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Cedarville Magazine
N
adine (Terrill)Hennesey ’87 arrived
in Kosovo as a single mother with
her 10-year-old daughter, Lydia.
Her husband, Ed ’88, had died at the age
of 26, five months before
Lydia was born. In the
hard days that followed,
God’s care for the widows
and fatherless became
more than a Bible verse
to Hennesey; it became
reality. She prayed for a
role in life that matched
the circumstances she
faced, and as her journey of
grace continued, Hennesey
began to hear answers. God led her and little
Lydia, one step at a time, from America to
Peru to Albania — and then, as a single
mother and fatherless child, to connect with
widows and orphans in Kosovo.
In September 2001, Hennesey led in the
opening of a school she’d namedThe House
of Laughter. Her dreamwas to bring hope to
children inMitrovica, Kosovo, who had lost
one or both parents in the devastation of
civil war. From the outset, she encouraged
her students to resist bitterness and anger
with a vision to make a positive difference. “One of my greatest joys
is to watchmy students succeed,” she said, reflecting on some of their
accomplishments. A number of students have gone on for university
training, including Kujtim, who is earning a master’s degree. Anita
has earned a law degree and volunteers with the
gypsy community in Mitrovica. Merita teaches
English in a public school and was just named
Teacher of the Year.
One of Hennesey’s first students was a young
man named Lavdim, whose father had been shot
and killed while trying to get food for his family.
Lavdimcame toTheHouse of Laughter to gain skills
that would help him support his mother. Unknown
to anyone then, a few years later Lavdim’s life would
intersect withHennesey and Lydia’s in a special way.
Laughter and Learning
In 2009, The House of Laughter celebrated its last graduation,
because, along with its students, the school was ready to graduate.
The next step was the Kosovo Leadership Academy. The vision
Hennesey proposed to government officials was that it would provide
excellent education with the TEAMS (technology, engineering, art,
math, science) learning program. Leadership, personal growth, and
life skills would be refined through training and community service.
But Kosovo Leadership Academy was not limited to first- to 12th-
grade classrooms. It would reach deep into the community and
country with professional development, leadership conferences,
neighborhood projects, sports, and summer camps.
Photos: Madison Sternberg
Living Her
Vision
by Rebecca Baker
