A wedding, a graduation and housing

Annika and Rudi

Quite a lot has been happening in our family these days and we wanted to share a quick update.

A Wedding - Annika and Rudin will have their first little wedding on May 27th to be followed by a larger celebration at a later date. We are thrilled that they've made this decision. We first met Rudi at their graduation from Goshen College and he has become a very much loved member of the family. Phil and I had the opportunity to get to know Rudi's family in Albania, when we spent 2 months there in 2021. Annika moved to Akron, Ohio while Rudi was finishing up his Master's degree at Kent State, and both have been working for a local nonprofit Asia. In mid July they will move to Atlanta, as Annika will start her Masters in Public Health at Emory.

D&Y,  Anna, Lydz and Bri celebratring with Nathan

Nathan and Anna

Graduation - for the past two years Nathan has been doing a Masters in Development Practice. On May 13th he graduated from the U of MN's Humphrey School of Public Policy. As many of you know, Nathan is well known for 'collecting surrogate parents' in the absence of his own. Nathan invited our dear friends Dan & Yvonne to his graduation, and they so willingly came to support and encourage him, as they did so often while we all lived in South Africa. Nathan and Anna will move to Boston the end of August so that Anna can start her Masters of Divinity studies at Boston University. 

Housing - affordable - For the past year and a half Lydia has been working for Urban Home Works, a nonprofit focused on providing safe and affordable housing and encouraging home ownership opportunities for low to moderate income families. On the personal home front, Lydia and her partner, Bri, asked us if we'd be willing to have them move into our home (affordable), which we've been renting out, and test out their home renovating and design ideas. Bri works as an HR Coordinator in a company that provides HR Services to organisations looking to outsource this support.

 

Lydia and Bri

            

    Today, the 24th, Phil and I start the long trip back to the US to join the wedding celebration this weekend. We'll be in Akron for about 2 1/2 days before heading back to Kigali to recover for a couple of days before heading back to work commitments.     

We are looking forward immensely to this special occasion this weekend and the opportunity to be together as family as we welcome Rudi officially into the LD clan. We would love to stay longer but will have more time with family at the end of July when we'll have a month of leave. 

We ask for your prayers as we travel. And most especially we ask for your prayers for Annika and Rudi, as they make this commitment to each other in the very small gathered community of family and close friends. Yes, Rudi's parents will be coming from Albania!  A&R have chosen Micah 6:8, as their couple's verse, and were quite surprised to see a banner with that verse on it, hanging on the wall of the church where they will be married. Apparently it had been hidden behind something else. A beautiful confirmation for them of the verse they make their couple's verse as they embark on a lifetime together.