Charming Memee walks thru the aisles, picks up Kokulo’s hand in stunning wedding

By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|Editor-Publisher

Matthew 19:6 “So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

A special pictorial from the wedding:

Culture itself and tradition can change with time, and I can say with some degree of certainty that the tradition surrounding Liberian marriage has changed over the last three decades. I speak authoritatively, having worked here as a journalist, and authored hundreds of published news features on local national politics and cultural lifestyle, spanning over 30 years. 

Prior to the country’s two brutal civil wars for instance, there was rarely anything like having a couple hosting both “traditional” and “white” weddings almost simultaneously but today, that has become the norm for society. The “traditional” aspect is usually hosted in the couple’s home or the home of a close relative of the new couple while the “white”, otherwise Christian style, takes place in a church.

But whatever way people may view this new trend, the truth remains that this new little twist added to marriage indeed forms part of increasing demands that comes from today’s society, particularly this new generation. Someone may see this as an attempt at trying to “balance” things so as to please the two worlds, since in fact, most couples hold links to both Native and Western backgrounds. 

However, what one can’t rule out is the fact that this two-way culture comes too with a huge prize, one that somehow involves extravagant money-spending by couples before the wedding is over. For Sis. Memee Nyonoyeh Goeh and Bro. Edmond Woyeah Kokulo, that moment first came Nov. 15, when both, together with loved ones and well-wishers set out in a convoy to Buchanan City, to fulfill the sacred duty.

Soon came Part 2, the “White” wedding which took place Sunday, November 23, and the bride, quite-looking Memee, glowing in her white wedding gown, stunned the crowd and suddenly rose up from her chair and began dancing and glorifying Almighty God. Her bridal party in no time jumped in too and everyone started to praise Jesus Christ! It was a scene worth beholding.   

For the young couple this was a long but rigorous journey in that they lived nearly a decade or even more apart and in two different worlds with the Ocean separating them: Memee in Liberia, while Kokulo resided in the USA. This was so tempting that even “friends” told Memee to abandon Kokulo and form a new relationship but she rejected it, says officiating Pastor Isaac Collins who counseled the couple prior to the marriage.

But in all of their trials there was something that kept the two holding together all those years, they clung to their Christian Faith, the Word of God, backed by trust and their love for one another, they would later confess to Rev. Collins. Their faith became so powerful that Pastor Collins said they learned to kneel down and pray together whenever trials came their way and God answered them, and they didn’t go to “Yea-yea god.”

Listening to the couple’s story during his counseling, Pastor Collins said he felt so happy for them, seeing that they had laid a solid foundation to their marriage and thus declared, “the wedding” was over. This means, Memee and Kokulo had already worked out beforehand some of the hurdles that tend to break up marriages. 

Altogether, about eight pastors (most of whom belong to the World Wide Missions Church of Liberia) officiated this Holy Matrimony with Rev. Emmanuel G. Gray Sr., WWML District Pastor leading the ceremony. Wedding ceremonies took place at World Wide Missions Du Port Road home church. 

The Groom Kokulo, comes from a small town in Lofa County, called Zelemai, the home of his late father Elder William Kokulo, formerly an iron ore miner who is said to have worked for Bong Mines. His mother Madam Damowha Kokulo, also deceased, is from nearby Fissebu, Zorzor District. Nothing much is known about Kokulo’s parents’ faith but Kokulo himself is Christian. 

Memee belongs to a Christian Faith-based family from Grand Bassa County. Her biological father Rev. Henry B. Goeh who walked her through the aisles  is a former Language Newscaster for ELWA, a Christian Radio Station in Liberia. For much of Rev. Goeh’s adult years, he lived in Buchanan from where he volunteered with Dukpa Radio (the Missions’ station), producing programs in his Native Bassa and winning souls for Christ.

Rev. Dr. Abba G. G. Karnge, the Nonagenarian and the founder of World Wide Missions Church in Liberia, is Memee’s own uncle, and elder brother of Rev. Goah. Liberia’s President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., last year described him as a “nation-foundation builder” at his 95th birthday celebration. Accompanied by his elder daughter Mrs. Mary Karnga-Dahn, he took the two-hour road trip from Buchanan to witness this wedding. 

The bridal party consisted of at least twelve women while the groom’s team equally carried twelve men; these were in addition to a small bride and a small groom as well as flower, candy and grape girls. Little Edmond Kollie and Ballah Smith served as ring bearer and picture boy respectively.

JESUS CHRIST IS COMING SOON! ARE YOU READY?