OUR STORY
MEET THE TOCCO’S
ABOUT the Tocco's
Paul and Donna Tocco are the founders of Word Ablaze Ministries and have served as Christian evangelical missionaries in Kenya since 1993. Originally from Pennsylvania, USA, they have dedicated their lives to sharing the Gospel and equipping leaders throughout East Africa. Together they have three children — Ashley, Jason, and Josiah — along with Ashley’s husband Chris and their children, Tiana, Christopher, and Alivia.
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Paul holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Richard Stockton State University in New Jersey and a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Beacon University in Georgia. Donna also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Beacon University.
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The heart of Paul and Donna’s ministry is to see the people of East Africa encounter Jesus Christ and experience transformation through His love and power. Through the Word Ablaze Bible Institute (WABI), pastors, disciples, and church leaders are equipped with biblical training, spiritual growth, and leadership development to impact their communities and nations for Christ.
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The Tocco’s ministry outreaches include teaching and training pastors and leaders, community development, evangelism, and ministry to the poor. Over the years, they have traveled extensively throughout East Africa, preaching the Gospel, strengthening churches, and demonstrating the love of God to countless people and communities.
OUR STORY
It all started one Sunday when our 5 year old daughter slid out of her church pew and ran up for prayer from a Missionary visiting our Church. She came back and said the words that changed our life forever – "God said I am going to be a Missionary to Africa!" We smiled politely and told her to sit down.
Fast forward 5 years we were on a plane to Kenya and had completed Bible Training College! We served for a year teaching at a Bible College, helped start another Bible College in a different region, did lots of evangelism and ministry with the poor (Street kids ministry, medical missions, outdoor crusades). God called us to start a Bible institute that would be inclusive of all leaders regardless of financial status, literacy ability, denomination while imparting the Word of God in a transformative curriculum. The problem was we had only a few dollars to our name. With God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
Fast forward again and we found ourselves with a piece of land that God had provided to us with no money down and we started building stone by stone. It took one year to build a hall and a dormitory. We opened our first class in 2005! Throughout the past 20 years we have had many supporters and friends come along side and most importantly the hand of God to bring the school to what it is today. Today we have a 75 bed boarding facility with classrooms, hall, dining facility and administration buildings. We have had more than 600 students graduate that are reaching over 1 million people in 6 countries every year with the solid Word of God!
TEAM WABI
(Pictured from Left to Right: Ester, Nickson, Paul, Donna, Justus, Samson and Leah - all WABI graduates!)
MINISTRY PARTNERS
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Word Ablaze has been richly blessed by faithful visiting teachers from the United States and Iceland who have invested their time, wisdom, and hearts into equipping leaders across East Africa.
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