village of eden book

8/8/2019 Village of Eden Book

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Has there ever been a time in your life when your

heart was over-flowing with good news and you

couldn’t wait to share your news with your family and

friends -well, that is how we feel right now! God has

given us such an awesome and incredible vision for

Africa and we’re about to burst out shouting with thegreat news!

We encourage you to take your time as you read the

details...the stories...the reasons...life...the

children....the plans...the tears...the sadness...the

joy...the love...and the hope.

We know that you are not reading this by accident -

God has a plan and design for your life as well as ours

and for all the children and the people whose lives will

be changed by the Village of Eden. We encourage you

to read the “end of the story,” which in this case, is

all that God has shown us about the Village of Eden.

We truly believe it will change your life.

“I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart,

and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I

will answer when I am corrected. Then the Lord

answered me and said, ‘Write the vision and make it

plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.’”

Habakkuk 2:1-2 (NKJV)

The Village of Eden will be a testimony to

the power of Christ -

a miracle that unfolds before our eyes-

a miracle which can transform lives,

villages, countries, continents,

and the world!

place of love, growing up with a

Christian mentor, learning that Jesus

loves you, making your mark on the

world, living with hope, learning to rise

above poverty, taking responsibility,

sharing what you have learned, treating

our neighbors as yourself, working,

having a bed to sleep in, waking up in th

same place every morning, being honest

even when others are not, being someone

whom Jesus smiles upon....and leaving

behind your legacy!

1



“The Village of Eden” will be an offensiveattack against Satan!!

God has given Helping Hands a vision for the country of

Uganda and for the continent of Africa - “the fields are ripe

for the harvest!” This is a God-sized vision which can only be

accomplished through His power! We want to build the first

“model” Christian village, which will be a lighthouse for the

country of Uganda, and a place which will represent what the

body of Christ should look like----where everyone is working

together for the glory of God. This is The Village of Eden.....

Who will live at the property? Our first priority will be

orphaned children who have no place to call home; next will

be widows and widowers. As space allows, we will also house

orphans living with an unmarried guardian who is struggling

to provide for the child. There will also be staff who live and

work at the property; however, as time goes on, the children

themselves will operate, manage, and care for the Village.

THE VILLAGE DETAILS

500 acres

Church as focal point

Primary and Secondary Schools

Library

Technical School

Bible College

Housing for 2200+ orphans

Housing for 160 widows/widowers

Medical Clinic

Crops for food

Chicken Farming

Cattle, goats, sheep

Small businesses

Media Center

Office Complex

Staff housing

Sports Fields

2



Life is complicated in

America. We have so

many things to keep up

with - our jobs, our money,

our careers, our friends,our church, our stuff. Life

is not so complicated in

Africa, because there is

not much “stuff.” For

most people, life consists

of working each day to

make sure they have food to eat. If

they eat today, they have a good day.

Many children are abandoned on the

streets - maybe their parents actually

did love them at one time, but they

could not bear to see their childhungry. Maybe somewhere along the

way, the harshness of life simply

snuffed out the love and concern that

should come naturally for a parent.

Can we fix everything in life for a

native African? No. Can we repair the

ravages of poverty, corruption, and

disease? No. Can we assure them

that life will be better tomorrow? No.

What can we offer them? Only

eternal hope if they trust Jesus as

their Savior. For most people, this is

enough. The Village of Eden will be a

shining example of the love of Christ

in a community.

It will shine as

brightly as the

bright and

morning starwhich is Jesus. It

will shine as did

the star of

Bethlehem that

guided the wise

men to Jesus. It

will shine as a lighthouse to point

people to Christ.

As we travel the road to make the

village of Eden a reality, it will take

many people at all steps of the way. Itwill be hundreds, even thousands of

us working together to show that

Jesus Christ is alive and He is working

in our world. He has not forgotten us

and He is still controlling our world.

