Whatever Happened To ... Pandemic Wedding Plans Of A Malawian And A Nederlander?
Patrick Phiri of Malawi met Fiona ten Have of the Netherlands met and fell in love. He proposed to her. She said yes. But the pandemic stymied their wedding plans. How are they doing now?
On March 16, 2020, Patrick Phiri arrived in the small Dutch village of Middelstum (population 2,419) in the far north of the Netherlands. Patrick had traveled from Malawi to spend three weeks with his fiancée, Fiona, whom he'd met when they were both working for Heifer International, a nonprofit group that supports agricultural projects. He wanted to ask her parents for permission to marry their daughter. They agreed and welcomed him with open arms. A week later Patrick popped the question and Fiona said yes. Then, pandemic travel bans hit, and Patrick's three-week visit ended up lasting seven and a half months. On Nov. 3,
