Up and Up Logistics

What Up and Up Logistics does

Up and Up Logistics, operating as Up & Up Ministries, is a private non-profit missionary organization founded in 2007 and registered or operating primarily in Vanuatu, with a US mailing address in Sharpsville, Indiana. The organization was formed by Bill and Christina Widup together with Tony and Maxine Liliord to deliver practical training integrated with biblical truth to ni-Vanuatu peoples in the northern islands, particularly on Santo Island. Its primary service offerings include logistical and resource support for Bible translators and linguistic specialists (transportation, supply delivery, storage, building projects, computer/internet assistance, lending library, and hospitality), Bible translation facilitation across the approximately 75 unwritten language groups in Vanuatu, discipleship and practical skills training (carpentry, masonry, church leadership, personal finance), and operation of Nabanga Christian Kindy, a kindergarten program for children ages 3-6 that opened in February 2011.

The organization is led by four missionary families — Widup, Liliord, Nacisse (joined 2015), and Frazer (joined 2024) — totaling approximately 12-14 individuals, with a mix of indigenous ni-Vanuatu leaders and expatriate missionaries. The business model is donation-based: financial contributions are accepted from individual supporters, churches, and groups via PayPal and check, with no commercial products, pricing tiers, or fee-for-service revenue. Marketing and outreach are limited to email newsletters, the organization website (upandupministries.com), and direct mail — there is no proprietary technology, no public APIs or developer infrastructure, no patents, and no AI/ML systems. Up & Up Ministries is actively operating, supported by sending-church partnerships (notably Bethel Church, Sharpsville, Indiana) and historical collaboration with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and the Vanuatu Preschool Association.

Name

Up and Up Logistics

Legal name

Up & Up Ministries

Website

https://upandupministries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Up & Up Ministries is a non-profit missionary organization founded in 2007 that delivers Bible translation logistics, literacy support, early childhood education (Nabanga Christian Kindy), and discipleship training to remote tribal communities in northern Vanuatu, funded entirely by individual and church donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Missionary and Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Missionary Training Colleges & Schools (EDAHAKAF)

Keywords

• Missionary and ministry services
• Bible translation support
• Literacy training programs
• Kindergarten education services
• Remote community logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Hebron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations from Individual Supporters: Financial contributions from individual donors made on an occasional or ongoing basis via PayPal (debit or credit card) or by check. Donations can be designated to specific missionary families or to general operations.
2. Church and Group Support: Support from churches and groups who commit to strengthening ministry efforts through prayer and financial investment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Up & Up Ministries operates a faith-based missionary program in northern Vanuatu that provides practical training integrated with biblical truth. Its sellable offerings include the Nabanga Christian Kindy kindergarten program for 3-6 year-olds, Resource Services (transportation, supply delivery, storage, computer/internet assistance, lending library, childcare, and hospitality) for Bible translators, Bible translation support, and discipleship/practical training in literacy, vocational skills, and Christian leadership for ni-Vanuatu communities.

Product overview

Up & Up Ministries operates as a single-purpose missionary organization rather than a platform with modular products. The organization provides integrated ministry services centered on practical training combined with Biblical truth, focused on connecting remote tribal peoples of Santo Island in northern Vanuatu with the Christian faith. The core offerings include Nabanga Christian Kindy (an early childhood education program), Resource Services (logistical support for Bible translators and literacy specialists), Bible translation facilitation, and discipleship/mentorship programs. These services work together to address both the spiritual and practical needs of the communities served.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nabanga Christian Kindy: A Christian kindergarten program for 3-6 year-olds on Santo Island, Vanuatu, operated by Up & Up Ministries. Includes teacher training and a long-term vision of expanding to higher grade levels.

Products and services

• Nabanga Christian Kindy A kindergarten program for 3-6 year-olds on Santo Island, Vanuatu, offering side-by-side teacher training and early childhood education, with full-day options and a second teacher added in 2024 to handle increased enrollment.
• Resource Services Logistical support services for linguistic and literacy specialists working in remote areas, including building projects, transportation, supply delivery, storage, computer/internet assistance, lending library, childcare, and hospitality.
• Bible Translation Support Support for Bible translation projects serving the 70+ language groups in Vanuatu that need the Bible, facilitating the preservation of unwritten languages and promoting literacy through translated materials.
• Discipleship and Practical Training Practical training integrated with Biblical truth for ni-Vanuatu people, including mentorship in Bible study, Christian relationships, church leadership, personal finance, and vocational skills such as carpentry and masonry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nabanga Christian Kindy opened February 2011, with 2024 seeing increased enrollment requiring a second teacher
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Youth with a Mission (YWAM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Lemy Nacisse trained with YWAM in 2006 through their discipleship school program in Mexico. Megan Nacisse joined YWAM staff in 2008 and the couple served as YWAM Santo staff before joining Up & Up. The organizations share a focus on missionary work and disciple-making.
• Vanuatu Preschool AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaxine Liliord worked in partnership with this NGO from New Zealand and Vanuatu's Preschool Association from 2005-2007, training kindergarten teachers in villages across the 4 Northern provinces.
• Bethel ChurchcoreOthersBethel Church (Sharpsville, Indiana) served as the sending church for Bill and Christina Widup, appointing them as missionaries in June 2003. The church mentored and prepared the Widup family for mission work and continues as a supporting partner.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• OMF International: Mission organization focused on East and Southeast Asian peoples, including Pacific-adjacent regions. Similar in mobilizing small family-based teams, church partnership support model, and emphasis on cross-cultural ministry and Bible translation in unreached areas.
• Youth With A Mission (YWAM): Global Christian volunteer mission movement that operates YWAM Santo in Vanuatu — Up & Up's existing partner. Directly comparable in Pacific field operations, discipleship training focus, and reliance on volunteer/donor support.
• Pioneers: International mission organization that mobilizes teams to plant churches among unreached people groups, often in remote island and tribal contexts. Comparable in scale, missionary team composition, and reliance on church-based donor support.
• Wycliffe Global Alliance: Global alliance of organizations engaged in Bible translation and literacy for minority language communities. Directly comparable to Up & Up because it serves as both an umbrella network for the kind of translation teams Up & Up provides logistics for and operates similar field-based translation support programs in the Pacific.
• Ethnos360 (formerly New Tribes Mission): Mission organization focused on church planting and Bible translation among unreached people groups. Bill and Christina Widup both trained at New Tribes Bible Institute, and Ethnos360's ministry model of supporting translation teams in remote, low-literacy contexts is closely aligned with Up & Up's work in Vanuatu.
• SEND International: Interdenominational mission agency that plants churches and supports cross-cultural workers in Asia-Pacific and other regions. Similar small-team, family-based missionary unit model with comparable reliance on individual donor support.
• Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF): Provides aviation, logistics, and transportation support to missionaries and humanitarian organizations in remote regions including the Pacific. Closely comparable to Up & Up's logistics/transport role for Bible translators in geographically isolated Vanuatu.
• ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism): Mission agency sending church-planting and discipleship teams worldwide, including Pacific regions. Comparable in missionary team structure, faith-based education components, and donor-supported operational model.

Emerging players

• Hoffman International (child sponsorship/NGO): Faith-based NGO operating child sponsorship and education programs in developing countries with small in-country teams. Comparable operational footprint and donor-funded education delivery model to Up & Up's Nabanga Christian Kindy, though focused on different geographic regions.

Regional players

• Pacific Mission Aviation: Regional aviation and logistics support for missionaries across Pacific island nations including Papua New Guinea and remote archipelagos. Comparable to Up & Up's logistics function but operating in a different sub-region with an aviation delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/up-up-ministries-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Up and Up Logistics