Page 192 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Unseen Hands
private dwellings."
Tekle consulted with Brother Harris, who answered,
"I don't know. Brother Tekle. If we build, the building may be nationalized, and we would lose everything. I'll pray about it." After discussions with the regional field supervisor, who added his supplication to theirs, they felt a go-ahead signal from the Lord and began raising funds.
Backed by considerable prayer and fasting and en couraged by God'spromise that his request would receive a favorable answer, Tekle had applied for a land grant in August 1976. He was told, "W e will consider your re quest for a place to build a church when you produce a bank statement showing that you have at least fifty thou sand birr in the bank." He did not have a bank account, much less any money, so back home he went for more days of fasting and prayer!
During this time Tekle suffered from acute asthma for three years, and Erkenesh prayed earnestly and con stantly for a better house, away from an open sewer. God spoke to her one day: Do not pray for your own house; pray for a headquarters church building. She joined Tekle in his petitions to the throne.
Tekle returned to the government office to check on his application, and they sent him to the surveyor's of fice. He found his application form there with this nota tion: "It has been agreed to grant the Apostolic Church of Ethiopia an appropriate plot of land for the erection of a church building." This was a miracle, considering that numerous churches had been closed and many suffered restrictions!
The surveyor asked for the design of a building costing at least 100,000 birr. Architects wanted to charge
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