The Beginning of Craftsmen for Christ

Craftsmen for Christ (CFC) began in 1986 as a friendship between two neighbors. Bob Ouzts was a pipe fitter at UC Davis and John Willhoff was an auto parts store manager. As Bob drove up to move his family into the home next door to John, his truck’s clutch failed. John just happened to have the same model truck and a spare clutch and quickly offered to help his new neighbor, but Bob’s pride refused his help.

While Bob was at work the next day, John introduced himself to Terry, Bob’s wife. He convinced her to let him repair the truck–free of charge. When Bob came home and found his truck repaired, his heart began to crack open. At 32 years old, he received unconditional love from a stranger—for the first time in his life.

A Friendship Emerges

Their friendship grew as they each raised two sons of similar age. The two families spent much time together and Bob learned about John’s generous spirit. In hindsight, God wanted something more for these men than just their kinship, He wanted their hearts.

John was an insulin dependent diabetic who rarely shared his plight with others, but he confided in Bob and Terry about his condition. As the years passed, John’s health declined and he tired easily. Bob wanted to help in some way but had no idea how he could help his friend.

The Foundation of Faith

During this time, Terry lived out her Christian faith and attended church regularly with their sons while Bob ignored the faith. Although introduced to Christianity in his youth, he didn’t willingly serve God much and never fully committed to following Jesus Christ.

John also tasted faith as a child, but lost it when he was only five years old. He lost his faith when his father died suddenly from an aneurism. John was unwilling to talk to or about the Lord, blamed God for his father’s early demise, and turned away from his Savior. Despite all this, he never failed to quickly give his love away. He always made his neighbors smile and fixed their cars, never asking anything in return.

Faith Rekindled

John’s health worsened and Bob struggled with how to help his friend, knowing it was his turn to give but not knowing how. He asked Terry’s advice when John’s sight began failing in one eye, and she told him to pray for direction. But he confessed to her that he didn’t know how. She insisted he attend the men’s prayer meetings at her church, yet he refused.

Finally, as a 30th birthday gift, Bob agreed to attend a prayer meeting. His dormant faith reignited as he listened to ordinary men—much like himself—share their spiritual needs. Without hesitation, these complete strangers agreed to help Bob pray for John and embark on a new spiritual journey of discovery. Bob was convinced he needed to share this with John.

Changed Lives are Contagious

John’s wife, Kathy, expressed concern that this might strain his friendship with John–especially with regard to John’s unresolved pain over the early death of his father. Bob convinced Kathy that his new found love for God only gave him more reason to express his love for John. He believed God would never interfere with or threaten their strong friendship.

In just three months, John lost his sight in both eyes. More determined than ever, Bob asked if he could come read the Bible to him. John agreed, so Bob spent one hour, four days a week, reading to and praying with John. Both men’s faithless hearts opened wider each day and their lives were knit together by the hand of God.

As Kathy watched, she saw that John embraced both his faith and his deepening friendship with Bob. At the end of one session in April, 1990, John asked Bob to pray for him and ask the Lord to allow him to live long enough to see his youngest son, Steven, turn six. John and Steven shared the same birthday. He wanted Steven to know him one year longer than he had known his own father. He explained to Bob that he didn’t want Steven to be angry with God and turn away from Him like John did when his father died.

God Answers Prayers

In July, John’s kidneys failed at the age of 35, requiring frequent hospitalizations and dialysis treatments three times each week. Bob and John kept up with their bible reading and each week, Bob prayed that God would keep John alive to see Steven turn six. As the summer heat soared, so did the Holy Sprit in both men. Everyone who visited John remarked how astonished they were to see a man so full of life while on the brink of death.

July 24, 1990, was an unseasonably cool day, and with all of their family and friends present, John and Steven celebrated this most special day. They brought birthday cake into the front room, where John reclined after a particularly rough dialysis treatment. As the guests sang Happy Birthday, John blew out 36 candles on his side of the cake and Steven blew out six on his. Immediately, although blind, John turned and faced Bob and said, “Bob, God answered our prayer.”

Shortly after midnight, John left this earth to be reunited at home with both of his Fathers, earthly and heavenly. Bob’s faith was forever strengthened, and he vowed to love God and each of his neighbors just as John did when he repaired his truck.

The Birth of a Ministry

A few weeks after John’s death, Bob returned to Kathy and John’s home with 20 men from UC Davis, some Christian and some not. Together, they constructed a fort for the two boys, and made numerous home repairs for Kathy.

This was the beginning of Craftsmen for Christ, which once grew to 12 chapters in 3 states. The ministry is now based in Yuba City and serves the Yuba/Sutter region of California, diligently giving away their unconditional love.

Ephesians 2:10–We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared for us in advance for us to do.

As his trademark, John always strategically inserted an allen bolt on every car he repaired and called it his signature. Every time Bob visits John’s grave, he leaves behind a stainless steel allen bolt commemorating all the work that God does through Craftsmen for Christ.