Explore every episode of the podcast On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| A Legacy of Missions | 19 Dec 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
Earlier this year, Kristy went to Tenwek Hospital and met a father and son neurosurgeon team serving with World Medical Mission. Hear from this family—Dr. Charles Branch and his son, Dr. Byron Branch—with three generations of neurosurgeons about their faith and passion for the Gospel. Resources:
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| Drawing Near to God: Comfort After the Storm | 12 Dec 2025 | 00:25:59 | |
Almost two months after Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, people continue to get through this hard season by drawing near to God and clinging to their faith. Kristy hears stories of resilience and hope on the island from Samaritan’s Purse teams on the ground and the people they are serving. Resources:
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| Every Tribe and Tongue: Translating Testimonies | 10 Oct 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
People who become Christians in Cambodia often face persecution and anger from their families, but the country is desperate for hope. As spiritual revival sweeps the region, a translator working with Operation Christmas Child finds herself inspired to do more for the Kingdom. Resources:
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| First Responders in Israel: The Morning of October 7 | 01 Dec 2023 | 00:24:49 | |
Kristy Graham talked to two first responders who were serving on the ground when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. Hadass and Uri, workers for Magen David Adom, an emergency medical service for Israel, shared how they saw God’s hand at work even in the midst of great tragedy.
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| Answered Prayers 2023 | 24 Nov 2023 | 00:24:34 | |
God is so good, and He hears our prayers—big or small. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we are grateful for and the ways the Lord has answered our prayers. Sometimes He gives us what we want, but oftentimes, He gives us what we need in His timing. In this week’s episode, hear numerous stories of answered prayers from across Samaritan’s Purse in 2023. | |||
| Franklin Graham: A Christmas Catalog of Opportunities | 17 Nov 2023 | 00:25:40 | |
Kristy Graham sat down with her father-in-law, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham, to hear his thoughts on ways to give this season through the Christmas catalog. From providing a family with a milk cow to building a well for a community, there are numerous ways to bless people all around the world this Christmas and share the Gospel.
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| Veteran’s Day: More Than Just a Statistic | 10 Nov 2023 | 00:26:12 | |
Samaritan’s Purse honors the faithful military service of our veterans. This Veteran’s Day, we are celebrating the work that God is doing through Operation Heal Our Patriots, which not only saves marriages, but lives as well. Military couples hear the Gospel and find hope and healing through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Kristy Graham talked with Matthew and Dawn Sheppard, a couple who was completely changed this summer through their participation in Operation Heal Our Patriots. Hear how God transformed their marriage, and how the veteran's suicide rate became more than just a statistic to them.
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| A Tribute to Our National Staff | 03 Nov 2023 | 00:25:49 | |
Samaritan’s Purse could not do what we do without thousands of national staff who serve faithfully in their home countries. Hear directly from members of our national staff from across the world who consistently go above and beyond in their communities. Kristy Graham spoke with Edward Densham, the senior director of International Projects, to discuss the vital role national staff fulfill for our ministry. Resources:
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| What Is the Gospel? | 27 Oct 2023 | 00:25:34 | |
The deputy director of Mission Aviation Services, Matt Olson, has flown injured children to receive care, transported Bibles to faraway places, and shepherded our staff safely to their destinations, all through the means of aviation. We’ll take you behind the scenes to hear what Matt recently shared during staff devotions about the simplicity of the Gospel. Kristy talks with Matt about his testimony and the way he's seen God work while taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
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| Bonus Episode: Israel and Armenia | 14 Oct 2023 | 00:26:18 | |
Samaritan’s Purse is hard at work in Israel, Armenia, Morocco, and Libya. Hear directly from leadership about how Samaritan’s Purse is serving people in need there. Kristy Graham also talks to the team lead on the ground in Israel to hear his first-hand perspective and share ways to pray.