“Do you not say,'Four months more

and then theharvest'? I tell you,open your eyes andlook at the fields!They are ripe for

harvest.” John 4:35 NIV

· Is the poorest and leastdeveloped continent

· Has a population of 990million people

· Has 15 million AIDS orphans· Nearly 2 million children under

the age of 14 have HIV· 20% of children die before the

age of five· 200,000 child slaves are sold

every year

· Only 57% of children areenrolled in primary education

· Average life expectancy in somecountries is about 33 years

·

Millions of people go to bedhungry at night· Average income for many

people is $1 per day

Christians spend 99.9% ofChristian income on

themselves..

3



Church buildings take many

shapes, forms, and sizes - large,

small, brick, wood, white, red,

with a steeple, without a steeple,solemn, friendly - however, it is

important to remember: The

church of God is not a building, it

is not a pastor or a deacon or a

choir director. The church of God

is all the people all over the world

who have accepted Christ as their

Savior. It is the believers - those

who have trusted Christ as their

Savior - who make up the body of

Christ that we call the “church.”

The Village of Eden will be based

around the church building; all

offices will be headquartered in

the Village of Eden office complex,

located next door to the church.

Any meetings or functions will

take place within the

proximity of the church,

providing an umbrella of

Biblical principles.

The church building itself will

be a place of worship and

teaching of the Bible, with a

1250-seat auditorium (we will

need multiple services on

Sunday), baptismal pool,

fellowship hall (the auditorium

will double as the fellowship hall),

and Sunday school classrooms.

We anticipate that many events-

weddings, concerts, training

events, retreats, and more...will

take place at the church.

With the church at the forefront

of the Village of Eden, we will

openly attack poverty; help

orphans, widows, and the poor -

taking the Word of God to the

people and showing them the love

of Christ in daily living –

giving them- “Help for today,

Hope for tomorrow, and

Heaven for Eternity.”

4



Maybe the task is too

overwhelming. There are too many

children and not enough money,

not enough time, not enough

workers. This is how it seems in

Africa sometimes. There is a sea of

children without a home, most of

them hungry, many of them with

diseases such as AIDS, malaria, and

typhoid fever. Their bellies are big,

but they don’t seem to notice. They

still greet you with big smiles and

chants of “Muzungu (white man),

how are you?”

The children will steal your heart

when you meet them. They are

lovely, many not aware of theirdesperate plight. They are always

happy to see white people, because

we come bearing gifts- candy,

balloons, and small toys- things

which they could never afford.

They hug you, unaware that you

may have a fear of “catching”

something. They trust you without

ever knowing your name. They sing

praises to Jesus because He is truly

their only hope. They have heard

His name and they believe one day

they will have a better life.

This is life for a child in Uganda, in

Kenya, in Tanzania, in most

countries in Africa. They want to

trust Jesus because there is no one

else.

Isn’t this how we all should be? Asa little child, trusting Jesus.

You can be a part of this

hope.

And Jesus said,let the children come unto me...

HOUSING PLANS

· 180 Homes for 2200+ children

· 12 children (same sex) per home

·

Guardian will be widow/widower trained in child care· Children will be taught Biblical principles of accountability,

responsibility, and community

· Daily Bible study and devotional

On the left is a typical Uganda hut - adobe (mud) walls,

dirt floor, thatched roof. Our homes will be built of brick;

with tin roof; cement floor; and will have electricity!

“The Village of Eden will be a place of hope,

a place where the children can be safe and

loved and learn about a friend who loves

them - Jesus Christ.” Carol and Larry

Crewey, Directors of Helping Hands Africa

Child Sponsorship

5



Feeding over 2500 people every day!

(Children + Staff)

Can we really do this?

With God’s help - Absolutely!

It just takes a little “figuring out!” We will have 5

kitchen/dining halls, each 5000 square feet. Four of

these will serve the children, eating in shifts; one willserve the staff and workers. The most common

cooking method in the local villages is with open fires

and wood; however, we will use propane systems

which will be more efficient and less expensive (wood

in Uganda is scarce.)

The buildings will be multi-functional - they can be

used not only at meal-times but also for meetings,

assemblies, indoor sports and games, and if

necessary, as sleeping quarters for the children.

A BLESSING?

KNOWING WHERE

YOUR NEXT MEAL IS

COMING FROM

6



WATER

A clean water supply is vital for the

Village of Eden and drilled wells will

provide the safest and cleanest water

supply. It will require several wells to

supply water for all the bath houses,

bathrooms, kitchen facilities, and for

farming.

