| Rescue Center |
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| Written by Tim Brown | |
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Entering the front door of his home, I was impressed by the smooth clean floor and sturdy roof. After a hearty meal of spicy beef on rice, we sat outside in his front yard and watched the sun set. Then, as the dusk turned to darkness, he told me his story. Micah Ngusa, I learned, is a man whose faith has baffled family, friends—even his pastor. In fact, his faith seemed downright foolish to many onlookers. More often than not, these youngsters were petty thieves, addicted to glue fumes and cocaine. Nevertheless, Micah began to build relationships with these "untouchables." After spending time, himself, living in the streets of Mwanza, Tanzania’s second largest city, Micah’s heart ached for the many street kids struggling to survive as pick-pockets and prostitutes. "I asked myself," he remembers, "if God is love, why are these children suffering?" 
Micah Ngusa Disappointed by a church that didn’t share his vision, Micah set off on his own to start a ministry for boys. More often than not, these youngsters were petty thieves, addicted to glue fumes and cocaine. Nevertheless, Micah began to build relationships with these "untouchables." He recalls one day in particular when, following a downtown crusade, he saw 25 boys pray to accept Christ as their savior. That evening as Micah packed up his truck to go home, he was startled when these brand new Christians – still reeking of garbage and smoke – begged him for a place to stay. Exasperated, Micah explained that he was already a father. He simply didn’t have the resources to house any more children.
The pot-holed road made for an agonizing retreat, and he watched in the rear-view mirror as the ruffians chased after his truck. "I didn’t know what to do," he says. "I asked my wife, can we chase them away?" Of course not. That night and for a week afterwards, 32 homeless children slept on Micah’s dining room floor. "In my life I have seen God’s hand, that it is powerful to do miracles," he says matter-of-factly. But on the seventh night he was flat broke, a depressing joke whispered loudly among family and friends. Micah smiled a tired grin remembering the anonymous gift that allowed him to continue his newfound ministry. "From that day we have been witnessing God’s provision," he said. Slowly church members responded as Micah brought the street kids to church and preached to the members about a Christian’s responsibility to the poor. Seven years ago he christened his ministry The Tanzania Children’s Rescue Center (TCRC). He moved it out of his dining room and into the countryside where God has provided property for dorms, a primary school and woodworking shop. Today the TCRC cares for over 70 former street kids. "We really thank God for how He has allowed TCRC to reach so far in such a short time," says Micah. "It is by prayer that He has allowed it to get this far. It is by grace."¤ Bookmark             |
