Operation Heal Our Patriots Offers Physical and Spiritual Refreshment to Military Couples
OUR SEVENTH SEASON: 16 WEEKS, 160 MORE COUPLES. PLEASE PRAY.
Share Tweet Pin Emaily SubscribeMemorial Day weekend marked the start of the 2018 Operation Heal Our Patriots summer season. Each week for 16 weeks, a new group of 10 wounded veterans and their spouses will arrive in Alaska for a time of Christ-centered marriage enrichment.
Military couples are flown to our wilderness lodge where veteran chaplains teach marriage classes focused on Biblical solutions, lead daily devotions from God's Word, and offer private spiritual counsel. Our patriot couples also have opportunities for physical refreshment as they participate together in activities such as kayaking, hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing.
“For real, long-term healing, wounded service members need a sound foundation,” says retired Marine Brigadier General Jim Walker, who serves as the project's executive director. “That foundation has two parts: a strong marriage and a strong faith in Christ. That’s it. That’s the whole program. That’s what we’re doing in Alaska.”
Check out our photo collection above throughout the 2018 season. New photos will be added to the mix regularly. Come back weekly to see the latest!
We also invite you to see more photos and read some of this year's stories of combat-wounded service members and their spouses who have experienced God's healing love.
LATEST STORIES: Celebrating God’s Work in Our Military Couples • Thanking God for Military Couples Saved in Alaska • A Hurting Marriage Begins to Heal from the Wounds of War • Fresh Start in Alaska Based on a Rock-Solid Foundation • Alaska Restart • About-Face • "My Life Has Been Changed" • Military Spouses Open Up About Trials, Triumphs, and God's Redeeming Love • Thanking God for Lives Transformed in Alaska • Military Couples Start Fresh After Alaska Adventure • "We Are Going to Cherish This for the Rest of Our Lives" • Operation Heal Our Patriots Begins Seventh Season in Alaska
Samaritan’s Purse started Operation Heal Our Patriots in 2012 to strengthen the marriages of military personnel wounded in combat or combat-related activities after 9/11. Over the past six years, our staff has welcomed nearly 850 couples to Alaska to participate in the project—by the end of this year the number will top 1,000. We praise God that so far more than 340 individuals have made commitments to Jesus Christ, 428 have been baptized, and almost 400 couples have publicly rededicated their marriages to the Lord during their stay at Samaritan Lodge.<!----> And we are thankful that there is more good news to report week-by-week each summer.
“It has been amazing to see what God is doing in the lives and marriages of these American heroes. These husbands and wives have sacrificed so much for the sake of our liberty, and we are now seeing many of them find true freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ,” said Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham.
“These husbands and wives have sacrificed so much for the sake of our liberty, and we are now seeing many of them find true freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ.”—Franklin Graham
Our ministry to these couples does not end in Alaska as we follow up with them over the long term through our aftercare program. Our staff connects couples with local churches, engages families through regular personal contact (phone calls, emails, social media, visits), and meets with them at regional get-togethers. In addition, Operation Heal Our Patriots reunions and regional training events benefit couples by providing more Christian teaching and tools to fortify their marriage. Many of the participants have also developed deep relationships with one another and support each other directly in a variety of ways.
The 2018 summer season runs from May 27 to Sept. 14.The first 15 weeks are for wounded U.S. service members and their spouses, while the 16th week is reserved for those representing the Canadian armed forces.
Thank you for praying for our military couples, staff, and volunteers this year. The 2018 Operation Heal Our Patriots summer season has come to a close. Please continue to pray for all current couples and the many new couples who will join us in 2019 at Samaritan Lodge Alaska. Ask God to give them open hearts and minds, so they can draw closer to Him and to one another. <!--
Please pray for our staff and the Canadian military couples who will join us<!-- they are ministering to this summer Pray for safety in travel as at Samaritan Lodge for Week 16 (Sept. 9 - 14) of the Operation Heal Our Patriots summer season. couples arrive and enjoy a busy schedule of activities and classes. Ask God to give them open hearts and minds, so they can draw closer to Him and to one another.
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