VanKuiken March 2023

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

It is with great joy that I send this letter to tell you about my news from Liberia. After serving as a single missionary in Liberia for twelve years, God has done an amazing thing for me. He has granted me a helpmate to serve with on the mission field. I became engaged to Peter Tokpah on February 5 during the worship service at church. Peter is a Liberian national. He is a teacher in our primary school and a graduate of our teacher’s college. He is a believer and member of the United Methodist Church in Liberia. He is his church’s Sunday School Superintendent and takes turns teaching adult Sunday School. He is a quiet man who is godly, mission-minded, trustworthy, hard-working, and dependable.

We plan to be married, most likely in September of this year. We would like to have the wedding in the States and have applied for a travel visa for Peter. He has an appointment scheduled with the U.S. Embassy on May 31. We have been warned that it is difficult to get a visa, and we will get married in Liberia if the visa is denied.

Peter and I enjoy eating supper together on my front porch most evenings. We also have begun a habit of devotions together each night after supper. We just finished pre-marital counseling with the shepherding elder of our church, Dr. Kulah. He is the Dean of the United Methodist University’s School of Theology in Liberia. We also recently hired him to work part-time at our teacher’s college. He will advise us and be instrumental in helping us get accredited for offering a bachelor’s degree program. We are pleased to have someone godly and wise to work with us.

After we are married, Peter and I plan to continue serving at Rafiki Liberia. We pray that God will bless us with many years of service together and that our marriage will produce much spiritual fruit for the kingdom.

I have come to understand the many seasons in our lives. I rejoice in this season of happiness and praise the Lord for giving me this wonderful gift.

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