The setting of the book is on an old cruise ship, converted in a mission ship equipped with hospital beds, operating room and medicines. Major event of the book also took place in on the Kenyan Coast, various cities in Uganda and Sudan.

Heather parents were doctors. Throughout her whole life they told her about their experiences in the Peace Corp. Heather turned eighteen, and right after graduation she decided that it was her turn to do something to make a difference in the world. She heard about a ship called the Mercy ship. It traveled to East Africa and helped people in the country of Uganda and Heather made the decision that she would be on tha

She accomplished the task and return safely with Alice, the baby. After Ian's death Kia sensed that Heather was sad, and for the first time laid her head in Heather's lap as if to comfort her. When the mute Kia saw her sister, Alice, she said "dada", meaning sister in Swahili. It was her first words ever since she was brought to the foster home. Seeing this made Heather very happy, because she knew that this was what Ian would have wanted.

It was around Christmas when Heather was returning to America from Kampala. As she was packing Jodene, handed her Ian's journal telling her to consider it as an early Christmas present. As Heather was travelling home, she started to read Ian's journal and realized that much of what he wrote since their meeting on the Mercy Ship was about his admiration and lover for her. It made her very sad but even more determined that she would return to Uganda someday and carry on Ian's mission.

Some people had traveled for months to receive medical treatment. Heather was overwhelmed by all of the people and their problems. One day, she was on her lunch break when a mother brought her baby over to the fence. She pleaded with Heather to take her baby because it was really sick. Heather offered that she would get a doctor to help. Without a moment to think Heather found herself running to catch the baby as the mother tossed her over the fence without any warning. Heather caught the baby but as she looked down at the baby, it died shortly in her arms. After that, she never felt the same. She held the dead baby for hours in her arms, until Ian came searching for her. Ian coerced her into taking the baby back to th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Uganda Heather, Heather Ian's, Jodene Paul, Ian McCollum, Heather Ian, Thanksgiving Ian, Heather Barlow, Mercy Ship, Christmas Heather, Corp Heather, mercy ship, uganda heather, foster home, brought foster home, ian mccollum, ian's death, jodene paul, refugee camp, kenyan coast, ian's mission, people uganda,
Approximate Word count = 1116
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)