Kramer & Andrea Soderberg

Andrea and I have been married for 9 years—and although we met in grade school—our relationship did not start until our sophomore years of college. We are both cradle Catholics who were raised in the faith, however, like many Catholics were poorly Catechized and uninterested in the faith throughout pretty much the entirety of our teenage years. In college we both fell far from the faith and became distracted and deceived by the lies that the “popular culture” of our time tried to sell us. After our engagement in 2014, I found myself—a soon to be husband—opening myself up to a more serious life of faith. As I began to research, investigate, and grow in my understanding of the Catholic faith, I began to share more and more of what I was learning with Andrea. Through many trials and challenges, mainly related to my career as a college basketball coach, God’s grace brought us back into a devout practice of the Catholic faith. We now have 4 beautiful children, Andrea homeschools our kids, I was named the head coach at Millikin University in the spring of 2021, and we continue to strive daily to lead each other and our children towards sainthood. Our journey has taught us that when we lean on our own plans and our own understandings, we are sure to fall. When we surrender our own plans, hopes, and desires completely over to God’s will—everything, in the end, happens for our good—for God loves us, and His plan for us is perfect!