The Burden Continues

In December 2011 I met Dr. John Balikowski, an American Dentist and Missionary, in Mekelle, Ethiopia.  Dr. John is an incredible man.  He has dedicated his life to spreading the news of Jesus Christ around the world.  He has been in Ethiopia since 2005 and moved to Mekelle, in Northern Ethiopia, in 2011.  Dr. John's work with his Dental School has opened doors and gained favor with local officials to do something that has never been done before - open an evangelical Bible Training Center in Northern Ethiopia.  

When I was in Mekelle, Dr. John planted the seed with me to help him make the Bible Training Center a reality.  Upon returning to the US, my interest in Ethiopia was focused on getting our son, Sofani, to join our family, but the burden of the bible school never subsided.  I tried to push the burden away - avoiding it, talking myself out of it and hoping someone else would help so I didn't have to.  It seemed like it was working.  I had gone 2 years without hearing from Dr. John.  

Then it happened.  In January 2014 I heard from God while journaling.  

1/19/14 - “Research the bible college in Mekelle.  Develop a strategy to raise $500K.  Change the world.” 

At the time this sounded completely crazy.  $500K? Me?  I don't even like helping my kids with school fundraisers.

1/24/14 – “Listen for my call and obey.  Have ears to hear and eyes to see.  Order the book I showed you earlier this week.”

So I ordered the book I had heard about on Christian Radio earlier in the week.  It was  “The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent."  This book helped me gain more of an understanding on some of the key differences between Islam and Christianity.  

First, I must admit, "hearing from God" seemed a bit strange to me.  It still feels odd to type it.  I didn't feel I was "religious enough" to hear from God. I thought that was reserved for Pastors and people a whole lot more holy than me.  In any event, I realized that God had a plan to use me - an imperfect sinner - to do His work halfway around the world. 

Why was I not surprised?  I've read the Bible.  I know that this is one of the most strong themes throughout the book - God using unlikely people to carry out His mission of spreading the news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.  

Then after a two year absence of any communication, on February 1, 2014 I received an email from Dr. John Balikowski.

“Dear Jason,
It has been a long time since you were here with us in Mekelle.  Hope all is well with you.
We are in the process of finally starting the Bible training center here in Mekelle.  We never heard back anything positive about putting up the building, so we are renting one for now so we can get started.  We are short a few thousand dollars for startup expenses and I would ask the Lord if you or your friends could help us.  Funds can be sent a couple of different ways, one would be through the church in Michigan that was willing to help channel funds for us, and also through World Dental Relief.
Please pray for us as we try to get started.  I already have a curriculum and will work with ISOM (International School of Ministry).
Your partner for the Harvest in Ethiopia,
Dr. John”

I knew at that time I didn't have a choice.  I remember reading this email as I woke up.  All I could do was laugh and shake my head.  I remember telling Staci, "you're not going to believe this."

Dr. John and Dr. Grill joining me earlier this year for a fundraising event in Selma, IN (home of the most generous church I know - Selma United Methodist)

The work began.  I reached out to Dr. John to develop a plan and not even a year later we have made some incredible progress:  

• Funds were quickly raised to open the Bible Training Center in the temporary location in May, 2014.  35 students showed up on the first day for class.
• Over $100,000 has been raised in small circles to get the temporary location up and running ($25,000) while setting aside the remaining $75,000 for a down payment on the permanent location.
• The Nationals have raised $20,000 to add to our total.
• In November 2014, we identified an ideal permanent site - plenty of room for classrooms, offices, future expansion, an ideal location and tenants on the ground floor paying rent to make the Center entirely self-sufficient.
• In December 2014, enrollment in the school grew to 80.  80 future church leaders in a part of Ethiopia where less than 1% of the population are evangelical Christians.  Wow.
• Throughout the process we've had incredible cooperation and harmony amongst the Tigrinya Evangelical Churches Fellowship (this group is made up of all the local evangelical church leaders in Tigray - 13 of which are in Mekelle)

Students at the temporary site for the Bible Training Center

This brings me to today.  

We are close to signing the purchase offer for the permanent location. The price for the permanent site is $215,000; however, it will end up being closer to $250,000 after including brokerage fees, interest on the remaining balance over 2015 and government fees.  We still have to raise $150,000 by the end of 2015 ($30,000 of which has to be raised by the end of February).

The burden continues.  I'll be honest there have been times over the last couple of weeks that I update the website and I can't fathom how we're going to find another $150,000 in 12 months.  If you would have told me in February that we would have already raised over $120,000 and have 80 students in the program I wouldn't have believed that either.  I quickly remind myself that this has nothing to do with me and my abilities.  It only has to do with my obedience.  This is God's plan and I'm just someone carrying out a small part in His plan.  

If God is calling you to make a financial contribution to our efforts, please feel free to jump on board and make a contribution.  You can make a donation online at www.harvestinethiopia.com or by mailing a check to:

New Life Christian Fellowship

2237 E Reid Rd

Grand Blanc, MI

49439

Memo: Ethiopia Bible School

While financial contributions are great, we're in need of new contacts and networks to socialize our efforts. Dr. John and I need to get in front of new churches, religious organizations and influencers to share what we're doing and to get more people involved.  We need some additional people to step up and help share this burden with those of us that have been working on this project and those that have made financial contributions to date.  

I would really appreciate it if you would share a link to my blog or to the Harvest in Ethiopia website to someone(s) that could arrange for speaking engagements, etc.  We need a larger audience.

We are confident that if we can expand our network, increase our efforts and build on our 2014 fundraising n 2015 we will be able to finish off this project and fulfill our mission to build the first Evangelical Bible Training Center in Northern Ethiopia.  

The Permanent Location for the Bible Training Center in Mekelle