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| Renewing Lives by Healing Hearts | 13 Oct 2023 | 00:24:09 | |
Kristy Graham traveled to the Cayman Islands to meet families who were forever changed through Children’s Heart Project’s life-saving surgeries. Kristy talked with Cindy Bonsall, the director of Children’s Heart Project, about how God has made a way for Samaritan’s Purse to work in the Cayman Islands. You will also hear from two Mongolian mothers about how their children’s hearts were healed physically and, in the process, they themselves were renewed spiritually.
Resources: Learn more about Children’s Heart Project Have you heard the Good News of Salvation? Listen to another episode about Children’s Heart Project, to hear how this ministry impacted three generations of women. | |||
| Out of Hiding and into Hope | 06 Oct 2023 | 00:25:35 | |
An obstetric fistula, resulting from prolonged labor, is not a condition women often face in the United States or other western countries. Yet, in many parts of the world this serious and debilitating childbirth injury leaves women with pain, shame, and isolation. Samaritan’s Purse specialty teams perform transformative surgeries, restoring these suffering women to health while opening doors to share the hope of the Gospel. Kristy Graham sat down with Madison Strausbaugh, the specialty team's program manager, who shared what it was like to see these women go from living in isolation to finding hope and community. | |||
| The Hole Only God Can Fill | 29 Sep 2023 | 00:25:15 | |
Ray and Rebecca arrived in Alaska seeking a dream vacation, and they left completely transformed. Ray was in the Army for over 20 years, and the anger he carried after decades of deployments took a toll on his marriage. A week at Operation Heal Our Patriots changed everything for this military couple. Hear how Ray and Rebecca learned that only God was able to fill the hole in their hearts.
Listen to our latest episodes: | |||
| Setting Bones and Sharing Hope | 03 Oct 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
This episode follows orthopedic surgeons with World Medical Mission, a medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse, to a hospital in Nigeria where patients received physical and spiritual healing. As patients walk away from surgery forever changed, their families and communities often ask questions about God and this opens the door for our teams to share about true healing and restoration found in Jesus Christ. Resources:
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| Stories from the Frontlines in Ukraine: Part 2 | 22 Sep 2023 | 00:25:35 | |
In part two of this episode, Kristy Graham continues her conversation with Vera, a Ukrainian woman who has served on the frontlines with Samaritan’s Purse. Officially, Vera worked as a translator, but she did so much more than this. Her heart was to boldly share the Gospel. Vera tells stories of what it was like risking her own life in conflict areas to distribute relief supplies and share hope with those who desperately needed to hear it. · Listen to Stories from the Frontlines in Ukraine: Part 1 · Read excerpts from Vera’s journal entries to hear more about her bold faith and what it was like serving in Ukraine. · Hear what it was like during our first 72 hours on the ground in Ukraine. · Read more about Samaritan’s Purse partners helping in Jesus’ Name in Ukraine. | |||
| Stories from the Frontlines in Ukraine: Part 1 | 15 Sep 2023 | 00:26:10 | |
Kristy Graham talks with Vera, a Ukrainian woman who has served on the frontlines with Samaritan’s Purse. Officially, Vera worked as a translator, but she did so much more than this. Her heart was to boldly share the Gospel. Vera tells stories of what it was like risking her own life in conflict areas to distribute relief supplies and share hope with those who desperately needed to hear it.
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| Equipping the Next Generation | 08 Sep 2023 | 00:25:59 | |
Each year, young men and women get to learn firsthand what Samaritan's Purse is about as they serve during an internship. Interns are stretched and introduced to new passions as they take on projects across the ministry. Hear directly from interns who served all around the world this summer, and also from Charity Moree, the assistant director of campus relations, who is involved in selecting and prayerfully placing interns.
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| Depending on Christ: Part 2 | 01 Sep 2023 | 00:24:55 | |
In this two-part episode, Kristy Graham sits down with Kendell Kauffeldt, director of field leadership and development at Samaritan’s Purse International Headquarters. Kendell served as our country director for Liberia for 14 years and navigated leading during the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Through all the pressure, he has learned to lean on God for wisdom and guidance.
