by Erin Ensinger
A Tanzanian pastor faces his family with a grumbling stomach and empty hands. He scrapes together spiritual sustenance for his congregation with no seminary education, commentaries, or study Bible. But his meager salary leaves his table bare at the end of the day.
“They’re going hungry,” Pastor James concluded in a conversation with ABH Board President Howard Joslin.
This passing comment ignited a vision—not just to offer a few meals, but to purchase plows so pastors can provide a lifetime of meals for their families, churches, and the surrounding villages.
“We live in a farming community,” Howard said. “We could probably raise the money in no time.”
Howard and ABH President Fran Joslin brought the need to their small group at Redeemer Church in Winterset, Iowa. Some church members generously donated $111 each to purchase and deliver a single plow. Meanwhile, a friend longed to contribute. For years, he prayed for an insurance settlement from a car accident, but the insurance company refused to pay. When the money “happened” to come during ABH’s plow campaign, this friend recognized God’s provision and gave $3,100 to help hungry pastors.
In all, ABH raised $4,196—enough to purchase and deliver thirty-four plows—and another $400 to buy seeds. Pastor James personally delivered the plows, dropping off twenty-three plows in a region called Katavi.
“Does the ‘A’ in ‘ABH’ stand for angels?” the presiding bishop in the region joked.
A one-hour meeting with the bishop stretched to four, and then an overnight stay. Later, the bishop called the pastors he oversees, telling them to welcome James who works as ABH’s Africa director, along with ABH’s books.
“Most Americans train but leave pastors hungry,” the bishop explained. “You have saved us by meeting our physical needs first.”
Next James headed to Singida to deliver the remaining eleven plows. Local pastors hailed James as the “Lifesaver to Pastors” and lavished him with gifts – two chickens and an acre of land. One elderly pastor asked James to be his son because of James’s walk with the Lord.
“The door is open to ABH,” the regional chairman of the Pentecostal Church declared. “You are welcome to come and train as many pastors as you like.”
Before receiving plows, the pastors could cultivate only an acre or two of land. Now they can plant around seven to ten acres, more than enough to feed their families. In three years, the pastors will have grown enough food to last ten years. But these pastors have a greater vision than simply providing for their own needs.
By selling surplus harvest, they plan to buy plows for the church planters they send out to surrounding villages. Then the church planters can raise crops, buy plows, and send out more church planters. As churches multiply, ABH’s scope grows to include more pastors and congregations starving for God’s Word.
“You’re not just training pastors but helping them take care of their families,” James summarized. “The whole region is open now.”
James headed home after delivering plows and experiencing God’s blessing in Katavi and Singida. Around midnight, his car sputtered to a stop by the side of the road. James messaged Fran to pray he could get his car fixed and make it home safely. A local mechanic “happened” to drive the streets in the middle of the night to see if anyone needed help. In less than an hour, God blessed again by sending a mechanic to tow the car, fix it, and send Pastor James on his way.