There's a little girl across the world who has stolen so many hearts. Her name is Kate, and she's very, very sick. I first heard about her story when my best friend, Audrey, told me that she had written a song for little Kate.
It hurts to know that, no matter where we live, pain is just around the corner. I've started thinking that it's only here, in the middle of this poverty and desperation, that real pain can be found. Kate's parents beg to differ.
I'm Ali; twenty-eight years old, and married to Phil, an electrician, also known as The Husband of Joy (HoJ for short). We live on board the world's largest non-governmental hospital ship, the M/V Africa Mercy, where we work with Mercy Ships to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor in West Africa. The whole crew, from cook to captain, is made up of volunteers from more than thirty countries who are dedicated to bringing the love of Jesus to the world. So many people say they love their jobs enough to do them for free; we're a ship full of people who actually get to live that way.
(I moderate all comments, so don't worry if yours doesn't show up right away. If it won't let you post, please e-mail me at alirae[at]quist[dot]ca. I love hearing from you!)