Our Ministry

We arrived in Botswana on July 30, 2014. We have been active in discipleship training, theological education, and children’s ministry outreach. We spent the first seven years in the capitol city. Then in 2021, we were praying about the Lord’s leading. Most missionaries in Botswana are in one of the three largest urban area. The Lord was showing us that there is a need in the Central District, about 3.5 hours to the north. We settled into the village of Serowe. The Lord showed us that through reaching this village, that there is a possibility of reaching across the country as many Batswana have connections with the people of Serowe.

The Lord led us to establish a charitable non-profit trust, known as Disciples Making Disciples Botswana Trust. The sole objective of the Trust is to make financial, physical and human resources available for the development, maintenance, expansion, and overall well-being of Christian Organizations, Christian Programs and Projects, and Christian Leaders so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be made more fully know in Botswana and elsewhere.

Today, our ministry focuses on the following efforts:

Regional Pastoral and Leadership Workshops. This is done through a partnership with World Hope Bible Institute. The WHBI program seeks to provide quality theological education at no cost to pastors and ministry leaders who would otherwise not be able to access it due to lack of finances, lack of educational requirements to enter a seminary program, inability to relocate to be near the seminary (almost all seminaries in Botswana do not online education; if they did, many people would not be able to afford the cost of internet to access an online program), or a lack of available time as many are working just to be able to provide the little that they have. The program consists of 16 different workshops where each workshop is provided once every 2 months through a 2-day intensive. The students who complete the program, approximately 3 to 3.5 years, are awarded a Certificate of Participation. During one of our early workshops on the doctrine of salvation, 7 pastors received Christ as Savior.
Subsidized Bible Distribution Program. The Trust has been buying Setswana (the main local language) and English bibles, both in softcover and hardcover versions from South Africa. The bibles are then sold at approximately 20%-25% below cost. The trust, through our ministry funds, absorbs this “loss”, yet we count it as a “win” for the kingdom of God. This has made bibles affordable to all who desire them. We have found that if they are given free bibles, that people do not value the bible as the Word of God and have used it for many profane purposes. Yet when they pay something, that they value the Bible and read it regularly. In the last 15 months, we have been able to distribute more than 600 bibles in the Central region of Botswana.
Gospel-Centered Preaching. James has been developing kingdom relationships with many pastors from different denominations. He has been invited to preach during the Sunday worship services. Many have commented about how the expository messages are making a powerful impact in the lives of many. They also appreciate his clear communication that focuses on the centrality of Jesus Christ, and how the Bible can be applied in daily life.
Children’s Ministries. Wendie has been working in partnership with Child Evangelism Fellowship to distribute free curriculum to many under resourced churches in Central District. She has also been training the volunteers through a clear demonstration on how to engage with children in a fun and interactive environment. This has been accomplished through games, songs, stories, and so much more. Plus, she has been able to provide some snacks for the children, which they so greatly appreciate.
Vacation Bible School. Wendie has aided some churches with their children’s ministries with a 3-day to 5-day children’s outreach that includes stories, games, songs, and craft projects. Everyone has so much fun that even many of the adults join in the fun too!
The Story of Jesus for Children. This is a 60-minute video that shares the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus in a way that is clearly understood by the children. The version shown is in Setswana (their main local language). Sometimes the video is shown outside in the evening where it is projected onto a bedsheet for a screen, and other times shown on a television. Many children (and adults too!) are coming to a true faith in Jesus because of this film.
Financial Support of Churches, Programs, and Leaders. The Trust has been able to provide direct financial assistance for many based on the availability of funds. Funds have been used towards the cost to build buildings, help to cover the some of cost of evangelistic outreaches, and help pastors provide for their families when the church has not been able to do so, and many other purposes.
Pastoral Care & Encouragement. We have been able to meet with various pastors and ministry leaders. Many of these leaders have not been able to find someone in whom they can trust to share their concerns of life knowing that whatever is said is held in the strictest of confidence. We also meet with missionaries, most of whom are not associated with the Trust, to listen and encourage them as they face many challenges and need loving, compassionate, and empathic care.
Missionary Advancement. We have been able to assist some missionaries with their work and residence permits with the Trust being the sponsoring organization (“employer”). Our mantra is that we want to be able to facilitate more ministry with minimal administration. Each of the missionaries sponsored through the Trust needs to be able to work without daily supervision. We ask each missionary to send us a copy of their quarterly prayer letter that the trust will then use as their “ministry report”. So far, we have been able to assist two missionaries with a third currently in process and a fourth who has applied. We will also soon be meeting with a sending organization in another country to explore ways of creating long-term pathways for their missionaries to take to Gospel to the least-reached people groups in Botswana.

We pray that this letter would give you an overview of who we are and how the Lord has been at work through us in Botswana.