What happens when a white American missionary woman in Botswana gets a divine vision that God wants her to marry a local African man – despite racism, family opposition, and cultural barriers? Ashley and Percy Thaba's jaw-dropping story will leave you speechless!
In this powerful episode of Code Red, this missionary couple shares how God turned rejection (even from mission boards!), medical tragedies, and impossible doors closing into an explosive ministry reaching tens of thousands in Botswana. From starting a prime-time TV show that the government moved the national news for (!!!), to training over 30,000 people in family restoration during COVID lockdowns, their testimony proves God's plans are bigger than our fears.
Discover:
How interracial marriage challenged racism in both America and Africa
The miracle that launched their TV show on government television
Why 87% of Botswana claims Christianity but faces massive social crises
How COVID accidentally made their show a captive-audience hit
Their vision for a Restoration Center to heal broken families
Real measurable life change: 70-80% behavioral improvement backed by government studies!
If you're inspired by faith stories that overcome impossible odds, racial divides, and cultural challenges – this is for you! God is still writing epic testimonies today.
LIKE if this story encouraged you
SUBSCRIBE for more real missionary stories
COMMENT: What's the biggest "impossible" God did in your life?
SUPPORT their ministry: Visit healthyfamilies.net or search "Healthy Families Foundation" on Facebook/YouTube
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro: From Ordinary Missionaries to African Media Celebrities
00:21 - How a Joke About a TV Show Became Reality
01:22 - Welcome Ashley & Percy Taba + How They Met at Church
03:03 - Ashley's Journey as an IMB Journeyman in Botswana
04:02 - God's Clear (But Shocking) Call to Marry Across Cultures
05:31 - Percy's Background: First Christian in His Family
07:56 - Both Felt God's Call – But Fought It Because of Race
09:17 - Cultural Challenges of Interracial Dating in Botswana
11:41 - Family Reactions & Missionary Warnings in Africa
13:36 - Overcoming Racism in Church Contexts (US & Africa)
16:23 - Botswana's Culture: Hidden Pain Behind "Keep Quiet" Values
17:33 - Alarming Stats: Abuse, Fatherlessness, & Nominal Christianity
18:13 - Their Unique Ministry: Real-Life Christian Family Modeling on TV
20:58 - How Media Transformed Percy's Faith + Government Opportunities
23:14 - Why "Christian Nation" Labels Don't Fix Hearts
24:01 - From Book in Schools to National Newspaper Column
25:46 - Rejected by IMB Because of Marriage? God's Bigger Plan
27:12 - Quitting High-Paying Job & Green Card for Faith Call
28:26 - Tragic Birth Story & Book That Launched Public Ministry
31:50 - Joke Turns Serious: Launching a National TV Show
33:05 - COVID Lockdown Makes Their Show Unavoidable!
34:06 - Organic Growth: Viewing Parties to Government-Funded Campaigns
35:19 - Production Costs & Prime-Time Slot Miracle
36:58 - Transition to Full-Time Ministry & Fundraising Realities
41:27 - Balancing Tech Skills with Hands-On Ministry
43:53 - Vision: Practical Gospel That Works Monday-Sunday
47:37 - Building the Restoration Center Dream ($500K Goal)
50:49 - Partnering with Local Churches for Sustainable Discipleship
57:15 - Measuring Success: Government-Funded Impact Studies (70-80% Change!)
01:01:41 - Prayer Requests: Family, Funding, Restoration Center
01:04:27 - Final Thoughts & How to Support
#MissionaryStories #InterracialMarriage #FaithInAfrica #ChristianTestimony #BotswanaMission #OvercomingRacism #GodsPlan
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com