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| Depending on Christ: Part 1 | 01 Sep 2023 | 00:24:12 | |
In this two-part episode, Kristy Graham sits down with Kendell Kauffeldt, director of field leadership and development at Samaritan’s Purse International Headquarters. Kendell served as our country director for Liberia for 14 years and navigated leading during the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Through all the pressure, he has learned to lean on God for wisdom and guidance.
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| Hear How God is Working Around the World | 23 Aug 2023 | 00:03:50 | |
Each week, On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse brings you new stories of how God is working through the ministry— whether its hours after the deadly earthquake rocked Turkey, providing eye sight to the blind, or the life-changing impact of an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. | |||
| The Call to Serve | 18 Aug 2023 | 00:26:04 | |
When flooding devastated Highland Falls, New York, in early July, many families did not know where to turn. Samaritan’s Purse Team Patriot volunteers, North American Ministries volunteers, and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Rapid Response Team chaplains all came alongside homeowners to help them recover and to share the love of Christ.
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| Building Schools, Changing Lives | 04 Aug 2023 | 00:26:18 | |
Across remote villages in Cambodia, Samaritan's Purse has built 43 schools and provided resources so young students can get a quality education. More importantly, this has given Samaritan’s Purse a chance to share the Gospel in some of the most unreached places. Kristy Graham takes listeners to Southeast Asia to show how God is using Samaritan’s Purse to change lives through education and influence generations to come.
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| Abiding in Christ | 28 Jul 2023 | 00:26:19 | |
Steve Nickel, vice president of Donor Ministries at Samaritan’s Purse, sits down with Kristy Graham to share his heart for the Lord and how he has been blessed through interacting with faithful supporters of the ministry. Steve talks about how he followed God’s call to come to Samaritan’s Purse and what it looks like to abide in Christ daily.
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| Listen Again: From Darkness to Light, Cataract Surgeries in South Sudan | 21 Jul 2023 | 00:26:17 | |
After years of living in darkness, hundreds of patients received their eyesight when Samaritan’s Purse conducted a week-long cataract mission last year in South Sudan. Join Kristy Graham as she introduces you to patients whose lives were changed by this routine surgery.
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| Brokenness, Transformation, and Celebration: Amani ya Juu | 26 Sep 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
Amani ya Juu gives women a fresh start, equipping them by teaching skills like stitching to give them an income, and most importantly, point them to Christ. Take a tour with Kristy Graham through Amani ya Juu headquarters in Kenya, where you will get to meet women whose lives were changed through the program. Every single woman at Amani has had to flee something: poverty, war, loneliness, abuse, rejection, and they have all been transformed through Jesus Christ. Resources:
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| Families Who Lost Everything Find New Hope: Mississippi Home Dedications | 14 Jul 2023 | 00:24:38 | |
When a tornado tore through Mississippi in March, it devastated entire communities and destroyed homes. Many families lost everything and did not know where to turn. Samaritan’s Purse came alongside these hurting families to bless them with brand-new mobile homes. Hear how this physical picture of the Gospel has changed lives in Mississippi. Resources:
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| Listen Again: Hope Restored in Alaska | 07 Jul 2023 | 00:24:48 | |
Service members are impacted by the effects of war years after they return home. Whether they’re suffering from mental or physical trauma, the wounds of the past affect not just them but also their spouses and family members. Hear stories from staff members, veterans, and military spouses about their experiences during the 2022 Operation Heal Our Patriots season.
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| Ukrainian Refugee Shares About God’s Provision Amid Trials | 30 Jun 2023 | 00:26:15 | |
Inna, a Ukrainian refugee, shares her full-circle connection with Samaritan’s Purse. Hear her inspiring story of receiving an Operation Christmas Child shoebox as a child, fleeing Ukraine, and then resettling in England with the help of Samaritan’s Purse in February 2022. Inna shares a testimony of God’s faithfulness and how her experience culminated in running the London Marathon to raise money to support Samaritan’s Purse.
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| Listen Again: Our First 72 Hours in Ukraine | 23 Jun 2023 | 00:25:19 | |
Samaritan’s Purse is still responding in Ukraine to help meet the needs of victims of the ongoing crisis. Hear the sounds and stories of what it was like during the first 72 hours on the ground in Ukraine and the ways local churches are acting as the body of Christ even over a year after the conflict began.
