Generations

Like his siblings, Rado’s first experiences at Luther House began in childhood. He grew up attending dinners with his mother, Rijasoa, and visiting his older sister, Ranja, during their time at Luther House.

“Before I started college, it wasn’t really my choice to go to Luther House. It was just a place that we went to eat and hang out,” Rado recalls. “After I moved in for college, though, it became my choice. I liked living at Luther House because I couldn’t drift too far away from my church. It matured my faith and kept me grounded. I basically came home to church.”

Rado is now an alumni member of Luther House/The Open Table Connection, and he and his family are part of a generational legacy in the campus ministry. Their love and welcoming spirit have helped shape its culture.

He remembers the radical hospitality he practiced as a student resident. “We would have all kinds of conversations about religion, sometimes late into the night,” he says. He laughs as he recalls one long, friendly conversation with other students who were evangelizing in the neighborhood. They ended up talking until around midnight and becoming friends. “I’m not sure where else that would happen,” he adds with a smile.

Today, Rado carries that same radical hospitality into his work and everyday life. He remains committed to his lifelong home church and credits the experience of living in community at Luther House with shaping and strengthening his faith journey.