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…
Through the Wilderness
Navy Corpsman Ben Hebert and his wife, Heidi, nearly called it quits. They trace the source of their troubles back to 2009 when Ben watched helplessly as a fellow Marine was killed in an ambush while on patrol in Afghanistan. That traumatic event changed him. Ben was plagued by sleeplessness at night and a short…
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…
Letting Go of Anger and Finding Peace
The first time Marine Lance Corporal PJ Kehs was shot at, he was crossing a street in Fallujah, Iraq–and he fell. Just then, a tracer round zipped over, striking the man behind him. “Why did I fall? I didn’t trip over anything. I literally just went down,” he said. “I should have taken that bullet.”…
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,…
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…
A Veteran Couple Finds Hope for Their Marriage in Alaska
Evan Benton joined the Army in 2010 with lofty expectations and planned to make the military a career. When he reported to boot camp as a teenager, he couldn’t have been more excited. “There aren’t too many places that let an 18-year-old kid shoot automatic weapons and play with explosives,” he said. Evan was deployed…
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…
Our Ministry
Franklin Graham’s Journey From Lost to Spreading Hope
By Beth Brelje | Originally Published in The Epoch Times May 02, 2024. Updated: May 06, 2024. Used with permission. BOONE, N.C.—A bird is thumping into the window of Rev. Franklin Graham’s office at Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in Boone, North Carolina. He says it happens every spring, and he doesn’t know why, but this…
Our Ministry
Franklin Graham Dedicates New Midwest Ministry Center
Today, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham welcomed hundreds of guests to our Midwest Ministry Center in Aurora, Illinois, to dedicate the new property to the Lord’s service. The 116,000 square-foot facility will serve as a staging area for our disaster relief operations in the region while also housing a permanent Operation Christmas Child processing center.…
