Meet my Man!

I thought would take a moment to introduce you to a man who is so supportive and willing to let his wife and daughter galivant around the globe.

My husband Graeme!

Both Graeme and I have always been mission/relief minded. In fact we met when we were serving on board the mercy ship the M/V Anastasis.

The Anastasis was the flagship for the relief organization Mercy Ships. Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free world-class health care and community development services to the forgotten poor.

After nearly three decades of service, the Anastasis retired in June 2007.

Built in 1953 and originally named the Victoria, this former Italian passenger liner was modified to contain three fully-equipped operating rooms, a 40-bed hospital ward, a dental clinic, a laboratory, an X-ray unit and three cargo holds with a fleet of over 20 vehicles for onshore work. A volunteer crew of 350-400 from more than 30 nations served onboard.

A new flagship, the African Mercy, with more capacity for service was recently commissioned to take the relief work of Mercy Ships into the future.

Graeme and I joined the crew of the Anastasis in 1983 serving in the South Pacific; Graeme, who is from New Zealand, worked on deck and I worked in the galley*.

We were married on board in 1985 - I guess you can say it truly was a Love Boat!

Don't feel too bad about Graeme staying home while Sarah and I are off on our adventures in Nicaragua - in August he's flying to Australia with our son to visit his family and celebrate his parent's 50th wedding anniversary.

*It's a family affair - my father and mother joined in 1984 and worked with Mercy Ships for six or seven years.