From Ireland, to Canada, to Mali

How did a young Irish woman and the son of Finnish parents end up together in Mali, Africa? It started when Marko and Pauline's paths crossed and then merged at a large church in Calgary.

Marko grew up in both Calgary and Thunder Bay, but moved west—for the second time—to the prairie city in 1992 as he entered university studies, planning on a teaching degree.

Pauline was born and raised in County Donegal, the Republic of Ireland, the daughter of church workers from Northern Ireland. At the invitation of an aunt, she came to Canada three years into university physiotherapy studies to do a clinical placement in Calgary.

Marko and Pauline met each other at a church cell group in the summer of 1993. However, Pauline returned to Ireland and, for three years, the couple wrote to each other, while Marko continued his Bible school studies to serve in Bible translation.

Pauline then moved to Calgary and worked in a hospital. Married in early 1997, the Hakkolas attended CanIL just five months later, following up on their strong Christian upbringings and teenage commitments to missions service.

At first, Pauline wasn't expecting to study at CanIL herself. She planned to work, while Marko studied at CanIL. But when her university transcripts (needed to register and work in B.C.) hadn't arrived, Pauline began wondering if God might want her to study at CanIL. As the couple drove through the Rocky Mountains on their way to Langley, B.C., Pauline asked God to give them free accommodation for the summer if she too should attend CanIL.

He did.

(Pauline's university manuscripts, incidentally, arrived on the same day and hour of CanIL registration.)

At CanIL, both of the Hakkolas embarked on a road of deep challenge, intensive training and spiritual growth—good preparation for an eventual assignment with SIL, Wycliffe's partner organization, in Mali.