Who is Anne & George Edwards from The Sparrow and what is their importance?

Anne and George are a happily married couple living in Ohio when they meet Emilio Sandoz. Anne is a doctor who takes Sandoz' Latin course at John Carroll University. George is a retired engineer and the three become close friends very quickly. When Sandoz moves back to La Perla, he encourages them to make the move as well. Shortly after, the couple relocates to Puerto Rico where George volunteers at the Arecibo Satellite and Anne runs a clinic. Until Sofia and Jimmy marry, they are the only married couple among the mission crew.