Many of the patients that come to our hospital ship for help have terrible deformities and scars. For example, volunteer Nurse Natalie Bullock worked with a little girl with terrible burn scars on her face. Natalie explains how she looks beyond those physical scars to see the heart of the patient.

Christopher Carswell had his first seizure in his elementary school’s cafeteria. Afterward, he was fearful of sleeping in his own room, terrified that he would have a seizure and die.

Large eyes, sweet face, wide smile – these were the devices that little Dinelvie used to charm us into loving her! But it was sad to see her cleft lip.

Matt Richardson shared his lunch with a homeless man named Dirt. It took a surprising twist. Listen to the letter Matt wrote to Dirt.

Sandrins watched her sisters leave for school. She desperately wanted to go with them, but her clubbed foot meant she was often left behind. In Madagascar, orthopedic care is out of reach for the poorest of the poor.

Trenten West walked into a dealership in Gresham, Oregon, and picked out a shiny new red car … pretty exciting for a 15-year-old!

Mercy Ships hires local workers called day-crew to help onboard our hospital ship. Volunteer Rosie Timms tells about introducing a day-crew from Sierra Leone named Papanie.

It is a big step of faith to volunteer to serve others in a developing country … and live onboard a hospital ship with over 400 other volunteers. Ward Nurse Natalie Bullock describes her feelings when she first arrived.

President Lincoln often visited hospitals during the Civil War. He asked a young soldier who was near death, “Is there anything I can do for you?” The soldier didn’t recognize the President and asked him to write a letter to his mother.

You know, there are lots of wonderful, caring children. Jesus said that “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”* Well, the children at Ramey Elementary School in Tyler, Texas, showed us what it means to follow the model of Jesus.