Good News in Ethiopia

By Arnold Reinikka
Missions Project Director

Last fall SERVE had a short term project to build classrooms for the BARO Bible School in Gambella, Ethiopia which is in the far western part of the country. This trip was done for the Western Gambella Bethel Synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, headquartered in Addis Ababa. The purpose of the school is to educate students to become evangelists or pastors where they can go to the vast countryside and plant churches in the hundreds of thousands of Nuer Tribe

people who do not know Jesus.
The building we completed has two
classrooms that are 20ft x 20ft. They can teach about 20 students in each classroom. They desired a building with three classrooms, but had insufficient funds to do that.

Due to the very hot and humid weather and the lack of and the lack of materials and construction techniques that we were accustomed to, the SERVE team decided to contract construction of the building. This was a prudent decision since the local contractors know how to work there. since its conception in 1997, 79 students have graduated. Denominations represented include Lutheran, Evangelistic Covenant Church, Presbyterian, SIM, etc. I met one graduate who has started four churches about 200 miles from Gambella where approximately 1000 people are attending those churches. They have a competent staff, four have completed four years of seminary and the fifth has completed three years.

They have one other critical need - 'they want to replace a very old dormitory.

Contents

This is essentially a stick/mud structure with a dirt floor, very poor lighting and lots of access for insects, such as mosquito’s, to enter.
Some denominations are now hesitant to send students here because of the bad dormitory conditions. The school has developed a design for a new dorm that would be constructed near the classrooms. Serve has a project planned in December and January to help them construct half of this design. The same contractor who built the classrooms has given us a bid of $14,000 for the dorm. We have estimated about $2000 for furnishings - a total need of $16,000. Any donations toward this SERVE short-term, project would be greatly appreciated.

I believe that with the new classrooms, the addition of these dorm facilities, and the tuition support we are providing six students for three years, that this school and the Western Gambella Synod will be on firm footing to educate their people and spread the Gospel in Western Ethiopia for many years. Glory be to God!!