Village of Hope

On Tuesday this week we went to a rehabilitation center called “Village of Hope”. Located in the middle of the forest, it is the perfect area for a center like this. It is a rehab program that lasts from 10-12 months depending on how long they need to be there. They really show these men the love that Jesus has for them. They tell them the gospel and give them the choice to follow Christ and give their lives to Him.

They begin every day with prayer at 6am and have a day full with activities and tasks to do for them. This is not like other rehabs; one of the reasons is the order. Everybody, from day one is forced to uphold very strict disciplinary rules. For example, in their cabins they have what they call “Group Shepherds” who look after everybody else in the group and they are there for spiritual guidance and prayer and to hold the organization of the cabin. They must keep their cabinets very organized and clean. Beds and drawers and offices and everything must be in tiptop shape.

The reason of this is because the mates are used to having such unorganized lives, where they would just throw things around and not care about much. They try to teach them the importance of organization because then when they get out they are able to live on their own and be used to living in an organized way, to help them stay clean. Another example is how they are held to discipline by their schedule. They are huge on punctuality and order, which is perfect because most people don’t value punctuality. But when you are punctual then other people respect you more. Which is perfect for them when they try to find jobs and such.

Another thing that I thought was pretty awesome is that they have a fully operational sawmill. That’s right; on their property they have an entire sawmill. They begin with just the tree logs (they are located in a forest so they have an unlimited amount of them), trim it, clean it, cut it, sand it, and then they produce pallets. The people operating these machines have no experience with them or woodwork really, but their customers say that their quality is the best out there. And not only that but the clients love the fact that they can help with the rehab by purchasing their product and supply them with money while also give the mates something to do by providing them work.

After this tour of the area with William (the director of the center), we were treated to lunch with everyone at the center. Then after that we went to one of their cabins and sat out on the stairs and had a mini service for them. There we shared a testimony, performed two plays (Baggage and Lifehouse Everything), and shared an encouraging word. The men here are so hungry for God that it was really inspiring to see how men that were so lost in the world and had no joy in life. Now have joy and rejoice in the Lord and have true testimonies to share to others about how God changed their life.

Our visit to them was suppose to encourage them, but I think that it ended up encouraging and motivating me more than I did them. Overall, it was a legit rehab center :). Thanks for reading.

My man Gerno giving a word of encouragement in the morning that day. This guy is so awesome! He has 4 kids, is a school teacher for the third grade and is from Germany. Absolutely love this guy. Truly a pleasure to be with. Has a great character and always has a smile on his face. Is a great person to go evangelizing with too ( I translate for him), he really shows the love of Jesus to people.

The main path in the center. Really a beautiful place. Breath taking.

This is where they have class for the students. Nice and tidy but has that rustic feel to it. A nice study and learning environment.

Here is the major pitstop of the sawmill. Here is the planner and all the logs, its so awesome being in there. But if you set a spark in that place….its all going down.

A typical cabin in the village. As you can see everything is kept nice and tidy to teach them order and organization as I said earlier.

This here is Raymond. His first time here he ran away after 3 days. But only to find himself back there again and now graduating and will be training to be a staff member for the future. He goes and preaches and shares the love of Jesus to local schools and assemblies.

This here is the director of the Village of Hope. His testimony is incredible and way to long to share and now he has a family and lives there with them. Truly dedicating all he can for the Lord.

The stage area where we shared our service with them. Was hard to do the skits but somehow we found a way to do it :). Here is Nick with some German folks from our group singing some songs in German for the men of the center.

Just had a prayer together in the end of the tour with some absolutely beautiful scenery. You feel like you are apart of nature when you’re here. Its awesome.

Nothing like a good hot cup of tea with the brothers after a long drive.

Our group outside a church we went to visit that day. We were invited and spoke to for some time. Will be working with them some next week for street evangelism. Their hospitality went beyond perfect, really felt welcomed.

Nothing like a visit to someplace without a weird pose

Nice ol lighthouse by the ocean. Tried to go to the top but it wasn’t worth it. NO THANKS!

They have these all over the place here! Free cherries for everyone! And they are really good too.

Nice view of the Baltic Sea, such a beautiful body of water. So peaceful and just looks calm.

One of the home boys that i got to talking to for about a half hour while going back to the Hostel, told me his life situation and past. “Ive learned to not judge a book by its cover, you be surprised to see whats inside if you took the time to find out.”-Mark Kobrya I’m sure theres already a quote like that, but i didn’t look it up so this ones mine.

Another guy Nick and I talked to right outside our Hostel while walking back from the church. Seriously, don’t judge people by what they look like.