Namwera, Malawi

Grace Farms & Children’s Homes, Pastor’s School.
Gerrit & Hannelize Kleynhans Missionaries

The GRACE Farming Development Program, a non-profit organization registered in  Malawi, is the brainchild of Gerrit and Hannelize Kleynhans, South African-born evangelistic missionaries. The concept originated when he first visited Malawi in 1998 at the invitation of a local pastor whom he had met in South Africa and who preaches among the Yao people of Malawi, one of the poorest countries on the African Continent. This visit came soon after Gerrit had become a born-again Christian when God laid his hand on him at a time that he was considering suicide. During his time in Malawi, he received a strong calling from God to serve him by working among the local Yao population.

Westerners who have not visited the area may find it almost impossible to understand the enormity of the task ahead of Gemt and his wife, Hannelize, who have been doing missionary work in the eastern, rural part of Malawi since January 1999.

Of the 1.4 million Yao people who inhabit Malawi, by far the majority live in exceptionally difficult circumstances in the rural areas. Only the most basic amenities are available to them, they do not have access to electricity, they live entirely off the land and buying and selling are done just about entirely through bartering. The Aids virus has already resulted in a high percentage of deaths among people in the 30- to 40-year-old age group. This has already wiped out a large part of the productive population (those who tend the animals and plant crops) and resulted in a significant increase in the number of orphans who must be cared for. In addition, 98% of the Yaos follow the Islamic faith and most of the remaining 2% still worship their tribal forefathers.

Gerrit’s faith and that of his wife is, however, such that they are already making a significant difference among the Yao people on an evangelical and humanitarian level. Among the achievements that they are already achieving through the grace of God are:

1. Helping local pastors to become self-sustainable through self-help agricultural programs.

2. Teaching the local people the basics of planting and growing the most productive crops.

3. Planting the word of God among the Yaos through evangelistic training and chronological teaching.

4. Experimenting with a variety of vegetable and other crops and farm animals on a temporary farm sit — the most suitable and highest yield products will be established on the over 400 hectares, equal to over 1000 acres, which was obtained through a generous donation.

5. Established Christine’s Home Malawi. A home for 12 orphaned children and a day care for feeding over fifty orphan children a day. 

6. Established a Soccer League between the public schools that gives opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the children there.

 In the future the establishment of feeding stations at the public schools to feed the orphans and encourage them to stay in school.
 

MALAWI MISSION JULY 12 — 26, 2008 - No limit on team members.  Deadline for signing up is March 17, 2008.  A $600 deposit is required.