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Wounded Lives Made New

Military couples burdened by the wounds of war experience hope and newfound peace.

By Compelling Story

December 20^th, 2020

From the moment our aircraft touched down the first week of July this year at Samaritan Lodge Alaska, it was apparent that God was already at work in the lives of military couples. We praise God that amid such uncertain times, He made the way for wounded veterans and their spouses to come and experience His love for them and His desire to strengthen their faith and their marriages.

As many as eight couples each week are arriving in Alaska for Biblically based marriage enrichment training during the ten week summer season of Operation Heal Our Patriots. Every week so far, we’ve seen God work in hearts, lives, and marriages.

The couples’ days are filled with once-in-a-lifetime excursions throughout Lake Clark National Park where they have opportunities to fish for trout, grayling, and pike; to hike to majestic waterfalls; and to fly by floatplane to neighboring wilderness areas where bears gather to harvest salmon in preparation for winter. These wilderness excursions, away from electronic devices and daily life, leave plenty of time for couples to connect with each other and with other couples.

Even more important, daily marriage classes, devotions, and counseling sessions with our chaplains help participants reflect on and consider important spiritual issues, both for their marriage and themselves personally. All lodge activities are intended to point couples back to the main point—God’s power to heal hearts and relationships through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wilderness excursions include bear viewing at Katmai National Park.

Army Specialist Caleb Toppen and his wife Sarah are one couple whom God changed this summer. The couple arrived late and without their luggage in Alaska after missing a connecting flight in the Midwest. But even in this, they ended up seeing the hand of God.

When they landed at Samaritan Lodge, the tone was set for their whole week by the way the staff, volunteers, and chaplains greeted them and cared for them. Even though they arrived alone on a special flight, they got the same enthusiastic welcome as all the other patriot couples received. From that night on the runway where they were met by waving American flags until they departed later that week, the Toppens said they experienced “one God moment after another.”

“At one point I was like OK, I’m done. This can’t go on like this. Something has to give.”

Sarah said they were one of those marriages at a breaking point.

“At one point I was like OK, I’m done. This can’t go on like this. Something has to give.”

Caleb had suffered multiple injuries in Afghanistan, including a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from an improvised explosive device (IED). He also suffered from post-traumatic stress (PTS).

In Alaska, he chose to be baptized in Lake Clark. That decision was based on receiving Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior late last year at an event with Franklin Graham in Greenville, North Carolina, during the Decision America Tarheel State Tour.

God is faithful each week to strengthen marriages and transform lives at Samaritan Lodge.

By week’s end, though, all of the God moments of the previous few days led Caleb to relinquish control of the thoughts and the past wartime experiences that continued to haunt and injure him. He said God had begun to free him from the hurt he still felt from combat.

“I’ve never been surrounded by so many people who genuinely love you and care about you,” Caleb said of his time at Samaritan Lodge Alaska. “It was awesome. Still waters and green grass and surrounded by people who love you. I was closer to God than I’ve ever been in my life, and I just want to continue that feeling.”

Sarah said the events of the week marked something she’d prayed about for many years.

“I think God knew that we needed this way more than we knew. For me it was life-changing,” she said. “I keep praying that we keep remembering this week and continue to be who we need to be more and more.”

Injuries Only God Can Heal

For wounded veterans and their spouses, it sometimes can feel like healing is out of reach. They can spend literally years in a hospital and in treatment for the injuries sustained in the War on Terror.

Army Staff Sergeant Drew Mills and his wife Linda know this feeling.

“I can still remember the clothes I was wearing that day,” Linda said, recalling the day she learned that Drew had been critically wounded. “I was driving down the road when they called. They said ‘your husband has been critically wounded.’ I felt the blood leave my body.”

“I was driving down the road when they called. They said ‘your husband has been critically wounded.’ I felt the blood leave my body.”

Following a powerful IED blast in Afghanistan that injured or killed several fellow soldiers, Drew had suffered multiple injuries, including a brain injury. He also suffered from PTS.

From that day in 2012, only two years into their marriage, Drew was in and out of consciousness, then in and out of surgery, then in and out of therapy and rehabilitation, followed by more surgery.

“So much of the last few years has been dealing with trauma and getting back to physical health, mental health. Him trying to find his purpose. Us trying to find our purpose as a couple,” Linda said.

In the midst of all that, Drew and Linda said they allowed God to slip out of their lives. But in Alaska, He found His way back in.

“I became a Christian when I was like 9 years old. After a couple of years, I became a Christmas Christian,” Drew said. “I only talked to God when I needed something or when I was in trouble.”

Army Staff Sergeant Drew Mills was baptized in cold waters of Lake Clark.

In Alaska, though, they both recommitted themselves to Christ, confirming the faith they had expressed a long time ago. Drew was also baptized in Lake Clark.