Causes: Christianity, International, International Relief, Religion

Mission: Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing Gods love through His son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Programs: Operation christmas child: this is a project of samaritan's purse that collects and delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to millions of hurting children around the world. We do this to demonstrate god's love, prepare the way for the gospel, and share the true meaning of christmas--the birth of jesus christ, our lord and savior. Jesus told us, "go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (matthew 28:18). In 2014, operation christmas child reached boys and girls in 114 nations with a record 10,440,333 shoebox gifts collected worldwide, including 7,991,643 in the u. S. Since 1993, operation christmas child has handed out 124 million shoebox gifts in 159 countries and territories. The 2015 national collection week will be november 16-23 at more than 4,000 locations across the u. S.

south sudan relief: samaritan's purse has been working in south sudan for more than 20 years--long before the nation gained independence in 2011. The humanitarian crisis escalated in 2014 because of political instability and fighting. Working in the name of jesus, we provide food, water, and other essentials to 200,000 people who have been displaced from their homes and farms. Samaritan's purse operates the only surgical hospital in maban county, as well as a nutrition center and five mobile clinics to care for malnourished infants. Our international medical teams have provided cleft- lip surgery for over 260 children and adults since 2011. Hundreds of churches built by samaritan's purse over the past 10 years are involved in concerted prayer for peace and the future of their nation.

liberia relief: samaritan's purse was at the forefront of efforts to fight the ebola outbreak in western africa in 2014. We praise god for halting the epidemic and sparing so many lives, including dr. Kent brantly and nancy writebol after they contracted ebola while caring for patients. Samaritan's purse operated three facilities to provide medical and spiritual care for the sick, supplied 66,000 households with infection prevention kits, and reached 1. 6 million people with ways to avoid the virus. At the height of the epidemic, when commercial flights were cancelled, we chartered two jumbo jets to deliver desperately needed medicines and supplies. Through our ebola ministry, over 1,200 liberians trusted jesus christ as their lord and savior.

