other necessities are receiving a lifeline of support in Jesus' Name.

So far, our church partners have distributed 6,783 tons of food, 47,264 hygiene kits, 12,572 blankets, 10,454 solar lights, and more.

In neighboring Moldova, we're also helping church partners serve Ukrainians who are traveling through as refugees. “I want to say thank you very much for providing our church with hygiene kits, with bedding, diapers, and baby food. They are so necessary right now as we minister to refugees from Ukraine,” said one pastor. “Thank you very much to the whole team at Samaritan's Purse for everything you are doing for supporting the churches in this crisis.”

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And eternal peace.

And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him. Acts 17:26–27 (ESV)

Despite the darkness and pain brought on by this conflict, God is using it to draw people to Himself. Millions have been displaced from their homes and many of them have encountered the eternal hope of the Gospel in church shelters and Samaritan's Purse medical facilities along their journey.

“My soul is in pain,” said Oleg, a patient at our Emergency Field Hospital who witnessed friends and family die in a missile strike. Hospital chaplain Vitaliy shared the Gospel with Oleg and told him, “Only God can give you peace and hope.” Oleg then prayed to receive Jesus as his Lord and Savior. “When you pray, it's more important for your soul than pills or any medication,” he said.

God is working all across Ukraine and Moldova through believers to make His Name known to many like Oleg. We give thanks that He is able to transform the tragedy of displacement and loss into a journey of faith and eternal peace.

“I believe in a mighty God. I believe in a sovereign God. This is a hard thing for this country and this is a hard thing for me, but I know we will overcome and I know my God will be glorified.” Vitaliy Smolin,local partner in Ukraine

While life in Afghanistan has never been easy, many Afghans saw their world crumble as the country fell under the Taliban's brutal regime. Christians and those who had worked with American forces had to either flee or hide from persecution. Women mourned as the promise of equality in education and the workplace was stripped away. Families were crushed by what Taliban rule could mean for their children's safety and future.

Like many others, Farrah knew she had one opportunity to escape Afghanistan and find a better life for herself and her eight children. She packed up what little she could take, and her family fled from their home in the middle of the night. They slept on the ground outside the Kabul airport for the next five days, praying for a flight that would take them somewhere far away.

Farrah's family were among 70,000 Afghan refugees that flooded into United States military bases. Usually, nine resettlement agencies handle the transition of new refugees into the country, but with this overwhelming influx the agencies couldn't possibly oversee each case. We saw this as an opportunity to empower the Church and put faith into action. Samaritan's Purse became one of the first institutional co-sponsors to welcome Afghans to America.

“This is not a good thing for a church to be involved in, this is what the church is called to do.” Local pastor Serving with our Afghan Resettlement Program

Farrah's family was eventually partnered with a church through Samaritan's Purse and was soon welcomed by local Christians into an entirely different culture. They are grateful to be safe now and are steadily adjusting to life in America with the help of their new friends.

Farrah is one of over 300 Afghans that Samaritan's Purse has helped resettle since October. We desire for the loving arms of the Church to be the first impression Afghans experience as they arrive in America. Many church partners across the U.S. are rising up to support a family for a minimum of 90 days, helping them navigate American culture, complete paperwork, enroll in school, and plant roots in their communities.

Farrah's children are now making friends at school and her daughter, Samar, dreams of becoming a dentist. Farrah now has hope for her family's future and is thankful for the loving Christian community that has embraced her family. “You are all kind people,” she said. “You know the human value.”

The battle in Ukraine is the first experience for many of the devastating violence and heartbreaking reality of armed conflict. However, it is hauntingly familiar to others. Two Afghan families—four adults and 12 children—escaped their native country years before and settled in Ukraine with the hope of enjoying a life free from armed hostilities. That dream was shattered when combat erupted in late February, forcing them to once again search elsewhere for safety.

When Ukraine was invaded, Operation Christmas Child teams had already delivered over 600,000 shoebox gifts throughout the country, equipping thousands of churches to share the message of the Gospel. But these outreach events were soon halted and unopened shoeboxes and materials were stored until they could be safely delivered.

