Get to Know the Sathige Family

Hi, we're Thato and Ashley Sathige. We minister in South Africa.

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Ministry Description

Our goal as missionaries with Word of Life South Africa is to reach youth with the gospel of Christ. We do this in several ways:

Local Church Ministries – We provide materials, curriculum and training to youth leaders and children's workers and offer partnerships and encouragement to pastors. We also work with churches to do evangelistic events in their communities to both train churches in how to run events and create a bridge to their communities to help grow the church.

Camps – We hold numerous camps throughout the year as we partner with local churches to offer kids and teens an exciting and fun experience as they learn from God’s Word. Our goal is twofold: to reach the unsaved with the gospel and connect them to a local church and challenge and encourage those who are already saved.

Missions Trips – We offer teens and young adults the opportunity to be a part of various missions trips both in South Africa and bordering countries giving them the opportunity to be stretched in their faith as we work alongside local churches and communities to reach people for Christ.

Discipleship Training Center – This is a one year discipleship/Bible college program for post graduates with the goal of growing and equipping them in their walk with the Lord and equipping them to be more effective in their local churches and communities. After their one year, students are offered the opportunity to continue with us as an intern where they can become more involved in the ministry with additional responsibilities in order to gain valuable experience and skills as they work alongside our team.

Thato serves as the camps and missions director while Ashley oversees the internship program. Together we are involved in training up leaders in local churches, discipling students and interns, and serving on the various camps and missions trips.

Learn more about the ministry in South Africa.

About Thato

I was born in Soweto, South Africa to a loving home where my mom was a Christian and my dad was not. I never liked to go to church but I was forced by my Mom every Sunday to go. I knew who God was but never believed in Him because of the things that I thought were right in my life. One day I was baptized for wrong reasons as no one explained why I was getting baptized. I thought it was going to change my life because I was becoming a Christian. Sadly to say, I was a wet “Christian” when I got baptized who never believed in Christ Jesus. I was a Christian by name not by faith in Christ.

When I was 18, my mom took a job as the“mother”for a home for children that would move us to Olivedale, where I knew no one. A group of people from Sandton Bible Church would come to our new home from 6pm-7pm from Monday to Thursday to teach those in the house the Bible.

Salvation
I was invited by someone from Sandton Bible Church to a youth rally where I could have fun with people whom are the same age as me. We played games, ate, and the Gospel was shared. I was challenged that day but never accepted Christ as my personal Saviour. A young man named Michael came to my house every Thursday evening to spend time with me. He opened his Bible to John 3:16 and he read it to me. He had us read it together and then asked if I understood what it meant. I wanted to say yes just to get it over with and just hang out with him but when he personalized John 3:16 by putting my name, Thato, in place of the “world” and “whosoever,” it made sense. That day when he left, he left me with a huge decision that I had to make. I spoke to my mom about the decision that I was going to make. That Thursday I accepted Christ as my personal Saviour.
Christ forgave me of my old ways: smoking, drinking, and lying. Although it was hard, He changed my life. Now I serve in my local church on the music team, as a youth leader, serve at Word of Life South Africa doing different ministries like soccer, and camps.

I also thank God for changing my dad’s life through my mom’s faithful testimony and never giving up hope that all of our family could be saved. I thank God for my mom, the prayer warrior in our family, as now my dad and I are saved and we trust in Christ.

About Ashley

I grew up in a home where both my parents loved the Lord and had a personal relationship with him. I was saved around the age of 5 and though I was young, I believe I understood the basics of the gospel and have never regretted that decision. God has continuously worked in my life through ministries I have been able to be apart of, Bible studies, youth group, and personal time with God. He has continuously showed me how depraved I truly am and my need for him and how to live a life worthy of the call. Ever since I was child, God placed on my heart the burden and desire to be a part of what He is doing around the world. After two years at Word of Life Bible Institute and a 3 year cross-cultural internship with Word of Life in South Korea, Thailand, and South Africa, God has given me the opportunity to do just that. I am so grateful for the privilege of making him known in South Africa.

Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake...

Contact Information

thatosathige@wol.org
Word of Life South Africa
PO Box 2013
Ruimsig, 1732 South Africa




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PO Box 600
Schroon Lake, NY 12870

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Contact Info

Email: info@wol.org
Phone: 518.494.6000

Mailing Address:
PO BOX 600,
Schroon Lake NY 12870

Shipping Address:
4200 Glendale Road
Pottersville, NY 12860