All well water will be tested at a

certified lab to ensure that the water isdrinkable. We will also have water

purifiers at the kitchen locations. We

plan to have water stands in each of

the homes, as well as at work

buildings, the church, school, offices,

play areas.

BATH HOUSES

Most huts in Uganda do not have an

in-door bathroom or septic system.

One of our primary emphases at the

Village of Eden will be hygiene and

sanitation. Rather than individual

bathrooms for each home (which

would be very expensive), we will have

one bathhouse for every five homes.

Each bathhouse will have ten toilets,

ten sinks fifteen showers, and its own

septic system, and thus can support

sixty children and five adults. We are

keeping bath houses small so they will

be more accessible to the children,

resulting in fewer hygiene and sanitary

problems.

With clean, safe, and readily available

water supplies we will be able to fight

many of the illnesses and disease’s

that plague most of Africa.

ELECTRICITY

Very few huts/homes in Uganda have

electricity; however, it will be vital for

the Village of Eden. Every building,

including all 180 homes, will have

electricity. The other good news is

that once we have run the power lines

from a near-by village (1-5 miles), it

will be much easier for people to

access the power lines, and thus

electricity will be available for many

people around the Village- sounds like

a practical way to reach out to our

neighbors, doesn’t it? In fact, based

on our previous experience, we expect

a community to spring up around the

Village, giving us ample opportunities

to share the true “Light of Life,” -

Jesus Christ.

Shining

7



So what will we do with 2200 kids?Well, of course they have school and their chores, but

it’s not going to be ALL work and no play at the Village

of Eden. There will be lots of fun things to do. Sports

and games are an important part of teaching children

how to work together as a team; how to share; and the

importance of discipline and training. And let’s not

forget that sports are just plain fun!

Sports are also a great avenue for evangelism as well.

We are planning Sports Camps with evangelism as the

true focus for these events, bringing in mission teams

to help cultivate relationships between the Village of

Eden and groups outside our community. This will also

help promote sports programs with other schools and

groups in the surrounding villages, which provides

even more opportunities to share the Good News!

The Village of Eden will have:

As you can see, we need several sports fields; in

addition there will be two playgrounds for smaller

children.

RECREATION CENTER

There will be one main recreation center with the

dining rooms functioning as secondary recreation

centers as well. The main recreation center will house

the offices of the director of athletics for the entire

complex. This main center will be 50’ x 100’ (5000 sq.

ft.) and will be the site for many special events.

8



Isa is one reason why the

Village of Eden is needed;

(read his story below). Not

only will the orphans live ina safe haven-they will also

receive timely and

appropriate medical care.

The Village of Eden medical

clinic will be staffed by a

native health care worker,

who will provide acute

medical care for the children

and staff. He or she will also

maintain current medicalrecords for the children;

establish an immunization

program; and provide

preventive health care

training for the children,

guardians, and community.

The clinic will function underthe guidance Dr. Brenda

Kowalske, in conjunction

with local health authorities.

As opportunities arise,

medical volunteers will work

at the clinic, and also

provide free community

medical clinics. This will be

beneficial for the native

people, while providing anopen door to share the

Good News of Jesus Christ!

“Isa is 10 years old but hassuffered enough for alifetime. In the spring of2008, he was attacked onthe streets of his village,sustaining serious injuries,including 3 fractures of hisleft leg. One of these didnot heal and he developeda chronic bone infection;doctors in Uganda told himhis leg needed to beamputated. We beganefforts to bring Isa to theU.S. for treatment and inJune 2009, Isa arrived in

Georgia! He will require several surgeries but we areoptimistic that he will not lose his leg...” Dr. BrendaKowalske, Medical Director, Helping Hands.

