Marine Corporal Tim Read had just knocked out a couple miles of hiking and a steep descent to the falls of the Tanalian River—on one leg. “That was the fastest I’ve hiked in a long time,” he said. Then, he knelt on the banks, his left prosthetic leg digging into the sand, as he scraped…
A Fresh Start
Army Specialist Jason Tyson was stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, when he met Jodina, a school teacher. The first time Jodina came to visit him on base she brought homemade cookies and “it was love at first bite,” Jason said. “I knew we were meant for each other.” Jodina also knew after that first…
Shoebox Recipient Gives the Gift of Service to Louisiana Homeowners
Karina knows what it’s like to receive an unexpected gift from strangers. One year around Christmastime, a pre-teen Karina and her seven siblings were surprised to see stacks of colorful shoeboxes ready to be distributed to children at their church. Her large family was used to sharing what possessions they had and celebrating Christmas without…
The Gospel Transforms a Family in East Africa
Bahati was suffering from constant headaches a couple years ago. So, her mother Sina turned to the only people she thought might be able to help her daughter. She went to the local Christians and asked for prayer. Sina was not a believer herself and, in fact, was sometimes unfriendly to Christians. But she’d heard…
Ukraine Response
New Friendships, Stronger Marriages Built Among Military Couples
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.…
“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…
Building up the Church Worldwide
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,…
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.…