Military couples have been coming to Samaritan Lodge Alaska now for more than a decade with Operation Heal Our Patriots, and each of the 17 weeks of the program provides once-in-a-lifetime wilderness experiences. Our Samaritan’s Purse guides play a vital role in giving these couples memorable excursions together. Longtime outdoorsman and guide Ralph Meloon says…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couples Mark New Beginnings in Alaska
Mike Parsons served as a Marine from 2002-2006 and was first injured in 2003 during an IED blast in Iraq that left shrapnel in his leg, arm, and back. He continues to require surgeries for these physical wounds. But like many Marines and soldiers, airmen and sailors, Mike has struggled hardest with post-traumatic stress disorder…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Vice President Mike Pence Encourages Military Couples in Alaska
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, joined staff and volunteers at Samaritan Lodge Alaska in ministering to wounded military veterans and their spouses from July 20-23. Invited to Alaska by Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham and his wife, Jane, the Pences were a great encouragement to military couples during Week Seven of the…
Franklin Graham
Newsletter July 2023
Franklin Graham Update | July Franklin Graham Update | July ‘Why Am I Here?’ Patriots Discover God's Answer Mike and Michelle Black Dear Friend, When Marine Lance Corporal P.J. Kehs came home from his tour of duty in Iraq, not only was he battle-toughened, but he also had what he described as "a heart of rock." Mike and Michelle Black A veteran of Operation Phantom…
God Works Through Our Ongoing Care to Military Couples
Denise Blanchett said the water was so cold she couldn’t speak. Or perhaps she was speechless for other reasons, such as the overpowering emotions she experienced during such an important moment. For nearly four years she had thought about the opportunity she’d missed to be baptized with her husband, Army Sergeant Scott Blanchett, in the…
Crisis & Disaster Response
Samaritan’s Purse Extends Hope to Middle Tennessee Families This Christmas
A heartbreaking scene unfolded on Dec. 9 when twisters wreaked havoc in Middle Tennessee communities and claimed the lives of six people, including two young children. Scattered among the pieces of splintered homes were colorful Christmas decorations, which stood in stark contrast to the joy that the Christmas season usually brings. “It’s one of the…
Our Ministry
Year-End Giving 2023
2023 Year in Photos Where Most Needed 012000 $ Give We praise God for what He has done through Samaritan's Purse in 2023. We ministered in Jesus' Name to desperate people around the world, rushing relief to victims of violent conflict, natural disasters, disease, and poverty. From an earthquake in Turkey to war in Ukraine, from wildfires…
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,…
Discipleship, Education & Training
Military Couples Encouraged, Strengthened in Alaska
Day after day, Army Sergeant Russell Gaskins scrambled to take cover from incoming mortar rounds fired into the camp. They’d come at all hours, and, eventually, he’d had enough. “There were times the mortar rounds came in at night and you got knocked out of bed. I just crawled back into bed,” he said. “I…
Construction Projects
Warming in Koyuk
Warming in Koyuk Samaritan's Purse staff and volunteers built a church in the remote village of Koyuk over the summer of 2023. Explore village and church life in this special place up north in Alaska. God's Country Up north in Alaska, where the forests and the tundra can swallow two states the size of Texas,…
