Mercy Ships^®

Tomorrow morning, my wife and I will be flying over the Pacific Ocean.  This year, we're celebrating Thanksgiving with my parents, sister, brother-in-law and their baby boy in Korea.  I'm sure that we'll all have an incredible time of fellowship together over some lovely home-cooked meals. Many of you are also gearing up for amazing meals (yes, multiple meals!) and quality times of sharing with your family  We are, after all, about to celebrate Thanksgiving!

Across the world in Togo, while Thanksgiving isn't celebrated as an official holiday, I am sure that thousands of families are ...

In a few days, children all around the country will knock on their neighbors doors hoping to fill their sacks full with treats.  The treats they will receive, however, does not compare to the treats that children that come aboard the Africa Mercy receive.  These children will not just receive a handful of chocolate and sweets - they will receive the gift of seeing for the first time, breathing easier or even walking because of the free, world-class surgeries they receive. 

There is, however, an even greater gift that children and adults alike receive when they are cared by the Mercy ...

There is a trust exercise I did once.  You might know it as well.  It involved being blindfolded and walking around an obstacle course, trusting only the directions of a friend.  Although the primary focus was on building trust with one another, it also revealed just how challenging it is to not be able to see.  Without my sight, I didn't have the confidence to walk forward.  Fear captivated me as I felt helpless.  I felt so relieved when I was able to take the blindfold off and do things on my own again.

Vision is such an important ...

Can I share a story that came across my desk recently with you?

Abel, like most kids in his area, enjoyed playing soccer with his friends.  In fact, he was the goal keeper!  When his friends, however, decided to ride their bikes, he would be left behind.  This was because his leg bones were bent backward at his knees.  He couldn't ride a bicycle since it requires him to sit straight on the seat and push down on the pedals. 

Often ridiculed, Abel's outlook on life was very dark and his future uncertain.  His prospects, however, got much ...

Just admit it.  You hate going to the dentist.  My experiences have told me that the dentist office is a loud and scary place that haunts me in my darkest dreams!  Recently, however, I had no choice but to go to the dentist several times to get some major dental work done.  Although the very thought of a high speed drill inside my mouth made me feel nauseous, I was thankful for the end result.  My teeth and gums were healthier, allowing me to actually chew on my food on both sides of my mouth.  No longer did I have ...

In Iron Man 2, Stark declared that he has done the world a big favor: "I have successfully privatized world peace!"  He (Iron Man) single handedly made the world a safer place.

I wish life were that simple. It would be incredible if one creative and benevolent individual would eradicate world hunger and poverty, while at the same time introduce lasting peace, joy and mercy.

Come to think of it, there was one teacher who started a movement a little over 2000 years ago in a dusty Middle Eastern town.  He taught his followers radical ideas on loving God and ...