CMDI’s founders began their entanglement with the Dodoma region in the mid-1990s.  The ELCA’s Northwestern Ohio Synod (NWOS) was linked with the Dodoma Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), halfway around the world and a very different place from the farmland and industrial towns of northwestern Ohio.  As a result of communication, trips were organized for NWOS Lutherans to visit Lutheran churches in the towns and villages of Dodoma, many of them very young churches in this mission diocese of the ELCT.  Pastor Dave organized the first trip in 1996 and has led one annually ever since (since 2002, under the auspices of CDMI).  Stuart joined a trip in 1999 and quickly became convinced of a call to work alongside Tanzanians to build their economy, a task that would take decades.

Pastor Dave and Stuart quickly became involved in “help” projects.  By 2001, it became apparent that what was needed was an independent organization (separate from the official church) to work in these areas and to organize visitation trips.  The three founders incorporated CMDI in 2002 as a not-for-profit service organization.

Since then, they have slowly developed the mission of the organization while also working full time at pastoral ministry and in business. 

Some projects that CMDI has supported:

• In 2005, we organized a book collection for schools in the Dodoma and Iringa Regions in Tanzania.  Thirty-one boxes of books were given to "Books For Africa," a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  These books were distributed with others to 52 different schools.
• In 2006, we gave $500 toward 5 scholarships for 5 young men who attend Bible Schools for training to be evangelists.
• For 5 years, we have supported the education of a young girl from secondary to high school.
• We supported two young men through teacher's college where they were trained to be secondary school teachers.