Taking Jesus to the Streets

Ministry to motorcycle taxi drivers gets Gospel to a unique "unreached people group"

By Jesse Lyautey

Expertly zipping through traffic, the motorcycle taxi driver maneuvered around vehicles, push carts, people and animals trying to get his passenger to the destination as quickly as possible.

Thousands of these taxis, or "achabas," as they're called in thelocal Hausa language, are all over Jos, a city located near the center of Nigeria.

Motorists are on a constant vigil for the motos that come so close it's possible to touch them out the car window. Most of society view these motorcycle drivers as dangerous, dirty outcasts. Some say the drivers take drugs to stay awake.

But to International Mission Board missionaries, the motorcycle drivers are an unreached people group.

"At first I was concerned about riding on the motorcycle because most hospital visits in northern Nigeria are from motorcycle accidents," said 23-year-old James Edinger, a month-long volunteer from First Baptist Church, Ogletown, Delaware. "But, God has blessed me with safe drivers. (It's) a lot less stressful than people made it out to be."

Edinger headed the pilot program to reach out to the motorcycle drivers and share Bible stories with them.

He worked with five Nigerian young men, just out of high school, from two local Baptist churches. Tuesday through Saturday, the guys would catch rides on the motorcycle taxis to five motorcycle stops throughout Jos.

The motorcycle stops are more like bus stations scattered throughout the city where the drivers gather to wait for fares.

"It's a connected network of people and the Gospel can spread along that network," said IMB missionary Harriet Bowman.

Edinger and his five companions sat with the motorcycle drivers for a couple of hours every afternoon, handing out tracts specially designed for evangelism with motorcyclists and sharing Bible stories with the drivers.

"In a sense it was a real team effort," said Bowman's husband, Clint. "Harriet had the vision, Caitlin (another missionary) and I planned it, First Baptist Church Powell (of Powell, Tenn.) supplied the tracts, James supplied the on-site leadership, and the two local churches supplied the team members."

He hopes the local Baptist churches catch the vision and continue to send young men out to share the Bible stories with the motorcycle drivers.

"It's commanded in the Bible in Matthew 28 to make disciples," said 19-year-old Chris, a Nigerian Christian. "I'm doing this in obedience to God's command. It is a thing of joy because I know I am obeying God's command, which gives me the opportunity to add to my heavenly treasures."

Ezekiel, 20, answered the call from his church to work with Edinger because he has a passion for mission work. He wants as much experience in evangelism as he can get.

"It's part of God's call and he has called me to mission work," Ezekiel said.
When the group finds Christians, they pray for them and encourage them to attend a local church and to become involved by sharing the stories with other drivers.

"I'm just hoping that we can talk to as many people as possible, waiting for that one person who wants to believe," Edinger said.