Retired Army Sergeant First Class Ronnie Busbin and his wife Beth of Cunningham, Tennessee, participated in the first week of the Operation Heal Patriots summer season in Alaska this year. Ronnie deployed to Iraq in 2004 and Afghanistan in 2006 and 2011-12. He suffers from multiple traumatic brain injuries received while performing his duties as…
Veterans Day: Celebrating God’s Work in Military Families
In 2014, Army Staff Sergeant Petey Beam and his wife, Kyra, arrived at Samaritan Lodge Alaska for Operation Heal Our Patriots with their marriage in shambles. Their week got off to a rough start the first morning during kayaking class. “We were the only couple sitting in our kayak screaming at each other,” Kyra said.…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Waterside Conversion Leads to Lake Clark Baptism
As Trish Dawson felt Lake Clark’s frigid waters wash over her, she almost forgot the shocking cold in an adrenaline rush of happiness. “I was just so happy—overwhelmed,” Trish shared, eyes shining at the memory of her baptism. Just moments before, on the beach at Samaritan Lodge Alaska, Trish had prayed with her husband and…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Alaska Fridays Are a Celebration!
Each week at Samaritan Lodge Alaska, Fridays are a day of celebration. Operation Heal Our Patriots staff and volunteers thank God as they watch baptisms, hear military couples renew their vows, and listen to testimonies of saving grace during a fireside farewell. Of course, the rest of the week is pretty special too. There’s a…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Motorcyclists Ride to Support Combat-Wounded Veterans and Their Spouses
More than 200 motorcyclists gathered on Saturday, May 21, for the 11th annual High Country Warrior Ride to raise funds for Operation Heal Our Patriots, the Samaritan’s Purse project aimed at strengthening the marriages of veterans wounded in post-9/11 combat operations. Starting at our International Headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, 151 motorcycles traveled together some…
Discipleship, Education & Training
God Answers Prayers to Save a Military Couple’s Marriage
Sean and Brandy Karpf’s teenage romance began one summer as they both worked the late shift at their local McDonald’s. They spent until the early hours of the morning breaking down equipment, cleaning, and closing the store. Some fleeting high school crushes are quickly forgotten, but this one lasted three years and culminated in an…
Media
Ukraine Response Press Kit
Media Resources Media Requests Press Releases Fact Sheets B-roll Audio PSA Photos Ukraine Response Press Kit In response to the conflict in Ukraine, Samaritan's Purse is working in three countries where needs are dire—Ukraine, Poland, and Moldova. Disaster response specialists are providing medical care in four facilities across Ukraine and Moldova—including an Emergency Field Hospital…
Our Ministry
Hispanic Ministries
Strengthening Hispanic Church Partnerships Hispanic Ministries 014070 $ Give Empowering the Hispanic Church In 2021, President of Samaritan's Purse Franklin Graham created Hispanic Ministries to further strengthen ministry partnerships with the Hispanic church in the United States. Hispanic Ministries equips, mobilizes, and partners with Hispanic churches in the U.S. to impact the world with the…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Serves Christmas Meal in Florida
Nearly three months after Hurricane Ian slammed into southwestern Florida, many families are still struggling to recover from massive wind and water damage to their homes. The Fort Myers community was particularly hard hit, with powerful storm surges and 150-mph sustained winds at landfall. Samaritan’s Purse, in partnership with Mission BBQ, served a hearty Christmas…
Our Ministry
A Tribute to the DC-8
!["The Mighty DC-8 has been [God's] instrument taking the Gospel message of Jesus Christ throughout the world," writes Joe Proffitt, a flight engineer with Samaritan's Purse, as the legendary plane is decommissioned.](https://spweb-uploads.s3.theark.cloud/2025/11/HS-1-320x273.jpg)
My name is Joe Proffitt and I have had the honor and privilege to be a flight engineer aboard this beautiful aircraft, the Mighty DC-8, for the past five and a half years. McDonnell Douglas produced 554 DC-8s. Samaritan’s Purse was blessed to operate the last one registered in the United States. In 2014, during…
