OY Missions — November 2026 Ministry Update
Living the Gospel, Loving Every Life
Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,
Greetings from Botswana! God is doing some wonderful things here, and I am excited to share what has been happening!
2 Timothy 2:2 (KJV)
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
One of the blessings of this trip has been traveling with a young man named Gaven. He wanted to experience missions so badly that he actually quit his job to come! He has fit in extremely well and has already started a ministry with the college students staying at the JOY Life Center. Last night, we had 20 young people in attendance! We are having some wonderful discussions, and several are asking serious questions about salvation. Please pray for these young people and for Gaven as he ministers to them.
The churches here are doing well! We are seeing encouraging growth in Gaborone and throughout central Botswana. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be traveling to visit several new works in Serowe and Mahalapye. We are especially looking forward to spending time with Pastor Tshenolo and visiting the ministries he is leading. It is exciting to see how God continues to work through these faithful national pastors.
One of our greatest needs right now is Pastor Carella's support. After seeing him in action, I am more convinced than ever that it is time for him to move into full-time ministry. He is currently balancing secular employment with growing ministry responsibilities, and the work has reached a point where he needs to devote his full attention to it. While I am here, we will also be spending considerable time together in one-on-one leadership training to prepare him for greater responsibilities.
Our goal is $1,000 per month in support for Carella. We currently have $300 committed. Another $400 per month would allow him to leave his job, and an additional $300 would bring him to full support. Botswana is an expensive country to live in. Just to give you an example, gasoline is running over $6 per gallon!
Would you prayerfully consider helping us reach this goal? Whether $25, $50, or $100 per month, every commitment brings us closer to freeing this faithful servant to focus entirely on the Lord's work.
After nearly 25 years in missions, I am continually reminded that the greatest investment we can make is in people. Whether it is a young man like Gaven discovering his place in missions, college students searching for salvation, or national pastors preparing to lead, the goal remains the same: reaching people with the Gospel and preparing others to carry the work forward.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and support. You are an important part of everything God is doing here in Botswana, and we could not do this without you!
In Christ,
Travis and Mimi Dykes
JOY Missions | Reach Missions
Living the Gospel, Loving Every Life
