With registration right around the corner, I have to take this opportunity to let everyone know about Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Heal Our Patriots. For those of you who have never heard of this, I am so glad to be able to tell you about it now. For those of you that have been a part of Operation Heal Our Patriots, you know full well how wonderful and joyous this opportunity is for our military veterans and their spouses/veteran caregivers.
Before I tell you about our own personal experience in Alaska, I will take the time now to let you know what the Samaritan’s Purse website says about it:
“Operation Heal Our Patriots gives wounded veterans and their spouses the opportunity for spiritual refreshment, physical renewal, and marriage enrichment. Couples participate in Biblically based seminars that help strengthen their relationships with God and others and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation with outdoor activities at our Alaskan wilderness lodge. We continue to support these men and women after their initial stay, keeping their spiritual needs and marriages a priority.”
This depiction is merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This retreat to the Alaskan wilderness not only enriches your life, it also strengthens your marriage and brings you closer to God as a couple. While the seminars mentioned above are important, they make up such a small part of the entire experience. I would like to relate the experience that my husband and I had when we were selected to go to Alaska on the week-long, all-expenses-paid, trip of a lifetime. It is an experience that neither one of us will ever forget.
While I cannot tell you everything that goes on during this trip to Alaska (I wouldn’t want to ruin any of the surprises for anyone), I can give you an idea of how wonderful this trip really is. Allow me to start with the accommodations. The area where you will be staying is at the edge of a beautiful lake, surrounded by trees, and with beautiful snow-covered mountains as your backdrop. Each couple gets their own private log cabin for the week, and these cabins are connected via wooden walkways that meander through a beautifully maintained landscape. It is literally a picture of peace and relaxation! There is also a large building nestled among the trees that serves as a meeting place and dining hall for all of the couples. You will be served some of the most delicious and well-prepared meals that you have ever eaten here. Make no mistakes about it, the on-site chefs hold nothing back when preparing lavish meals for their honored guests, so please don’t go with any ideas of losing weight during your stay here.
Each day offers an assortment of activities that you can do as a couple. There are plenty of knowledgeable and experienced guides on-hand so that couples have the opportunity to choose where they want to spend their days. There are hiking trips up a mountain to a secluded spot of such beauty that you will not want to leave. Cascading waterfalls provide a backdrop to a relaxing afternoon of picture taking, fly fishing, or even just relaxing in a hammock. You and your spouse could choose to spend the day on a nature reserve, where a guide will take you on a relaxing walk across well-maintained paths where you can experience the glory of the Alaskan wilderness… especially when you reach the falls where you can watch the native bears catching salmon right in front of you. There are various day fishing trips to choose from while you are there as well. Whether you want to take a floatplane to a secluded lake in the middle of nowhere to fish for Alaskan Pike, or take a chartered fishing boat along the nearby lake and rivers for some fishing and sightseeing, you will not be disappointed. I can tell you now that my husband didn’t even like to fish, until he fished in Alaska. It was some of the most fun that we have ever had.
There are other activities as well, such as some shorter hikes, archery, kayaking, etc… but you never once feel forced into participating in anything if you do not want to. If you and your spouse want to take a day to stay back from the activities, you can. Spend a quiet afternoon enjoying what the surrounding area has to offer. You can spend time at the lodge playing game, walking the rocky shores of the beach, or even take an afternoon nap in your cabin if you choose to do so. As the sun sets and the chill of the evening sets in, there is a huge bonfire nightly for everyone to enjoy, as well as couple’s saunas, where you can sweat out the aches from your hike with your spouse in the privacy of your own sauna cabin.
There is so much more that I could tell you about how fantastic the trip is, how amazing the people are, and how it has changed our lives for the better, but I would rather you experience it for yourself. This trip runs for sixteen weeks every year, with 10 couples participating each week. You could be one of those 160 couples this year... but only if you apply! Samaritan’s Purse will begin accepting applications this year on February 1st, 2022. My husband and I were not selected the first year that we applied, but we applied again the following year and got to go on the trip of a lifetime. Please, I urge you to go to the following site and apply on the first of February: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/education-2/ohop-application/
I can assure you that you will not be sorry that you did. For most of us, this trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Alaska, and this trip allows you to do it for free! You will never see such beauty, feel so relaxed, or sleep as well as you will on this Alaska retreat. I will be praying that you get selected!
~ Kristine C. (Veteran Caregiver)
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