Amy Carmichael, missionary to India

w 65’ x 70’ = 4550 square feet

w Pharmacy

w Wound Care

w 3 treatment rooms

w Minor surgery suite

w Waiting room

w X-rayw Laboratory

w Reception/file room

w Bathrooms

w Overnight stay

w Supply Room

9



OFFICE COMPLEX

Our office complex will consist of the following

buildings:

Building 1:Church offices and headquarters

for GCCM (Grace Calvary Christian

Ministries)

· Conference room

· Receptionist/Waiting area

· Six pastor’s offices

· Four GCCM offices

· Four General offices

Building 2: Education Building

· Conference Room

· Receptionist/Waiting Area

· Records Room

· Offices: Directors of Education; Nursery/Pre-

Kindergarten; Primary School; High School;

Vocational School; and supply room

· Four rooms for future growth

Building 3: Administration Building

· Offices of HHFM President; Medical Director;

Africa/Uganda Director; International Education

Director

· Conference room

· Secretary/Receptionist/Waiting Area

· Offices for Directors of Security; Children; House

Parents; Social/Welfare Programs; Athletics;

After-School Programs; Agriculture/Farming;

Husbandry; Property Maintenance.

· Five offices for future growth

The Village of Eden Library will be located on the

first floor of the Village of Eden Administrationbuilding and will serve the church and all of the

schools located within the complex.

Dr. Brenda Kowalske is shown with 8th gradestudents in front of the current office for the school.

The Village of Eden will be a large complex,

requiring regular maintenance of all facilities as wellas grounds. A Maintenance Shop will provide a

place for storage of equipment and for repairs as

necessary. We also anticipate that we will buy

various supplies in bulk (for better pricing) and

additional items can also be stored at the

Maintenance building. We will have a tool building,

auto/truck/machine shop, wood-working, repair

building, and a general storage area for supplies.

10



It is said that if you have a

vision for one year, plant

wheat; if you have a vision

for ten years, plant trees;

and if you have a vision for

a lifetime, plant people.

We want to add to this by

saying that if you have a

vision for eternity - plant

Christians and Christian

churches.

The vision for "The Village ofEden" is to do exactly that. We

want to raise up a Christian

army of young men and

women who will change their

village; change their country;

and change the world!

The Village of Eden School

will consist of Nursery

School, Pre-Kindergarten,

Kindergarten, Primarygrades 1-7, and senior

grades 8-11. The children

will be in a safe and loving

environment. In addition to

providing quality education

for the children, we can

monitor the students from a

medical standpoint and also

establish relationships with

guardians that the childrenmay have. Many people in

Uganda cannot read;

however, they will be able to

read the message of the love

of Christ as it is

demonstrated in the lives of

those who live, work, and

minister at the Village.

Drs. Richard and Brenda Kowalske,

founders of Helping Hands Foreign

Missions

Jesus is the sweetest name I know!

These photos show current classrooms; there are from50-100 students in a 20’ x 15’ room. Some childrensit on the floor due to lack of benches; there are nodesks.

13



The Technical School will train only the orphans at the Village of

Eden and will not be open to the community. Children may

choose to enroll in the Technical School or enroll in an outside

college or university. The technical programs will include:

Carpentry/building

cabinetry/furniture

woodworking (crafts)

masonry

automotive/mechanics

welding

computers

agriculture/farming

husbandry/animals for food

business marketing

cosmetology

baking

butcher

health care provider

· sewing/clothes production

The programs will help the children learn a trade and to produce

items so that the complex can be self-sustaining. We will have

full-time teachers but will also enlist the services of trained

technical personnel who will volunteer to teach for limited

periods of time.

God gave Jericho to

Joshua because he was

faithful and did the work.

Yes, there were barriers

to defeat. God helps,

however we must stillobey God.

He has commanded us to

expand --- to go forth to

all people everywhere;

YES, there will be barriers

but we must still GO! The

challenges will be therebut with prayer and work

we will see God’s plan

become reality.

14



Free market trade will be one of the

concepts taught at the schools. Inconjunction with this, we will have a

“Village of Eden Market Place” that

will be on the outskirts of our

property to allow the orphans to sell

the items that are produced within

the complex and to utilize the skills

they learn in school.

Our goal is to witness to the

community while at the same time,providing a practical way for the

children and widows to support

themselves, through services and

the sale of various products that

are produced on-site.

The village shops will help support

the complex and develop a free

market concept for the village.

