Rieneke & Gert
We are Rieneke & Gert van de Pol and we lived and worked in Malawi from 2017 till 2022. Rieneke is a nurse by profession, Gert is a minister. We have been blessed by five daughters, sons in laws and ten grandchildren.
From January 2017 till December 2019 we lived in the Northern part of Malawi: in Ekwendeni, approximately 20 kilometers from Mzuzu. Rieneke worked there as a nurse for the palliative care programme of Ekwendeni Mission Hospital. Gert worked for the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia as a Bible study coordinator.
From January 2020 till September 2022 Gert was working for the CCAP Blantyre Synod, with the same mission: encouraging and training people to conduct Bible studies, using a participatory method that wants everyone to participate fully and actively.
Rieneke was involved with Tidzalerana in Ndirande (Blantyre): a shelter where disabled people find a home.
Two congregations in the Netherlands took responsibility to send us as missionary workers to Malawi: the Johanneskerk in South Rotterdam and the Protestant congregation of Rijnsburg. Thankfully, also other congregations supported our mission, as do family and friends. So, many congregations and people were involved. They supported us and our mission through prayers, fund raising and paying attention.
Since returning to the Netherlands from Malawi, we have been living in a small village in the province of North Brabant: Uitwijk. Gert became pastor of the Protestant congregation of Uitwijk-Waardhuizen on 9 October 2022.
However, we remain concretely committed to Malawi and its people. You can read how on the Dutch website www.care4malawi.nl.