Marissa’s House Ethiopia: A Journey of Faith and Purpose
The vision for Marissa’s House began one Sunday afternoon in Plano, Texas, during a visit with friends who helped us arrange a pivotal meeting with someone already involved in building Church Homes in Africa. This meeting sparked the inspiration to create a lasting legacy in honor of Marissa’s passion for helping children in need.
Through connections made with individuals in the North Dallas area, we were introduced to International Cooperating Ministries (ICM), an organization based in Virginia with deep expertise and international connections. Their guidance and support helped bring the vision of Marissa’s House to life. In 2010, construction was completed on Marissa’s House Orphanage in Jima, Ethiopia.
We dedicated the building on January 30, 2011, as a symbol of Marissa’s legacy and commitment to caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.
Challenges and a New Direction
However, despite our initial hopes, the local Muslim-dominated government in Jima did not grant us the license to house children due to our Christian affiliation. We spent over three years negotiating with local authorities, only to realize that God had a different plan for the building.
In 2015, we shifted our focus and decided to use the space in a way that would still serve the community. Our immediate goal was to provide tutoring and educational support to young children, with the long-term vision of establishing an elementary school by 2019.
Classes were held, tutoring was offered, and we provided essential items like clothing, school supplies, uniforms, and food. The building also served as a place of worship and fellowship, with the congregation of Jima United Emmanuel Church utilizing the space for Bible studies, Sunday school, and other services.
A New Chapter
In late 2019, we received approval from local authorities to make repairs, bring the building up to code, and open it as the Church Home/Orphanage originally envisioned. While this was a significant step forward, Marissa’s House Projects made the decision to pivot our focus. Instead of continuing with this location in Jima, we chose to expand our efforts to help orphans and street children in Ethiopia through several new initiatives in Addis Ababa.
While Marissa’s House in Jima was not able to fulfill its initial mission, it has been instrumental in shaping our work and guiding us as we continue to care for children in need across Ethiopia.