Here are typical markets along the streets in small villages in Uganda.People grow vegetables to eat and also sell some for money - theconcept is good and we do not want to “westernize” the people. Wewill take the basics of the business world that currently exists in thevillage and apply Biblical principles - illustrating in a practical waywhat is taught in such Bible passages as Proverbs 14:23

15



From just one church which began un-

der a mango tree in 1995, there are 60

churches (as of August 2009) in Ugan-

da, Tanzania, and Kenya that are part

of Grace Calvary Christian Ministries

Association. By the end of 2010, as

God provides, our goal is to have 100

churches.

With so many young churches, we real-ize the importance of training the pas-

tors to ensure that Biblical truths are

being taught. Our vision is to start a

Bible College to train and educate

current pastors and future pastors.

The village churches aren’t large

“mega-churches” that one may be ac-

customed to seeing in some countries; rather, they are

small “bush” churches, usually with 50-200 members,

which serve as beacons of hope for people in remote

villages who have no way to travel 20 or 30

miles to the next village.

We will not stop at 100 churches, but will continue on

to reach the continent of Africa. Grace Calvary Chris-

tian Ministries (by the Grace of God and what Jesus did

at Calvary we are Christians intent on doing Minis-

try) is an association consisting of all the pastors of

these churches, along with Dr. Richard F. Kowalske;

the purpose is to guide and support the churches

under Biblical principles. The association will be

headquartered at the church offices of the Village

of Eden. A Bible College will ensure that the

churches flourish and grow stronger as native

people of Africa reach their own people.

Beyo n d t h e f r a gi l i t y o f s h i f t i n g t a s t es , h o bby

h o r s es a n d m a r k et f l u c t u a t i o n s s t a n d s t h e w o r d

o f t h e Lo r d , r es o l u t e a n d r o o t ed i n t h e t r ea s u r e

o f t h e Go d o f t h e u n i v er s e. “T h e gr a s s w i t h er s

a n d t h e f l o w er s f a l l , bu t t h e w o r d o f o u r Go d

s t a n d s f o r ev er ” ( I sa ia h 4 0: 8 N

I V )

16



Perhaps you have skipped a meal,

maybe during a diet or a fast. Your

stomach starts to make funny

sounds, then feels hollow and empty;

you feel a little queasy and start to

think of food; your head aches and

you feel weak. These symptoms are

a way of life for many children and

adults in Africa. Thousands will go to

bed hungry; lucky ones have one

meal daily - perhaps porridge (a thin

paste of flour and water) or a bowl of

rice.

We can’t stamp out poverty in the

world, but the Village of Eden is a

start.

Psalm 104:14 NKJV

17

Dr. Richard Kowalske



There will be lots of mouths to feed at the

Village of Eden! In addition to agriculture,

we will have animal husbandry along with

chicken farming. These programs will

enable us to provide sufficient food to feed

everyone at the Village, as well as ensuringa better protein source, something that is

lacking in most diets in Africa. The

children, under supervision from trained

workers, will help to care for the animals;

these programs will also be a part of our

vocational school training. In addition, we

will be able to sell animal products to

provide additional source of revenue for

the Village. We will seek expert advice

from different fields in our planning

process, to enable us to establish cost-

efficient and effective programs.

ü

18



Who will operate the Center?

Helping Hands ministries will oversee all operations

at the Center, and we will utilize volunteers as well as

some paid full time staff. We will involve all the

Churches within the Grace Calvary Christian

Ministries, as well as the orphans themselves will

have daily jobs to perform.

How will the Center operate

financially?

Donations from churches in many countries of the

world, mission organizations, businesses, andindividuals will be solicited. Grants will be pursued. As

the program matures some funding will come from

sales of products produced on site. We at Helping

Hands believe that God has called us to this task. We

understand that it is most definitely a God-sized

vision, however we also believe and have FAITH

(James said to let our works show our faith) that He

will show us the way. We need to be His hands and

feet and help others become aware of what God is

doing through “The Village of Eden.”

We will be faithful to Him and watch His miracleunfold as he provides.

We believe!

