The Welcome Desk

At Wake Med North Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, two unlikely volunteers sit side by side behind the Welcome Desk—Earl, a retired corporate charmer with polished shoes and a thousand-watt smile, and Jacob, a former New York City homicide detective whose quiet strength speaks louder than words. Though their paths to faith were different, both men are deeply devoted to the Lord and firmly rooted in Scripture.

Anchored in the powerful and poetic lines of Psalm 139, each chapter of The Welcome Desk pairs a verse from King David’s psalm with a day in the life of Earl and Jacob. Through comforting words, unexpected laughter, and Spirit-led conversations, these men offer something far beyond visitor badges and directions: they offer hope.

As they guide patients, families, and hospital staff through the sterile hallways of uncertainty, they bring warmth, wisdom, and the occasional divine appointment. Along the way, we learn their backstories—how they lived, how they loved, how they suffered, and how God led them, every step of the way.

Because sometimes the most important healing doesn’t happen in an operating room. Sometimes it begins with a smile and a kind word at the Welcome Desk.