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| Serving in Uncertainty: The War in Sudan | 16 Jun 2023 | 00:26:18 | |
When the war in Sudan left families cut off from the rest of the world and in dire need of food and relief, Samaritan’s Purse responded. Ryan Boyette joined this team in 2003. He shares with Kristy Graham how this changed his life—recounting true life-and-death moments, meeting his wife in Sudan, and ultimately dedicating his life to serve the people there. | |||
| A Harvest in Cambodia: 20 Years of Ministry | 09 Jun 2023 | 00:26:02 | |
In Cambodia, fathers and mothers often struggle to provide for their family’s needs. Many see illegal migration as their only option, but this compounds the problems that they face. Samaritan’s Purse is working to change this trajectory through livelihood training, cash grants, and education. Kristy Graham takes listeners to Southeast Asia to learn more about how Samaritan’s Purse is working there. Help families around the world through our Livelihood projects Read more about our work in Cambodia | |||
| Memorial Day: Recognizing the Cost of Freedom | 26 May 2023 | 00:25:26 | |
This Memorial Day, Kristy Graham invites listeners into a conversation with Operation Heal Our Patriots’ chaplain Luis Anda. He served in both the Navy and the Army so this day is very personal to him. He shares about the cost of freedom, and how we can only find true, lasting freedom through a relationship with Jesus Christ. | |||
| The London Marathon: How God Used 26.2 Miles | 19 May 2023 | 00:26:03 | |
Training for and running a marathon taught one staff member spiritual lessons as she pushed herself to new limits. Kristy Graham, host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse, talks to Melissa about how challenging herself physically deepened her faith, engaged her community, and inspired her work. | |||
| Three Generations of Women: A Miracle Story for Mother’s Day | 12 May 2023 | 00:25:49 | |
Kristy Graham traveled to the Cayman Islands to meet three generations of women whose lives were changed through Children’s Heart Project. A mother and her daughter were both diagnosed with the exact same heart defect, and they received surgery on the same day. In more than 25 years of this program, there has never been a story quite like this. | |||
| A Conversation w/ Michael W. Smith | 05 May 2023 | 00:26:00 | |
Michael W. Smith, a multi-platinum artist and a household name in Christian music, joins Kristy Graham to share more about how he has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse over nearly two decades of ministry. Before leading worship at the organization’s Global Connect Conference, he shares his anticipation for the celebratory event and how God has worked over the years. | |||
| Giving Back Smiles, Sharing God’s Love | 19 Sep 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
This week, we’re taking you to Honduras, where a team of World Medical Mission dental professionals traveled to share God’s love by serving communities with limited access to affordable dental care. Every patient treated also received spiritual care, as they sat down with a chaplain and heard the Gospel. Hear directly from patients whose lives were changed and volunteers who were deeply blessed by serving the people of Honduras. Resources:
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| Operation Christmas Child: Global Connect Conference | 28 Apr 2023 | 00:26:06 | |
Last month, thousands of Operation Christmas Child volunteers and staff gathered together to celebrate 200 million shoebox gifts. Hear from Michael W. Smith as he prepares to lead worship and from faithful volunteers who serve by packing shoeboxes, covering the ministry in prayer, and inspiring more people to get involved. | |||
| Celebrating the Servant’s Heart: National Volunteer Month | 07 Apr 2023 | 00:25:32 | |
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers are the heartbeat of U.S. Disaster Relief. In honor of National Volunteer Month, Kristy Graham introduces listeners to a few of our selfless volunteers—some who have served with Samaritan’s Purse for more than a decade and others who are volunteering for the first time. Luther Harrison, vice president of North American Ministries, shares how volunteers play an integral role, and how he has seen this aspect of the ministry continue to grow. | |||
| Inside a Refugee Camp | 31 Mar 2023 | 00:26:08 | |
