In December, 1819, Moffat was married to Mary Smith at St. George’s Church, Cape Town.  She had been engaged to him before he left England, and had given up home and parents to go out to Africa and become a missionary’s wife.  No truer helper could Moffat have found, for she loved the work, and experienced great happiness in her life, notwithstanding all its toils and danger.

Shortly after, Mr. and Mrs. Moffat started for Bechuanaland.  They went through many privations, and suffered much from hunger and thirst; but the Gospel was preached to the tribes.  Moffat in those days was not only teacher and preacher, but carpenter, smith, cooper, tailor, shoemaker, miller, baker and gardener!

For some years Moffat laboured without seeing much result.  One day he said to his wife, “This is hard work, Mary”.  “It is hard work.” she replied; “but you must remember the Gospel has never yet been preached to them in their own tongue.”

Moffat had hitherto taught the natives through an interpreter.  He now determined not only to master their language, but to get to know all about their habits and customs, so as to be able to lay hold of them more forcibly.  He not only preached the Word in their native tongue, but set up in type and printed the Gospel of St. Luke and some hymns.  Then he followed on with the other Gospels and also the Epistles, till the entire of the New Testament was translated into their language.

It must not be thought that a missionary’s only cares are those connected with preaching.  Far from it.  To Mrs. Moffat, who tried to teach the women to be cleanly in their habits, they would say, “Ra Mary, your customs may be good enough for you, but we don’t see that they fill the stomach”.

The difficulty of getting sufficient food to eat was very real.  The soil in the neighbourhood of the station was light and needed plenty of water, but the stream which supplied them with the necessary moisture for their vegetables was diverted from its channel by the natives, so that the missionary’s garden was nearly burnt up by the hot sun.

On one occasion Mrs. Moffat asked a native woman to move out of her kitchen, as she wanted to close it before she went to church.  For answer the woman hurled a log of wood at her; and she, fearful lest her babe should be hurt, departed, leaving the savage woman in possession of her home.

Whilst Mrs. Moffat had difficulties at home, her husband encountered many dangers abroad.  Once whilst going in search of game he came upon a tiger, which seemed as if it were preparing to spring upon him.  With the greatest caution he retired slowly from the place, and was just congratulating himself that he was out of danger when he trod on a cobra.  The reptile twisted itself about Moffat’s leg, and was about to bite him when he managed to level his gun at it and kill it.  The poison of this snake is so deadly that had he been bitten his death would have almost instantly followed.