Upon arrival in Botswana in September of 1985, Diane, myself, our daughter and son (still in the womb) were whisked off to our village live-in to learn Setswana. After three months in the village of Mmadinare, we moved to the city of Francistown in order for Mark to be born. All the while, we didn't really have a job description, other than Bible Teaching with African Independent Churches. Jonathan Larson, a long-term mission worker in Botswana, invited us to consider youth ministry. A relatively new AIC movement was needing some help. This was Bopaganang Basha ba Semoya (The gathering of the youth of the Spirit). I said yes.
I was introduced to the youth leaders who were working together from a number of AIC groups. As I was in Francistown, I got to know these leaders the best, and they became my friends. I have learned that Bopaganang is still going strong and some of these leaders are still involved today. I am so encouraged that AIMM now has Melanie Quinn assigned to continue to come alongside this ministry - 25 years after we were doing it.
My closest colleague and best friend became Golwelwang Paul Mogomela of the Diphapo Christian Church with its headquarters in Letlhakane. His father was the bishop of the church, a position which Golwelwang later was granted. In fact, Golwelwang and his wife, Onkabetse, were granted the opportunity to visit us for a month in Canada some years after we had returned. On this visit, they became known as Paul and Betsy.
I could not find photos of Mogomela and myself working together in Botswana (things were probably no different back then than they are now, in that I usually think of the camera long after I have left home - just as we arrive on a scene that would make a great photo). The photo below from Botswana is of Archbishop Israel Motswaosele and his brother Joseph (the prophet) of the Spiritual Healing Church. These two were key connections in receiving the blessing to work with the youth of their congregations. The second photo is of Paul and Betsy, but it is in the Zoar Mennonite Church in Langham, SK - when they came to visit us in Canada. The two youthful Caucasian people featured in the photos are, you guessed right, Diane and me.
Paul and I travelled to many villages, generating interest among AIC youth groups to come together. We would arrive in a village and meet the church leaders, then they would take us around to other churches to meet their leaders. By the end of the day, or by the end of a couple of days, we would have a concert pulled together. As is commonly known, for AICs, the youth group is the choir. For youth to come together, they come as choirs and put together an impromptu concert as a friendly competition.
I have three particular memories of the Bopaganang ministry. I remember that we would often have Sunday afternoon meetings. We would always have a scheduled time, such as 2:00 pm. Mogomela (in case you didn't know, in Botswana we most commonly speak of people by their surname) and myself would dutifully be there at that time. After about a 1/2 hour or so, he would start to show disgust at the others not showing. Then as the afternoon progressed, he would continue to show occasional outbursts of frustration. By around 3:30 pm, the first person would arrive, then by 4:00 a few more, and by 4:30 or so, everyone was there and we had a meeting. After a few rounds of this process, I took up the courage to ask my friend why we scheduled the meeting at 2:00, yet it didn't get started until 4:30. Well, he said, the time is set for the foreigners, so it appears as though there is a prompt and early starting time. For the African brothers and sisters, they know there is a meeting that afternoon and they are committed to being there, but the starting time is irrelevant. That there will be a meeting; this is what matters. Suddenly I realised that all the disgust that my brother was showing for the tardiness of the other committee members was a show put on for me because it was thought that I was upset that nobody else was on time. Once this was established, I could also relax into the confidence that the meeting would happen, and that it didn't really matter what time it began.
My second memory is of the power of light. There was no electricity in the residential areas of the villages where the churches are. So, when we would get a concert together, it would already be after nightfall when it began. I remember coming into a church building that was a big square, basically empty, building. There would be a table and a chair at the one end (we needed this to run the concert). Then someone would light a single candle on the table, and as the light filled the room (and as my eyes adjusted), it was amazing how that one candle provided sufficient light. As the evening progressed, youth choirs would arrive from all over the village. The church would fill up with people, the leader would bring it to order, and the concert would begin. What a great time of fun and singing!!
My third memory is of a weekend where Mogomela and I went to Letlhakane (his home village). We did our routine of meeting people and pulling together a Saturday evening concert. But what I remember was the Sunday morning worship service. His home congregation was the Diphapo Church, but on Sunday we were asked to preach in the Spiritual Healing Church (and I do mean "we"). I was given the text to preach on, and he was my interpreter. The Holy Spirit was so powerfully there. The word that the Spirit gave to me just flowed out. Then the interpretation that Mogomela rendered was so dynamic and powerful. It was the most amazing time of ministering in the Spirit. And then there was the singing. The women were dancing and singing their hearts out at the front, and I could see the joy of the Lord in their eyes. It is my greatest memory of our three years of ministry with Bopaganang. What a blessing!
In the joy of our Living and Loving Lord,
Garry and Diane Janzen, Botswana, 1985-88.
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