Blessing the Children International

Blessing the Children International was founded by Keith V. Strawn in 2001 in El Salvador as a means to carry out his vision of helping impoverished children in foreign countries. Shortly after creation, BCI joined a partner ministry in El Salvador to improve donor communications through regular mailings and by publishing regular newsletters. In 2002, BCI partnered with the Blair Foundation to administrate their church planting in Ethiopia. BCI was responsible for developing and managing all aspects of the program, including a report collection system to keep sponsors informed of their sponsored missionary's progress.

In January 2004, BCI launched the Ethiopian Call Ministry through a partner ministry, planting 1,000 new churches in the remote villages of Ethiopia over the next two years. Previously, only seven churches existed in the entire region of almost 1 million people. BCI fully administrated all aspects of the program; missionary deployment, tracking, and data collection for communications to more than 1,500 donors. The goal was achieved and the one thousandth church was planted September 15, 2006.

In January 2006, BCI launched the Kamashi Orphanage & School in a remote area of Benishangul Gumuz, Ethiopia, at the request of President Yaregal Ashishem. The Kamashi Orphanage is a 500-bed facility built by the government in 2003, and sat empty for three years due to the government having no operational budget. The orphanage was given to BCI free of charge and they received the first 38 children in January, 2006. By November 2006, the number of children accepted had risen to 141.

In April 2006, The first team visited the Kamashi Orphanage & School. BCI began recruiting and hosting mission trips to Ethiopia. In August 2006, BCI launched a short-term missionary program, whereby volunteers from America and aboard are able to serve long term in Ethiopia. In the same month, the first two short-term missionaries arrived. Missionaries followed, teaching and caring for children to "Make a difference in the world", according to the University of South Carolina Upstate.

In October 2007, BCI announced plans to start a ministry in the Debre Zeyit area of Ethiopia. The Adana Children Center is a school, community center, and foster care program. The word 'Adana' means 'Rescue' in Amharic. In January 2008, BCI launched the new program in Debre Zeyit, whereby over the next five years, 600 orphaned children were planned to be rescued and provided wholesome families to care for them as their own children.

In November 2008, BCI broke ground for the construction of the BCI Academy (school) & Adana Children Center (community center) in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia. Along with serving the community, this center was also to house the BCI Academy, opening with grades 1st through 4th, to eventually offer grades K-12.

In September 2009, BCI announced the completion of phase one construction and the opening of the BCI Academy to 83 students in grades 1st through 4th.

In October 2009, the BCI Academy began construction of Phase Two, adding 6 additional classrooms.