Chombo Mission

Du bist mein Erbarmer und mein bester Freund,
meines Lebens Sonne, die mir lacht und scheint
auch in finstern Nächten und durchs Todestal
mir hinüber-leuchtet zu des Lammes Mahl.
- Gustav Knak

Celebrating the life and work of Pastor Eduard Wendland (born 2nd December 1935, died 16th August 2022)

With immense sadness we announce that Pastor Eduard Wendland passed on to be with God on 16th August 2022. However, at the same time, we are filled with joy, peace, and happiness because he is now close to God.

He was born in Brudnow, Poland. At the end of World War 2, aged approx 11, he was a refugee in Mühlhausen, Thüringen with his mother and 2 brothers and 1 sister.

He completed an apprenticeship in carpentry and continued studies at the Technical College in Gotha.

When the borders between East and West Germany started to close, he did not return to East Germany after a visit to West Germany.

During a youth retreat on Kniebis mountain in the Black Forest, he heard the call from God to become a missionary.

He enrolled at Erzhausen Bible College where he studied to be a pastor. He was strongly influenced by his college teacher, J.P. Kolenda, and his focus on expanding the church in Brazil.

All 3 Wendland brothers, Eduard, Heinrich, and Erwin, became Pastors. His sister, Lilli, moved to Australia.

After pastoring in Frankfurt, and in East Frisia, and studying English at a Bible College in Wales, he followed a request by the Apostolic Faith Mission to go to Malawi.

Travelling in 1966 was an adventure as he took the ship from Trieste in Italy to Beira in Mocambique.

In 1969 Eduard married Ursula Lange in Lusaka, Zambia. A year later, Sandra was born and 18 months later another girl, Andrea, joined the family. Blantyre girls.

From 8 small groups in Mulanje district, he helped to grow and expand the church throughout Malawi to a registered organization with 200 churches and branches. He built over 40 church halls, chapels, and pastor's houses. He started a pastor's training college in 1977, teaching classes, inviting South African lecturers. He built a training college building in Ndirande.

He travelled widely in Malawi visiting churches and pastors.

In 1984, Eduard founded an evangelism team. Every weekend he travelled to the villages and towns to preach the gospel of Jesus.

May his memory be a blessing.

He loved Malawi very much and always recognized its tremendous beauty and potential. He planted many trees.

After retirement, in 2005, he started Chombo Children’s Home, a long-term home for abandoned and destitute children in Chirimba, Blantyre, Malawi. His last words on 16th August were about his plans for Chombo.

He will be remembered for his energy, work ethic, kindness, sense of humour.

Sandra Wendland