For years now, we have put every penny we could toward Bibles and Christian books. This was a strategic decision. In the United States we work out of our homes, and in Africa rents have been measured in a few thousand dollars per year. Dollars given to Oasis have always meant we could print more books, distribute more Bibles, give away more tracts and gospels. Our heart is for literature.
I have surprised myself these last months as I (Matthew Elliott) have come to strongly believe that we now need to build a greater physical infrastructure. We are not going to be able to distribute 1 million Bibles and 750,000 books a year – our long-term goal - without a home base in Africa. This will be a permanent place where our African administrative and sales and marketing teams will have a home office, where people can come from around Africa for training, and where we can store and distribute large quantities of books.
Well, we have that location already – the compound in Jos, Nigeria, which we have rented for the past eight years. This amazing property, my home away from home when I visit the Ewoldts, has housing for eight to ten adults plus a large family. (The large family apartment is the Ewoldt’s residence.) Offices for our staff, room to store 200,000 books and Bibles and large amounts of space for a book showroom and conference facilities are also on the compound. In addition, it is in a relatively safe community, centrally located in the Jos area and central to the whole north of Nigeria. Thousands of people know they can come here to buy Christian literature.
The compound is up for sale, and if we do not buy it, someone else will. Our lease is months from expiring. To move in Nigeria would cost a lot. Up to $20,000 in moving costs alone – remember there are those 200,000 books to move. In addition, it is standard in Nigeria that properties are not move-in-ready. Electrical systems, water systems, and other facility improvements could easily total $40,000 – we have spent $30,000 over the last years making necessary improvements on this property. Lost sales from time lost and the difficulty of spreading the word of our move to customers could easily total another $30,000. The cost of moving could be up to $60,000 or more now that the business has grown. The building will cost us about $285,000 including replacing the 37-year-old roof and the electrical wiring.*
When I was in Nigeria this year, I asked people who know Nigerian property about the building. One comment was repeated again and again. “You will not be able to find a better building or location than the one you are in.” Not only does the building meet our needs, but it is also in a strategic location for distributing literature to the most spiritually needy parts of Nigeria, places where there are fewer Christians and many Muslims.
At our most recent board meetings, as we debated the decision to buy this compound it came down to one crucial point – lost ministry. If we must purchase an alternative location and move from a place where we are well established, we may lose months of ministry time. In the first three months of 2008, we saw over 50,000 books and Bibles go out from this location. An African man who recently moved his business told me last week, “You will lose a year if you move.” The needs are too great for this to happen. We must continue ministry right here, right now.
So when you put it all together; the way the compound meets our needs, the great location, Oasis’ need for a ministry headquarters in Africa, and the cost of moving both in dollars and lost ministry I am convinced that buying this building is the right move. And, did I mention that the owner will sell it to Oasis for $40,000 less than his other firm offer?
The purchase of an African Headquarters is the first step we need to take toward building the infrastructure that we will need in the future. We need funds now so we do not need to find another location to purchase. We would be grateful for your help! It’s important for the church in Africa! Check out the next page for photos and more information on the building.
Our budget for the African HQ project including fees, transaction fees and replacement of the roof and electrical wiring: $285,000.
I am so excited to tell you that we have just received a $30,000 challenge grant to match the first $30,000 that is raised for the Oasis HQ project!
Lets go forward in faith, together!
*Our first choice is to buy the compound we currently occupy. If this is not secured, we will use funds to buy another comparable property. Pray for us, as we negotiate and work toward having the absolute best facility for Oasis’ future.
Comments