Our lovely daughter Lauri is marrying the most wonderful Hlumelo Malusi in Port Elizabeth, South Africa on July 2nd this year! Lauri had to stay in the UK for a few months after Christmas to receive intensive physiotherapy for her ankle but being apart showed these two fab young people how much they wanted to be together as man and wife and plans that were already being talked about before Lauri left SA have been set down as decisions and Martin and I couldn’t be more delighted.

Now as if you hadn’t gathered our family of 5 are pretty unique in many ways. Our 3 children are currently pursuing God’s call on their lives all around the world as volunteers with Freedom church in Mombasa, SA and India, and in all honesty that doesn’t come as much of a surprise to us. If you didn’t know Martin and I were in full time missions (unsalaried)with Youth With a MIssion for over 15 years, having joined when we had been married just 2 months in January 1985. We raised our kids in an environment of passionately serving the bride (church) and with a desire to know and pursue God’s heart for the world - it’s in their DNA! When we found Freedom church, Cardiff nearly 7 years ago this was beautifully re-birthed in all of us, which resulted in us selling practically everything we owned, resigning from our jobs and giving all to God as full time volunteers in India in September 2015 and more recently in Rotterdam.

Lauri has known since the age of 13 a direct calling on her life to South Africa and went there on a summer mission when she was 16 which confirmed that direction! She had laid this down to go to university where she achieved a really good degree, but when Freedom’s 10/4 church planting initiative (strategy to start 10 churches in 4 years) announced the decision that one of the locations was SA we witnessed our daughter fall to her knees and weep uncontrollably as God gave her dream back to her through Freedom Church. So nearly 3 years ago Lauri went as a full time volunteer with the church plant team to Port Elizabeth. Since then she has served her heart out graciously, unassumingly and humbly to see the campus develop but it has cost her too. Not being able to work due to her visa restrictions has meant she has had no means of income and if we’re honest she has lived with very little during her time there which she has done without complaint. Meeting Hlumelo has been such an enormous blessing to her and they have been together for 2 years now through difficult situations as well as the good, so their decision to get married is certainly well thought through and a God inspired move.

So hearing where our family is at right now, we are asking for your help! Would you consider giving financially to help cover costs of the simple but beautiful wedding Lauri & Hlumelo are believing and planning for?

We have found temporary jobs and are currently working as much as we can but we will not earn enough to cover our needs in such a short space of time. We would be so grateful if you would consider donating a gift - any amount would be so appreciated!

For Martin and me serving the church from very early in our marriage was the greatest honour and we still consider that to be the case 33 years on. Seeing Lauri and Hlumelo start their life together and continue loving the bride as a couple is inspiring and we couldn’t be more proud of them.

Thank you for reading this and for considering our request.

With much love

Martin & Tracey