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Mahdi and Yvonne have a very unique love story.

Two readers told their story at the beginning of the ceremony:

Mahdi Sultanzadah was born in Herat, Afghanistan.
Yvonne Norfolk was born in Baltimore, Maryland; only 6,716 miles away.

Mahdi was the fourth child…four more followed.
Yvonne was the first born; the ONLY born.

When the Russians came into Afghanistan, Mahdi was one month old. His family moved to Iran.
Yvonne lived in the same town, Pasadena, Maryland, for 15 years.

Mahdi enjoyed having guests over every night of the week and sitting down to dinners with 30 or more people.
Yvonne enjoyed playing with Barbies and house by herself.

Mahdi’s family moved back to Afghanistan when he was 12.
When Yvonne was 12 she spent all her time riding horses.

The Taliban took over the school system when Mahdi was in seventh grade. Mahdi stopped going in ninth grade.
When Yvonne was 13 she went on her first mission trip to England.

Mahdi’s father suddenly passed away when Mahdi was 18.
Yvonne went to Bible college.

Mahdi moved to Dubai to start a business when he was 22.
Yvonne went to India as a missionary and later went to Dubai.

Mahdi’s family expected him to have an arranged marriage.
Yvonne’s family thought love marriages were normal but Yvonne preferred having an arranged marriage.

Mahdi was running a rental car company and had a customer and friend named Ms. Shiva.
Yvonne was working in a school as the administrator of the kindergarten section. She had a supervisor named Ms. Shiva.

Ms. Shiva had a scheme to introduce the two.
Ms. Shiva lured Yvonne into her office and told her she had a friend who could help to sell her car.

His name was Mahdi.

In that split second, two lives that had been running their own courses converged, never again to be complete without the other.

Never again to be satisfied doing anything other than building something unique together.

They are now one big happy family.

Pastors: Pastor Paul Butler, Pastor Jan Drayer (Community Gospel Church, Baltimore, Maryland)
Makeup: Angela Papa, Behind the Veil, LLC
Tent & Equipment Rental: PartyPlus
Flowers, hair, food and mostly everything was done by friends/family…it was a group effort!