Brad Sasser says many of the hikers he encounters are hurting and seeking peace in nature. So he provids “picnics” along the trail and pointing hikers to the peace only found through God.
In the summer of 2020, a long-distance hiker known as “Boxcar” found himself stuck at a hostel in Tennessee with only his van and his dog. After a few days, Boxcar started telling people that he planned to end his life and asked if they would take his dog.
Sasser, who works with Chaplaincy Ministries, was also residing at the hostel and asked Boxcar what he needed God to do in his life. Boxcar told him that he desperately needed a job that would pay him at least $15 an hour, and he also needed someone to care for his dog while he worked, or he couldn’t take the job. Sasser sat with Boxcar that evening and began to pray for a miracle.
Two day later, Boxcar approached Sasser with the news that a nearby restaurant had hired him as their head chef, offering him $15 an hour. They are also giving him a cabin to live in for free so his dog had a place to stay while he was at work.
Prayer answered. And after some time, Boxcar accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Moved by the stories of loss and pain he heard from hikers like Boxcar, Sasser felt called to reach and minister to those on the trails.
He said, “I realized that, to reach these nomadic people, I couldn’t just dabble. I had to be all-in.”