One Week in Alaska

Our military servicemembers and their families serve our country selflessly, protecting the freedoms we enjoy. But this service comes with a cost, as these men and women in our armed forces often suffer from both visible and invisible wounds.

Samaritan Lodge Alaska opens every summer from Memorial Day weekend until September. Staff and volunteers welcome 11 new couples every Sunday to Operation Heal Our Patriots. This week-long marriage retreat is designed to strengthen and restore marriages. Couples participate in Biblically based marriage enrichment classes and get a chance to enjoy the Alaskan wilderness together.

Kristy Graham, host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse, takes listeners to Alaska, to experience Operation Heal Our Patriots day by day alongside these couples—from the plane ride into Port Alsworth to the fireside chat at the week’s end.

Mark Lang, the director of operations for Operation Heal Our Patriots, talked about how excursions like fishing, kayaking, and bear-viewing provide time and space for couples to communicate without distractions while immersed in the beauty of God’s creation. The guides who lead excursions seize every opportunity to converse with couples and share about their faith.

“[Couples] are doing things together, like kayaking, for instance, where they're just spending time together that maybe they don't have at home. So, it really starts the process of dealing with each other.” —Mark Lang

Luis and Brenda, a husband-and-wife chaplain team, get to watch couples transform week after week. Through intentional conversations, couples slowly open up about their struggles, but ultimately, it is God who works in their hearts.

“Every week it's different. It's awesome how the Lord works in these couples’ lives and in their marriages. I've heard that someone once said before, the ‘heal’ in Operation Heal Our Patriots, He is the ‘heal,’ the Lord is the ‘heal’ in Operation Heal Our Patriots, and I think it's so true.”—Brenda Anda

One of our podcast correspondents, Kaitlyn, sat down with one couple, Ryan and Angel, while they were in Alaska. After many trials over the years and a period of separation, Angel and Ryan found themselves at Operation Heal Our Patriots. Angel had been hoping and praying for years that one day her husband would surrender his life to Christ. One night, with the guidance of Luis, her prayers were answered. Ryan accepted Christ as his Savior, and the very next day, he got baptized in Lake Clark, publicly declaring his faith.

“It was a reality check. And I literally broke down there and [Luis] was like, ‘Will you take Jesus?’ I'm like, ‘Yeah.’ And it just hit. And leaving there, I told [Angel] I felt lighter. I slept probably the best I've ever slept in a long time, last night.”—Ryan Schuck

The final event to close out the week in Alaska is the fireside chat, which is a sweet time where couples share with the group what the week has meant to them. Many give testimonies of what God has done in their life and in their marriage as well as express their heartfelt appreciation for staff and volunteers.

This summer, please pray for these couples. Pray that marriages will be strengthened and God will soften the soil of the hearts that do not yet know Him, drawing people to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories from On the Ground, please visit SamaritansPurse.org.