Update (July 15): This is the story of the arrival of Week One patriot couples. For a full story on the first week’s activities, go to the wrap-up article here. — This year’s first group of patriot couples took off from Anchorage around 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, and arrived at Port Alsworth about…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couples Celebrate New Life in Christ, Stronger Marriages
During their first morning at Samaritan Lodge Alaska, seven patriot couples headed down to the bay to receive kayak training together. Tandem kayaking is a great exercise in communication and teamwork—with the goal, as in marriage, of both partners being on the same page, headed in the same direction. “You want to be one movement,…
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
Clean Water Comes to Remote Villages in Kenya
Every day Eunice woke up early with the same worry pressed on her heart—would she find water today for her children? From her home in a remote village in Kenya, she walked two hours each way to the nearest water source and could only bring home what she was able to carry. Sometimes, during severe…
Media
Children’s Heart Project Photos
Children's Heart Project These photographs are available for news media outlet use in coverage of Samaritan's Purse-related stories. If your news outlet uses a photograph, please credit: “Courtesy of Samaritan's Purse.” These photographs are not for commercial use. Grand Cayman, 2023 In 2023, Children's Heart Project facilitated life-saving surgeries for more than 50 children born with…
Media
Operation Heal Our Patriots Photos
Operation Heal Our Patriots These photographs are available for news media outlet use in coverage of Samaritan's Purse-related stories. If your news outlet uses a photograph, please credit: “Courtesy of Samaritan's Purse.” These photographs are not for commercial use. Alaska, 2023 At the heart of Operation Heal Our Patriots is the desire to see couples grow…
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…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Recovery Continues One Year After Hurricane Dorian
A year after Hurricane Dorian battered the northern Bahamas, Samaritan’s Purse continues to provide families, churches, and communities with physical relief and hope in Jesus’ Name. Hurricane Dorian was a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph when it slammed into the islands of Grand Bahama and the Abacos. The hurricane killed…
Rescuing Military Marriages in Alaska
Army Sergeant Ian Hunt and his wife Maria were desperate for healing and for change when they arrived in Alaska this year for Week 5 of the Operation Heal Our Patriots summer season. There were moments during their time in Alaska that were filled with tears and turmoil, but God was at work in all…
Wounded Veterans and Their Spouses Discover Hope in Christ
The metal bracelet on Army Sergeant Justin Gallagher’s wrist, light as it was, had weighed on him for years. It was “like an anchor,” he said, because he had returned home from Iraq and three of his friends had not. Just before Christmas 2006, during operations in Fallujah, Iraq, a bomb detonated near two of…
Volunteers Bring Unexpected Blessings After Alabama Hurricane
Just one look into her eyes and a story quickly unfolded. A story woven together with fear, panic, and absolute confusion that left little hope for resolution. Deborah Nelson could see in her mother’s eyes that a storm still lingered, even in the days following Hurricane Sally’s brutal punch to Baldwin County, Alabama. Her mother…
