Ulrike grew up in an Adventist home in Southern Germany. After spending a year as a Student Missionary in Rwanda, she felt the desire to be a missionary to Africa steadily growing in her heart. A few years later, God called her to the Otammari Project in Northern Benin, where she has served in various roles since January 1999.
Toussaint grew up in an evangelical family with an animist background. He befriended the AFM team in 1999 and was baptized in 2000. In 2007, Ulrike and Toussaint married. They are now working together to serve the Otammari people.
Ulrike is working closely with several local evangelists. Together they develop materials and strategies to evangelize this animistic people group. While the local evangelists reach out to Otammari villages and plant churches, Ulrike leads the weekly training session where the team meets to study the Bible, discuss different topics and challenges in the villages and develop more Bible studies. Ulrike is also active in the Natitingou church, serving as the treasurer and director of children’s ministries.
Toussaint ministers to the people in their neighborhood, mentoring several boys and young men as well as counseling their parents in various situations.
In the future, the team plans to extend their outreach to other similar people groups with no Adventist presence in the same area.