Meet Pierre

Pierre and his wife took a leap of faith when they moved from South Africa to Zimbabwe in 2005. Despite having no secure income, no permanent housing, and no assurance of daily provisions, they followed the calling they felt to serve the people of Zimbabwe during this time of crisis. God knew the plans He had for them in Zimbabwe, but they did not.

Pierre has embraced one of his passions – farming – in a new ministry. For a country facing food shortages, drought and hyper-inflation, this has come to be a life saving ministry both physically and spiritually. Pierre teaches a farming technique called Farming God’s Way to communities and families across Zimbabwe. This relatively new technique for rural farmers was developed by a Christian farmer in Zimbabwe 28 years ago, and produces 300% yield over traditional farming methods. Farming God’s Way is a no-tillage, mulch-based, well-managed approach to farming which also focuses on Biblical principles like good stewardship, holding high standards to God’s glory, reducing waste and valuing people as God does.

When done right, the first year’s harvest produces enough food to feed the entire family/village for which the crop was planted. In the second year, there is enough food that some can be sold to buy their own seed for the next growing season. On the third year, the crops supply enough for food, seed and making a profit.

A brief visit with this couple reveals that they are FULL of stories recalling God’s provisions over the past two years.

Farming Supply Miracles - At a time when there was no fertilizer to be found in Zimbabwe, God provided an opportunity to forge positive connections with the Government Grain Board of Zimbabwe, giving him consistent access to fertilizer for the future as well as an additional two bags of fertilizer for each family he had helped up until that point.

Housing Miracles - After 9 months with no permanent home in Zimbabwe, God blessed Pierre and his wife with a fully furnished home in one of the largest cities. Their home was fully paid for by a gracious donor. They also have the use of a farm in the rural areas, allowing them to spend significant amounts of time in the urban and rural areas where they work.

Outcome Miracles – Early on, Pierre dreamed of teaching this new technique to a hundred families each year, but had very little support to do so. After partnering with Forgotten Voices and other local ministries, he will have worked with 700 families by the end of 2007.

Through a gift of $3,000 in 2007 from Forgotten Voices, these 700 farms are estimated to feed 7,000 people throughout 2008. We thank you for being part of Pierre’s story.

Pierre’s work is helping to further God’s kingdom by providing valuable food to orphans, sustainable agriculture to their communities and Biblical values applied to everyday life.

Check out the incredible Krista Guenin at http://kristaphoto.blogspot.com/.