Christie and Peter Tokpah

Christie VanKuiken Tokpah has been a full-time missionary at the Rafiki Village Liberia since 2010. Peter, Christie’s new husband, is a Rafiki missionary-in-training. In 2008, Christie went on a short-term trip to the Rafiki Village Nigeria. While there, she felt that God was calling her to full-time mission work. After she returned to the United States and began considering her options for service overseas, Christie received a copy of the Rafiki newsletter. After reading it, she prayerfully decided to apply to be a full-time Rafiki missionary.

Before becoming a missionary, Christie was a discussion leader in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) for five years. She first learned about the Rafiki Foundation through her involvement with BSF. She studied accounting, earning an associate degree from Davenport College in 1989. Before entering the field, Christie worked as the Retirement Plan Administrator for the Michigan Employee Benefit Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While on the field, Christie pursued further education and earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University in 2021. In December 2023, Christie completed her Master’s Degree in Education from Regent University. 

Christie currently serves as the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) Dean at the Rafiki Village Liberia. She has enjoyed working with both Rafiki’s young children and teachers-college students. Christie was first drawn to Rafiki because of the foundation's emphasis on Bible Study, and she is thankful for the opportunity to study God's Word daily with students at the Rafiki Village Liberia. She praises the Lord for the rich life he has given her in Liberia, and she is grateful for her supporters who partner with her.

Peter is working on the school front with special needs students in the elementary school. Also, he teaches as a substitute when there is not adequate staffing at the school. In addition, he is working in outreach, maintains the materials database, and helps train teachers at schools that have adopted the Rafiki curriculum. He is in the process of training as a missionary.