Por Shelah Acker
*Oliver is a refugee from the DRC. He is also an employee at Refuge and Hope. Oliver has had a life full of difficult challenges. He is an orphan and the caregiver for six siblings. After Oliver was denied resettlement in the U.S. due to the closure of the U.S. refugee resettlement pr 
ogram, he has suffered a great deal. However, God has been faithful to Oliver. He was able to find another place to live with his siblings thanks to a generous donor and he has resumed working at Refuge and Hope as a French teacher and assistant in the social work department. His positive attitude and resilience is a testimony to his deep faith in God.
Last week, Oliver married a lovely lady who is a member of his Congolese church. They have been friends for a long time and were married at Refuge and Hope July 31. Oliver asked the Refuge and Hope team to stand in as his family at the wedding, and we were so happy to be able to celebrate this restoration of HOPE during a bad situation. God has turned what was a hopeless situation a few months ago, into something beautiful. The picture is a picture of Oliver and his bride.