When Ministry Finds You

August 2024

Moshi sits at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, which means there’s a steady flow of tourists passing through—climbers, safari-goers, and travelers from all over the world. And where there are tourists, there are souvenir shops. The town is filled with stalls and roadside vendors selling crafts, beaded jewelry, wood carvings, paintings, and colorful fabrics.

Every time we’d go to the market or into town, we’d hear the same calls:

“Hey Cowboy!” (Michael wears jeans and boots, so the name stuck.) “You like? Want to buy? Many colors, many styles! I take you to my shop!”

Michael would always respond the same way:

“I’m not a tourist—I live here in Moshi, I’m a resident. I don’t need souvenirs.”

But one day in mid-August, his answer changed.

Our oldest daughter and two friends were visiting for two weeks, and toward the end of their stay, we took them into town to shop for souvenirs.

As expected, the vendors immediately swarmed “Cowboy.” Michael started into his usual response, “I’m not a tourist—I live here, I don’t need what you have...” but this time he didn’t stop there.

He added, “But you need what I have.”

Surprised, one of the men asked, “What do you have, Cowboy? What do we need from you?”

Michael’s answer was simple

“I have Jesus. And you need Jesus in your life.”

That moment sparked a ministry we had never anticipated.

One of the young men admitted he didn’t know anything about Jesus, so right there on the street corner, Michael began to share the Gospel. As he spoke, a few more men gathered. What started with two or three grew to a group of eight, all standing there, heads bowed in prayer, giving their lives to Christ.

When they finished praying, one of them asked, “Now what?”

Michael responded, “Be here tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. and I’ll come talk to you more about Jesus.” The next morning, he returned—Bible in hand, along with some samosas and a case of Coke—and began a small street ministry.

Every Saturday, Michael and Mikey would show up, sharing the Word of God, food, and friendship. As the weeks went on, he encouraged them to find a Bible-believing church.

“Pastor, we don’t know which church to choose. Can’t we just go to your church?”

Since we don’t pastor a church, we occasionally attended a local church, but more often we preach at village churches in the surrounding areas. Michael didn’t hesitate for long.

“I’ll be here at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Anyone who wants to come to church with me, can hop in the back of the truck.”

The next morning, six men were waiting. And just like that, a routine began.

Saturdays became “Cokes and Bites + Jesus.” Sundays meant piling into the back of the truck—rain or shine—and heading to whichever church Michael was preaching at that day. One Sunday we had 13 men squeezed in for a 45-minute drive in the rain. Some weeks only two or three came. But the seeds were being sown. Many of these men were battling addiction—alcohol, drugs, and other strongholds. Michael ministered to them not just on Saturdays or Sundays, but throughout the week. We gave each one a Bible, encouraged them to read daily, and spoke often about God's power to bring true freedom.

We preached God's faithfulness. We lived it in front of them. And we encouraged them to respond with faithfulness of their own.

Three of these men have now publicly shared their testimonies of deliverance from addiction. Others have found jobs and begun restoring broken relationships. All because “Cowboy” offered what he had—not for sale, not in trade—but freely, as it had been freely given to him, salvation and freedom through faith in Jesus Christ.

Fast Forward to Today

One year later, the story continues. We now pastor a church here in Moshi (but that’s a story for another blog!). Several of the men from that original street corner crew are now attending faithfully, and it's a joy to see the light of Jesus shining through their transformed lives.

When we first moved to Moshi, we believed our calling was primarily in construction and we thought we came here to build with bricks and mortar, but God reminded us that His favorite building project is still inside the human heart.