This book chronicles the lives of Hans and Danielle Nesse. They grew up on neighboring farms on the island of Bømlo on the west coast of Norway. Hans emigrated to the United States in 1899, attended seminary to become a Lutheran minister, and went as a missionary to China in 1910. Danielle trained as a nurse in Norway and went separately to China as a medical missionary in 1909. They met again in China, were married in 1913, and raised three sons while continuing to serve as missionaries. They lived in tumultuous times, their home was overrun by robber bands and pillaged multiple times, they lived through a battle while huddled in their home, and dealt with revolution, invasion, disease and death. After each setback they went back to work, cleaned up the mess, and got on with living. Their regrets were that their work had been disrupted and their sorrow was for the terrible suffering of the Chinese people from war, famine, disease, and banditry. They did not needlessly place themselves in harm’s way, but did not shrink in the face of danger. They dearly loved their children but also felt that they had a higher calling that required sacrifice from both themselves and their family.