The Village will have a satellite system

which will provide internet access. This will

allow for video conference classes from the

United States and other countries for the

various schools on site. Although we plan

to have in-house teachers, the video

conferences will be a great blessing for the

Bible College. Another goal is to work

through a university in the U.S. to help

establish a quality curriculum. The Media

Center will also be one of the vocational

training centers, with computer/media

classes along with the technical training to

operate such a center.

19



We know that the

“Village of Eden” vision

is an extremely large

undertaking. It is a“God sized” project and

that is why we know

that only God can do it.

But we also know that

God uses His people to

accomplish his work. So

the question is, “Are you

one of those people, and

will you help?” This is

an exciting time to be

involved in the ground

loor of a project that

will change thousands of

lives, your’s included

with God at the center of

it all.

We are asking that you

become part of the

ACTION!

Be the “CONQUEROR,”

and a “TREASURE

SEEKER!”

“Every good and perfect

gift is from above, coming

down from the Father of the

heavenly lights, who does

not change like shifting

shadows. He chose to give

us birth through the word o

truth, that we might be a

kind of first fruits of all He

created.” (James 1:17-18).

“May we who know Christ hear the cry of the

damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless

night without ever a chance...May we shed tears of

repentance for those we have failed to bring out of

darkness.” Jim Elliot, missionary to Ecuador,

martyred January 8, 1956

How can you help?· Make a general financial donation

to help build “The Village of

Eden”.

· Make a donation toward a specific

project at the complex, such as

equipment, sports fields, orphan

housing, kitchen/cafeteria, Bible

College, church, or any of the

many projects.

· Donate construction supplies and

equipment.

· Be a volunteer to help-short term,

long-term, or “any-term!”

20



FIRST NAME_____________________________________LAST NAME______________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS_______________________________________________________________________________________

CITY___________________________________STATE_______________________________________ZIP__________________

PHONE NUMBER_________________________ EMAIL__________________________________________________________

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE BY CREDIT CARD PLEASE FILL OUT INFORMATION BELOW

I will help by donating $_____________ specifically for The Village of Eden

Every _____Month _____Quarter _____6 Months _____Year

I will help in the following way(s): AMBASSADOR CENTURION SOLDIER

. Donation for land

Donation for Specific building (please designate)

Donation for Specific program (please designate)

I would like more information on how to go to Uganda and help

I will pray for the vision of the Village of Eden

Please make checks payable to Helping Hands Foreign Missions and mail this form to:Helping Hands Foreign Missions

1715 Cleveland Highway Gainesville, GA 30501

We need hundreds (thousands) of people who will be with us from the beginning - our foundation as we beginwork on the Village of Eden. We anticipate that it will take 5 years to see this vision come to fruition. YOUCAN BE A PART OF THIS INNOVATIVE ADVENTURE WHICH WILL REACH ACROSS CULTURAL, LANGUAGE,FINANCIAL, AND SOCIAL BARRIERS TO IMPACT THE WORLD FOR CHRIST. Here are ways to help:

American Express Visa MasterCard Discover

ACCOUNT NO.___________________________EXP. DATE_______________SECURITY CODE_______________________

Please fill out the following only if different from information above:

FIRST NAME____________________________________LAST NAME______________________________________________

MAILING ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________________________

CITY___________________________________STATE_______________________________________ZIP_________________

PHONE NUMBER_________________________EMAIL__________________________________________________________

SIGNATURE (REQUIRED FOR CREDIT CARD DONATIONS)____________________________________________________

21



The Village of Eden IS an impossible task - for man. But we know that God has a planfor the children in Africa and all over the world.

He created them and loves them. He knows the names of the ones who are sleepingon the ground and the ones who go to sleep hungry.

The Village of Eden will be a place where the children will know that there is a Godwho loves them, that He sent His only Son to die so they might live, and that they have

not been forgotten.

22



Helping HandsForeign Missions

1715 Cleveland Highway

Gainesville, GA 30501

www.helpinghandsmissions.org

[email protected] more information, please contact:

Dr. Brenda Kowalske at 404-276-7358 or

Stan Bell at 770-560-4555 or

Joel Cobb at 678-525-4228

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