Paid in Full

I’m thrilled to report that the building is PAID in FULL.  It has been an incredible 18 month journey.  We have over 90 students enrolled, a permanent location with no debt, and tenants on the first floor to cover ongoing operational costs for the school.  We raised a quarter of a million dollars during that time.  If you were one of the people that contributed financially, administratively or prayerfully I would like to thank you again.  God has a plan for this school.

As I reflect on the past year or so, it’s worth pointing out how improbable this project has been and how God connects people for the purposes of building His kingdom.  There are tons of examples but I think it’s worth sharing a few of them again…

• Dr. John and I met in Mekelle in December of 2011.  We spent one day together and hadn’t corresponded for 2 years when God put the burden on both of our hearts that “the time is now” for a Bible School in Northern Ethiopia.
• All of our fundraising has been processed New Life Christian Fellowship in Michigan.  Dr. John served as a missionary with Pastor Bob from New Life in the Philippines for many years prior to going to Ethiopia.  I have yet to meet Pastor Bob or anyone from the church that I’ve worked with on this project face to face.
• Along this journey I met Pastor Gabe Benesai.  He grew up in Tigray.  He had been faithfully praying for a Bible School in Mekelle for the past 20 years. 
• As I type this, there is a group of 12 women from all over Ethiopia at the Bible School for a 12 day visit (this is their second trip) to pray for the school.  That’s all they’re doing for 12 days.

Improbable?  Yes.  Impossible? Not a chance.  All things are possible through God.  This project illustrates that very clearly.

So, what’s next?

We’re planning a celebration in September at the school. I will have the privilege of being present as we honor the first group of students that started at our temporary location last year.  They will be getting certificates for completing their first 3 trimesters.  We will also be hosting a conference for the 50 evangelical pastors in the state of Tigray that same week (FYI - Tigray has over 5 Million people and only 50 evangelical churches).

If you look at our website www.harvestinethiopia.com you will notice that there is still some money to be raised before we have fully reached our goal.  This amount (~$17K) is not due until early next year.  It is due to the government for taxes on the purchase as well as realtor fees.  The Tigrinya Evangelical Churches Fellowship, our governing body in Mekelle, has committed to raising funds to cover this.  If you have an interest in helping them cover this amount, please feel free to make a contribution.  They would appreciate any help you can give them.  Check out the website for more details.