Listen again to Inside a Refugee Camp, which first aired in 2019 as millions of Syrian refugees fled to Iraq. Hear about life inside the camp, the logistics of helping families resettle, and how their lives have changed. | |||
| Building Resiliency in Christ | 10 Mar 2023 | 00:25:42 | |
Bev Kauffeldt has served with Samaritan’s Purse around the world for more than two decades. Her life experience internationally coupled with her own testimony and cancer diagnosis has taught her to rely on God for strength daily. Bev candidly shares about failure and how it has taught her to rely on Christ. | |||
| Mission of Hope: Delivering the 200 Millionth Shoebox to Ukraine | 24 Feb 2023 | 00:25:55 | |
Samaritan’s Purse collected its 200 millionth Operation Christmas Child shoebox this year. This milestone gift was hand-delivered to an orphan in Ukraine by Elizabeth Groff, who also received a shoebox gift as a little girl living in a Ukrainian orphanage. Join them on this journey of bringing joy and the hope of the Gospel to children in conflict-weary Ukraine. | |||
| Franklin Graham on Aviation: Reaching the Remote | 10 Feb 2023 | 00:25:19 | |
Aviation opens doors for the Gospel by allowing us to respond when every second counts and enables us to reach the most remote regions of the world. Join Kristy Graham as she chats with pilot and Samaritan’s Purse president Franklin Graham as well as other crew members about how aviation has shaped the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. | |||
| Inside Ukraine Pt. 2: Voices of the Responders | 03 Feb 2023 | 00:25:20 | |
In part 1 of this mini-series, we brought you inside our Emergency Field Hospital near the frontlines of war in eastern Ukraine. Today, we’re bringing you behind the scenes to hear what it was like for medical responders and staff serving. | |||
| Inside Ukraine Pt. 1: Voices of the Survivors | 27 Jan 2023 | 00:24:59 | |
For months, Samaritan’s Purse worked in an undisclosed location in Ukraine—a liberated city just miles from the frontlines. Now, it’s finally safe to share that story with the world. In this episode we take you to an Emergency Field Hospital hidden in a bunker. Patients share what it was like to live in the aftermath of war and the hope they’re experiencing now. | |||
| Looking to 2023: Reflections With Edward Graham | 20 Jan 2023 | 00:25:41 | |
| Healing Hearts: Children's Heart Project | 13 Jan 2023 | 00:26:15 | |
In the United States, children born with heart defects have access to the healthcare they need, but so many children around the world don’t have this luxury. Kristy Graham introduces you to Hishga, a young girl from Mongolia, whose life was forever changed through Children’s Heart Project. | |||
| Giving God Your Yes | 05 Sep 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
For the past two years, Samaritan’s Purse has been actively providing aid to families caught in the midst of war in Gaza and Israel. Four months ago, Janet Huckabee and her husband, Mike, moved to Israel where he is serving as the U.S. Ambassador. This episode shares Janet’s heart for the work they do and how God has asked her to stretch beyond her physical limits and lean on her faith in this season. Resources:
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| Miraculous: Answered Prayers of 2022 | 30 Dec 2022 | 00:26:07 | |
Prayer is so important to every part of the ministry at Samaritan’s Purse. In this episode, Kristy Graham reflects on the importance of prayer and hears stories from staff members about how the Lord has worked in 2022. You’ll hear from a variety of different voices across the ministry as they share in their own words the miraculous ways God has answered prayers. | |||
| “It Changed My Life”: Celebrating 200 Million Gospel Opportunities | 23 Dec 2022 | 00:26:19 | |
Operation Christmas Child has been sending gift-filled shoeboxes to children around the world since 1993. Join us as we celebrate a milestone: collecting our 200 millionth shoebox! Elizabeth Groff shares her testimony of how a simple gift changed her life as an orphan in Ukraine, and why she is now excited to be packing the 200 millionth shoebox gift for a child in need. | |||
| Operation Christmas Child: The Fun of Preparing Shoeboxes for Little Hands and Hearts | 16 Dec 2022 | 00:25:39 | |
Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are bringing the Gospel to the farthest corners of the earth. In this episode, we’re giving you a glimpse into what it takes to get these gifts into the hands of children. | |||