the mission of samaritan's purse is to obediently serve the lord jesus christ. At the core of our ministry is the belief that mankind has been separated from god by sin and our only hope of salvation comes from the atoning sacrifice of god's son, jesus christ. "if you confess with your mouth the lord jesus and believe in your heart that god has raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (romans 10:9). Many claim to behave mercifully toward their neighbors out of a sense of social consciousness. At samaritan's purse, we take our name and mandate from christ's instruction that we should first love the lord with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Caring for our neighbors then flows from our deep love for god. This command is illustrated in the parable of the good samaritan as told by jesus and recorded in luke 10:25-37 (new king james version): and behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, "teacher, what shall i do to inherit eternal life? " he said to him, "what is written in the law? What is your reading of it? " so he answered and said, "'you shall love the lord your god with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself. '" and he said to him, "you have answered rightly; do this and you will live. " but he, wanting to justify himself, said to jesus, "and who is my neighbor? " then jesus answered and said: "a certain man went down from jerusalem to jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when i come again, i will repay you. ' so which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? " and he said, "he who showed mercy on him. " then jesus said to him, "go and do likewise. " at samaritan's purse, we are responding to christ's command to do likewise as we minister to those suffering from the results of sin in our world: war, poverty, disaster, disease, and famine. The bible tells us, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? " (jeremiah 17:9). In the new testament, we read that "the wages of sin is death" (romans 6:23). Because of adam and eve's disobedience, every human being is born with the stain of sin, which, without the cleansing blood of jesus christ, ultimately leads to physical and spiritual death. The lord, in his mercy, sent his beloved son, jesus christ, from heaven to this earth on a rescue mission. John 3:16 says, "for god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. " jesus took our sins upon himself, suffering and dying on a roman cross. He took our sins to the grave, and on the third day, he arose again. Through his death and resurrection, jesus became the way for us to be reconciled to god. He said, "i am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me" (john 14:6). If you choose to remain in your sins, you will be separated from god forever. But, if you place your faith and trust in what jesus has done, you will be saved by god's grace. This is the good news: "he who believes in him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of god" (john 3:18). If you want to receive god's free gift of salvation, you can pray a simple prayer like this one: dear god, i am a sinner. I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. Help me to turn from my sinful life. I believe by faith that jesus christ is your son who died for my sins, and whom you have raised to life. I want to trust jesus as my savior and follow him as my lord from this day forward and forevermore. Amen. If you have prayed this, or would like some spiritual help, please call the following number to speak with a counselor: 1-800-247-2426. You can trust these words are true: "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of god, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (ephesians 2:8-9). At samaritan's purse, we take prayer seriously. Thanks to what jesus christ has done, we can take our prayer concerns directly to our god in heaven. We can ask him to intervene immediately on behalf of those whose lives are in danger, and we trust him to provide the resources for us to swiftly accomplish his work and his will. The quarterly magazine of samaritan's purse, prayerpoint, is devoted entirely to prayer for our projects around the world. We trust that as god answers prayers, he will meet the needs of his people. In addition to the ministries listed in part iii, the following ministries are our response to the effects of sin on humanity and the natural world. Our mission is to bring god's love, healing and compassion to those who are hurting or lost. North american ministries: samaritan's purse has helped over 31,000 families in 35 states recover from tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters since 1998. We operate five disaster relief units that carry everything needed to make emergency repairs and support the work of our national network of volunteers (5,537 at 13 locations in 2014). In 2014, samaritan's purse rebuilt 50 homes for disaster survivors who lacked the means to build on their own. At every home where we work, our volunteers offer to pray with the residents and leave each household with a signed copy of the bible. Volunteers mark comforting verses, such as psalm 46:1: "god is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. " world medical mission (wmm): the medical arm of samaritan's purse helped staff 39 mission hospitals in 37 countries in 2014. World medical mission arranged 688 short-term trips for christian doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals who served short-term assignments overseas. Another 47 doctors in 17 countries were serving two-year assignments with wmm's post-residency program, which is designed to prepare them to become career medical missionaries. Our medical warehouse shipped over 6. 8 million in donated equipment and supplies to mission hospitals in 17 countries. We praise god for how he uses these physicians and hospitals to save lives and earn a hearing for the gospel of jesus christ, the great physician. Philippines relief: for the second straight year, the eastern island of samar was devastated by a typhoon. Samaritan's purse provided emergency shelter to 2,500 families following typhoon hagupit, as well as over 16,000 households following typhoon haiyan in late 2013. We also supplied food, water, and other assistance, distributed 2,000 bibles, and enrolled 16,000 children in classes that focus on hygiene as well as evangelism. After all they have been through, we want them to know they can trust the lord as "a refuge from the storm" (isaiah 25:4). The greatest journey: the greatest journey is a discipleship program developed by samaritan's purse for children who receive shoebox gifts from operation christmas child. The goals are effective evangelism, discipleship, and purposeful multiplication of the gospel. We provide lesson books and bibles in 66 languages. In 2014, over 1. 8 million children enrolled, 988,000 made decisions to trust jesus christ as their lord and savior, and 1 million committed to pray for and share their faith with family and friends. Since 2009, 4. 7 million have enrolled and 2. 1 million have come to faith. "so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what i please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which i sent it" (isaiah 55:11). Northern iraq relief: over 800,000 muslims, yazidis, and christians who fled isis terrorism have settled in the kurdish regions of northern iraq. Samaritan's purse organized three airlifts to iraq in 2014 and distributed 3,500 kerosene heaters, 46,000 coats, 30,000 blankets, and over 400,000 pairs of shoes, plus 75,000 gift-filled shoeboxes from operation christmas child. We built a water system for 4,000 displaced yazidis and set up centers to provide safe places for hundreds of children to play, learn, and discover god's love. Haiti relief: over 115 children, including 70 residents, completed the second full year of classes at the greta home and academy, operated by samaritan's purse and named for fox news journalist greta