Peter Reimer, our dear friend and partner with Seeds of Hope, passed away on April 23, 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He and his wife Debby were just finishing up a trip to Zambia. Peter made many significant contributions to the work of Seeds of Hope and other organizations in Zambia. A farmer from the central valley of California, Peter began working with Seeds of Hope in 2004 to research our agricultural projects. He traveled several times to Zambia, bringing along his wife Debby and their two daughters, Brianne and Erin on some of his trips. They have been an amazing blessing to Seeds of Hope, giving generously and enthusiastically of their time, resources, and inspiration.  Peter introduced a simple system of farming called “Farming God’s Way” that can dramatically increase crop production, equipping the Seeds of Hope agriculture staff to train others in this method. He did training for our staff on the use and maintenance of the tractor he helped SHIP to purchase and ship over to Zambia. Additionally, Peter wrote a detailed study of all SHIP’s farm sites, including soil analysis.  Peter also developed a unique design for a bicycle-powered sand sorter to solve a bottleneck in the production process at our sand filter factory.  Since, it’s arrival in Zambia, the sand sorter has been in constant use. Peter also built a smaller version that can be taken into villages and used as a training tool, and he created a machine to fabricate the essential part, the spiral, inside the sand sorter so it could be easily and economically developed. Peter was also a great networker, working with several other organizations in Zambia and helping them to partner together. Every trip he took, he put together his own video to help inspire others. Peter and his friends raised $12,000 towards the purchase of a desperately needed truck for SHIP. Peter's expertise, leadership, and support have been a vital part of the ministries of Seeds of Hope.  He has been an inspiration, a servant reflecting Jesus in so many ways, and a dear friend.  He is missed by all of us, but we know that God is continuing to build on the foundational work of his ministry, impacting thousands of lives in Africa.

The Peter Reimer Memorial Fund purchased a 4.5 ton truck for SHIP.  This truck plays a vital role in helping bring clean water and hope to many people every day.  In memory of Peter and the seeds of hope he has planted, the 170 acre SHIP farm property in Zambia has now become the Peter Reimer Memorial Farm. Peter's memory will live on through the lives he inspired through his work in Africa.