About The Organization
Iowaska Church of Healing is a inter-faith, spiritual community devoted to awakening, healing, and the remembrance of the divine within. Rooted in sacred ceremony, guided by ancestral wisdom, and nourished by love, we walk beside those seeking truth, transformation, and deep spiritual connection. At the heart of our mission is supporting the seeker while building Spirit of Valor — our veteran-centered healing initiative dedicated to serving those carrying the invisible wounds of war and trauma.
Ayahuasca is more than a sacrament, it is a teacher — a living bridge between the soul and God/Source. Through ceremony, prayer, integration, and spiritual practice, we seek to help individuals release the burdens of the past, reconnect with their essence, and reclaim the fullness of who they truly are. While our church is being built to serve all sincere seekers, our deeper commitment is to establish a legally protected sanctuary where veterans and their families can access profound healing on American soil.
At this time, we are in a program-building phase and are not yet offering public ceremonies. We anticipate opening our doors in 2026 as our legal process reaches completion and our programs are thoughtfully developed.
In the meantime, we warmly invite you to connect with our community. Join our monthly Integration & Reflection Circles, share your story, and walk beside others on the path of healing and awakening. By staying connected with us, you will be among the first to learn when ceremonies become available to the public and as Spirit of Valor begins its rollout.
Here, every soul is welcomed with compassion and reverence. Whether you are a veteran, a survivor, or a seeker longing for meaning and renewal, you are honored as sacred. Our community is one of unity and awakening — where ancient wisdom meets modern courage, and healing becomes a path home.
Leadership
BaBa DaDo
BaBa DaDo is Lead Shaman and Founder of Iowaska Church of Healing. Raised in a lineage of Balkan medicine and guided by direct interactions with Spirit, his life has crossed continents, ancient traditions, and sacred plant medicines. A survivor of war, he carries an embodied understanding of trauma, resilience, and the invisible wounds of veterans. Known for his clairvoyance, humility, compassion, and spiritual presence, BaBa DaDo serves as teacher, ceremonial guide, and author, sharing his wisdom through healing work, teachings, and spoken word to awaken and illuminate seekers around the world.
Jennifer Coleman
Jennifer serves as Executive Director and Integration and Healing Guide, bringing a rare combination of analytical rigor and intuitive depth to both roles. With a background in science, entrepreneurship, extensive training in the body–mind–spirit connection, and more than a decade of certified, mastery-level coaching and consulting, she bridges structured thinking with deeply human, whole-person transformation. Her coaching work supports individuals navigating pivotal life transitions, leadership evolution, relational change, and personal reinvention. As Executive Director, Jennifer brings this same integration of insight and structure to steward the church with clarity, fiscal responsibility, compassion, and vision.
Merzuk Ramic
Merzuk “Zuk” brings a lifetime of global exploration, spiritual devotion, and community service to his role as Board Member & Spiritual Steward. Also a survivor of war, Zuk carries a depth of resilience, compassion, and lived understanding shaped by his Balkan heritage and journeys that deepened his reverence for nature, prayer, and sacred plant medicine. He is instrumental with program development, mission support and decision making. Zuk works to safeguard the church’s mission and guide its growth with integrity, clarity, and heart.
Our Legal Journey
After more than seven years, Iowaska Church of Healing has secured a religious exemption from the Controlled Substances Act through the DEA, along with Iowa Board of Pharmacy registrations to import and manufacture Ayahuasca. As the first church in Iowa and the Midwest to achieve this milestone, we celebrate a historic victory for religious freedom in our nation and the beginning of a new chapter of sacred service. We are one of only a few in the entire nation with these registations and permissions.
The legal road of our journey has been arduous. Iowaska Church of Healing was founded in 2018 by BaBa DaDo, who was immediately met with legal roadblocks, challenges, and governmental delays.
Over the years, the Church persisted with faith, moving through federal district court and the United States Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., where we challenged the IRS’s denial of our tax-exempt status and later sought court intervention through a petition for a writ of mandamus after years of delays in the DEA’s review of our CSA application. In addition, we have worked with transparency and diligence with regulators both federally and in the state of Iowa. All of these efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to true religious freedom and the constitutionally guaranteed protection of sacred practice.
We could not have reached this milestone without the support of our unwavering pro bono legal team at Dentons. Bill Boatwright of Dentons Davis Brown led this effort from the beginning, with Simon Steel of Dentons in Washington, D.C., as well as a host of other savvy and generous attorneys and professionals from the firm. Their invaluable legal expertise and advocacy have brought Iowaska Church of Healing to where it is today. We are deeply grateful for their dedication and perseverance throughout this journey.
Our 501(c)(3) public charity application is being processed, and we anticipate receiving recognition very soon. With these legal protections secured, our next chapter is establishing a sanctuary in Iowa, with public ceremonies anticipated in 2027. We welcome supportive connections, financial support, and professional partnerships to help bring this sacred work to life.
