"People laughed at me. Others teased me. Every day I got into fights, even though I knew better." That was what Gertrude told Mercy Ships volunteers when she first stepped on board.

Anaza had once been a happy woman — until a lump appeared on her jaw. In her country, there was no way to get surgery, and soon the lump had grown into an overwhelming tumor.

In Sierra Leone, walking long distances is a part of everyday life. Children like 13-year-old Mohamed often walk miles to school, navigating steep hills and rocky terrain.

When 10-month-old Memunatu received free surgery on a Mercy Ship, her life wasn't the only one transformed. Her mother, Aminata, had lived in fear ever since a tumor appeared on her baby girl's neck.

Gertrude had spent 45 years listening to what she couldn't be. She was constantly teased and mocked because of her crossed eyes, and grew up believing she was unlovable.

A woman sat on a bed with clean white sheets on board a Mercy Ship. Her little boy lay in the bed next to her, recovering from an operation she thought impossible.

If you've ever had a toothache, you know the pain is unlike anything else. It keeps you up at night, limits what you eat, and seems to impact every second of the day.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and today we're asking: what does it mean to love another? For Claude in Madagascar, love meant praying without ceasing.

Do you remember the day you put on your first pair of shoes? Or bought your child's first shoes?

When people think of Mercy Ships, they often picture our volunteer doctors and nurses. But did you know that half of our volunteers serve in non-medical roles?