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…
Fresh Start in Alaska Based on a Rock-Solid Foundation
Marine Master Sergeant Al Aranda entered a Marine recruiting office as a young man trying to make a better life for himself and to become a good example to the family he might have one day. Now more than 21 years later, after two combat deployments and three years as a Marine Corps drill instructor,…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couple Finds a New Beginning in Christ
The first time Wayne Wilson learned how to drive, it was behind the wheel of a Humvee in Iraq. The 17-year-old had joined the Army to escape from an abusive home, going straight from high school into basic training. He graduated from Airborne School and was immediately deployed on his first combat tour in 2002.…
Samaritan’s Purse Volunteers Bring Relief in Jesus’ Name to Georgia and the Florida Panhandle
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR OUR HURRICANE MICHAEL RESPONSE LATEST Oct. 18, 8:30 a.m. Our volunteers are hard at work in Albany, Georgia, and in the Florida Panhandle where our teams have received more than 1,500 work orders between the two locations. More than 300 volunteers so far have helped respond to the need. Many…
Embracing God’s Strength in Weakness
For many years, the Carbullidos’ combat experiences remained a mystery roiling under the surface of their marriage. Air Force Master Sergeant David Carbullido considered it his duty to lock away those moments into a dark corner of his mind. He thought it was an absolute necessity in order to stay engaged in the work at…
Health & Medical Ministries
Cleft Lip Surgeries Change Lives in Myanmar
“My mom told the midwife to kill the baby,” Thin said. Thin’s mom feared her grandson would not grow up as a normal child because of his cleft lip. She didn’t know how he would eat since he couldn’t breastfeed and worried he would be teased when he got older. Neither Thin nor her mom…
More Than They Bargained For
Retired Army Staff Sergeant Ray Davis and his wife Rebecca applied to attend Operation Heal Our Patriots because they wanted to see Alaska: the Last Frontier. It wasn’t until the end of their week at Samaritan Lodge though that they realized just how desperately they had needed the time together. Yes, they expected to reconnect,…
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…
Our Ministry
Disaster Assistance Response Team
Learn More About Serving on a Samaritan's Purse DISASTER ASSISTANCE RESPONSE TEAM A Disaster Assistance Response Team provides relief to victims of disaster while ↓ water food shelter medical care war poverty famine disease natural disaster sharing the hope of Jesus Christ A DART provides water, food, shelter, and medical care to victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster while sharing…
