MEET OUR SPEAKERS
We have a wonderful group of speakers that are excited to encourage you in your homeschool journey.
Newaygo Speakers:Vonda HagerVonda is wife to Lindsay for 35 years, mother to four young women and “Next of Kin on His Maternal Side” to grandson, Sterling (can you tell I have not landed on a ‘grandma’ name yet?). She has homeschooled for 25 years in various ways and graduated the youngest in 2023.
What began as a great reluctance to homeschool ended by observing firsthand the sustaining grace of God’s presence and provision. Radical obedience varies dramatically for each person. It’s the beautiful and fluid movement of a heart that trusts her Heavenly Father despite not only what it looks like but what it feels like. 
Natalie KauffmanHello! My name is Natalie, and I have been married to my husband, Wade, for 27 years. God has blessed us with 6 children to raise and I have been homeschooling now for almost 20 years. We have graduated 3 of our kids, so we are halfway there! Our oldest daughter is happily married, and her husband is the Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church of Newaygo. I'll be honest--my husband and kids are my most favorite people on the planet. One of the things I enjoy most is to sit and listen to the music they love to play when we all get together! My hobbies include gardening, canning, preserving, and either knitting or crocheting when I have time. I am looking forward to sharing my testimony/homeschooling journey with you this year at the Refresh Retreat!
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Gaylord Speakers:Ana KolbAna Kolb is a devoted wife, mother, and passionate advocate for children. While entering the world of homeschooling in 2019, they also pursued foster care and became an open home in 2020. Her family has welcomed and provided a home for ten children through the years, learning many lessons about love and faith. Ana is also the proud adoptive mother of a toddler with special needs. Married for 11 years, she cherishes her family and her relationship with Jesus. In her free time, Ana enjoys reading, crafting, and spending time with loved ones.
Jennifer EvansJennifer has been married to Nick for 34 years and is mother to 9 girls, 2 boys and 5 little ones lost in early pregnancy. She is blessed to be grandma of 10. Jennifer began homeschooling 28 years ago and has 6 still in school. She has homeschooled through personal illness and several medical and learning challenges with her children, including dyslexia, Down syndrome, open heart surgery, and autism spectrum disorder.
God has been teaching her to rely on our Lord, in the midst of struggle and trials. Trusting God to lead through the difficult times, including caring for her aging mother through her passing on to Glory and receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis for her husband. God’s presence has guided her through it all. Jennifer’s hobbies are snuggling grandkids, gardening, raising animals, and making specialty fermented dairy products. 
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