“Following graduate school, my wife Jan and I found good jobs in the fields of climatological research and nursing,” explains Tim Stoker. “However, just two years into our work, we found ourselves wanting to devote our lives to something with more eternal value. Both of us had met missionaries while growing up, and we each had short-term missions experiences, so we felt the Lord might be leading us to overseas missions work.
“We explored various types of mission work, but we were most intrigued by Bible translation, because we recognized how valuable the Word of God was in our own lives. We thought, ‘What could be more significant than bringing together the only two things in this world that are eternal—God’s Word and the peoples’ souls?’”
With Jan’s background in nursing and Tim’s research experience, the Stokers expected to take an assignment in linguistics and Bible translation. But God began to make it clear that He had other plans.
The Stokers’ first assignment was in Cote d’Ivoire, Africa, where they filled support roles. Two years later, in 1994, God redirected Tim into a role in accounting. Tim found irony in this direction, since it put him in the same profession as his three forbears. Today Tim continues to serve the Bibleless people through accounting.
Tim and Jan were married in 1983. Their four children—Katie, David, Emily and Hannah—have brought great joy to their lives.