Nearly 200 miles east of the nation’s capital, a long-time Operation Christmas Child church partner began using the crisis as an opportunity to share the Gospel and provide practical aid to refugees passing through town. The two Afghan families took refuge in the church for a few days, where they received shelter, food, and basic necessities to assist them on their journey.

Volodymyr, a team member working in the church, saw a new purpose for the stored shoeboxes and gave one to each of the children. When they opened their gifts, fear vanished from their faces and smiles broke out. Despite the destruction and chaos in their lives, this tangible presentation of God's love allowed them a glimpse of His kindness and joy. Volodymyr then began to share with them stories from Scripture, and to his surprise one of the fathers sat with the boys and girls, and listened with great interest. And the seed of the Gospel was planted in their hearts, something that may not have occurred had the families not found shelter with the church.

“I do not know what was going on in [their hearts], but the most important thing is that the seed of the Word of God was planted in the hearts and souls of these people.” Volodymyr

In November of 2021, over 10.5 million shoeboxes, each one a Gospel opportunity, were collected. Now, our teams are taking these gifts to the farthest reaches of the world—from isolated jungle communities to remote mountain villages to islands far out in the Pacific—all with the purpose of leading children to know and follow Christ. Since 1993, more than 198 million shoebox gifts have been distributed, accompanied by outreach events where our staff introduce boys and girls to God’s love and invite them to help carry out the Great Commission.

During the first half of 2022, our volunteer teams and staff responded in Jesus' Name to natural disasters around the country. From January through June, U.S. Disaster Relief helped 2,047 families during 10 deployments across 9 different states. We praise the Lord that during the course of these deployments, 189 individuals placed their faith in Jesus Christ!

In Colorado and New Mexico, our teams responded to the devastating Marshall and McBride wildfires respectively, which together destroyed over 1,200 homes. Our teams helped families sift through rubble and ashes to recover treasured personal belongings, cleared debris in preparation for the rebuild process, and exhibited the love of Christ by practicing the ministry of being present.

“We never thought this would happen to us. The fire was the scariest day of my life,” recalled Karen Roach, a homeowner in Ruidoso, New Mexico. After experiencing the Christ-like love of our volunteers, she said, “Having these people show up—it's going to be okay. We know that deep down.”

Winter Storm Landon descended upon Memphis, Tennessee, in early February, producing thick layers of ice that downed trees, led to over 270,000 power outages, and caused catastrophic damage to hundreds of homes. Our teams helped families clean up and make repairs after the storm.

“I feel blessed that Samaritan's Purse has come here to Memphis,” said homeowner Teri Bordages. “I think people need to pray and ask for blessings on all those who volunteered to come help us!”

Meanwhile, Samaritan's Purse volunteers served in the wake of a deadly storm system that spawned multiple tornadoes in Round Rock, Texas, and Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish. Roofs were ripped off and homes were leveled by the twisters. Homeowner Marcia Wheeler mourned the loss of her home: “I went outside after the storm and was awestruck by the devastation. Our house was supposed to be our retirement, forever home, and now it's totaled.” Our teams came alongside Marcia and her husband and hundreds of other families during their time of utmost need. We cleared debris and downed trees, tarped roofs, and shared the hope and comfort of God's unfailing love.

In Mayfield, Kentucky, we launched a rebuild program following our disaster response to a devastating tornado there in December. After the initial clean-up phase is complete in some hard-hit communities, we will return to help hurting families with repairs, rebuilds, and even new home construction. We plan to assist up to 200 homeowners in Mayfield with repairs or new construction projects. We have also begun a furniture replacement program which will assist up to 400 homeowners or renters who lost most of their belongings.

“I think Jesus wants us to be on the first line of those that help, to be the first to love on those in need—to be a shining light amidst the darkness in a hard time.” Jacob, U.S. Disaster Relief volunteer