As many as 30 service personnel and veterans are laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery on any given weekday.   Each funeral service includes an honor guard, a rifle volley, taps, a folded American flag … and one more thing … comforting words from an Arlington Lady.

Beth Kirchner volunteers as a teacher in the academy onboard our hospital ship.  She loves barbershop music and put together a singing group called “Key of Sea” – S-E-A.  She wrote about sharing the music with patients.

A volunteer onboard our hospital ship wrote about visiting the operating room in a hospital in Guinea, West Africa, in 2012.

A patient onboard our hospital ship was in intensive care.  Unexpected complications brought in emergency responders to stabilize him.  An announcement was made, asking all crew to stop and pray.  All activity outside of the hospital ceased.

Passengers riding public transit in Vancouver witnessed an amazing act of mercy and courage.  A large man obviously suffering from some type of mental health issue became very aggressive in his train car.  He was moving erratically, cursing and shouting … until mercy entered the picture.

Our hospital ship requires both medical and non-medical volunteers.  Ramon Sanchez is from the Philippines and leads the Hotel Engineering Team.  They’re in charge of all machinery outside the engine room.  Listen as Ramon describes his job.

The man had received a free surgery to repair a hernia onboard our hospital ship.  Now, he was getting ready to return home.  But first, he had a surprise up his “sleeve.”

In 1985 Dave Valle played baseball for the Seattle Mariners.  During the winters he honed his skills in the Caribbean Leagues.  One night in the Dominican Republic, Dave and his wife saw some young boys searching through garbage for food.  Dave thought, “What if it were my son who was hungry and desperate?”

Helping others has its own reward … like a sense of fulfillment and purpose that comes when you reach beyond yourself.  Dr. Mark Shrime is a wonderful surgeon who volunteers onboard our hospital ship.  Listen as he explains.

Jason and Adrianne Stewart have two biological children and an adopted son.  But they felt there was another child in the Philippines who needed them.