A Life Well-Lived: Andrew Cole

Dr. J. Andrew Cole was born to a missionary family in Angola, Africa.  The family left so their children could complete school in the U.S. with the intention to return. When a civil war broke out several years later in 1975 their return became impossible.

Nearly 32 years later, during a lull in the fighting, Andrew and his father returned and found the country devastated.  The various systems of transportation, communication, health care, education and others were non-existent. About one-third of the citizens were illiterate, and the percentage was much higher in rural areas. An entire generation was unable to read and write.

Andrew and his friends were convinced that education was the place to start. They founded a non-profit organization called RISE International to partner in building primary schools in rural Angola.  RISE raised funds to provide building materials and books, local villagers provided labor and oversight and the Angolan Ministry of Education supplied and paid the teachers.

Today 126 schools have been built educating about 55,000 pupils.  Andrew died unexpectedly at age 50, but he fulfilled his unique, God-given calling – and his legacy lives on.

Andrew Cole was my friend [Steve]. Designed to Serve was founded in part because of a question Andrew asked me. “Why are you a school superintendent when you obviously have the spiritual gift of teaching?” I didn’t have an answer then. I do now. Designed to Serve is the answer to Andrew’s question.