We are getting married, Again!

“We came for the mission… God added a love story we didn’t apply for.” In 2023, somewhere in Dar es Salaam, God was clearly writing a story… we just didn’t know we were the main characters yet. Toby had flown in from Sweden with his mission team, ready to serve. Mary? She was in her city, serving as a translator and helping teams like his navigate life and language. Now here’s how we "officially" met… Mary’s friend came running with very important news: “You need to come meet this very tall muzungu.” Naturally… curiosity won 😂 So we were introduced. A quick hello. A moment. And then? Nothing. No deep conversation. No exchanged numbers. No “this is the beginning of something.” Just… "the tall muzungu sighting was successful" and life went on 😄 Fast forward later that year—Mary moves to Kenya for Bible school. New season, new place, same heart to serve. Then January 2024 rolls in… and guess who shows up in Kenya? Toby. Why? Honestly… just to serve God. (Or so he thought 👀) Now this time— Mary remembered Toby (of course… very tall muzungu, how do you forget? 😄) Toby… let’s just say his memory needed a little heavenly reminder—but he handled it smoothly 😂 But from day one in Kenya, something just *clicked*. A friendship started—easy, natural, full of laughter. And let’s be clear: Nobody was trying to fall in love. Toby didn’t see himself staying in Africa. Mary definitely didn’t see herself dating someone from a different culture. So naturally… God said, “Perfect. My favorite kind of situation.” We served together, laughed together, and stayed very committed to being “just friends.” (You already know how that goes 😅) Then May 2024 came—Mary left Kenya for an internship. Toby also went back home. Different countries, different time zones. But somehow… the friendship didn’t fade. Messages here and there turned into regular check-ins. Check-ins turned into “wait… why do I care this much?” moments. And that’s when things got serious. Not “we confessed everything” serious… More like “we both quietly went to God because something felt different” serious. Without telling each other, we both started praying. We both spoke to trusted leaders. We both asked the same question. “God… what is this?” And here’s the part that still feels like God smiling at us... We had no idea the other person was doing the exact same thing. But somehow… we got the same answer. No confusion. No pressure. Just peace. The kind of peace that only God can give. And just like that, the friendship had a new direction—one we didn’t plan, didn’t expect, but couldn’t ignore. From one introduction in Tanzania… (Thanks to a friend and a "very tall muzungu" 😄) To a friendship in Kenya… To a love story written by God Himself. The rest? That’s our testimony. Still on the mission field. Still saying yes to the call. Just now… we’re doing it hand in hand ❤️