Gerald – A Story of Redemption

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new
things have come.” ~ 2 Corinithians 5:17

Gerald was born in the Joodsekamp area of the Knysna township in October of 1990. He was
the son of a Xhosa father and a coloured mother in a poverty stricken township. The child of a
marriage not accepted by his Xhosa grandparents. To make matters worse, when Gerald was
only 2-years old, his father died in a work accident.

This set Gerald’s life trajectory in motion. Within a few years his grandparents kicked his
mother out of their home and out of his life completely.

By age 9, Gerald ran away to find his mom. From that time on, he found himself in and out of
the foster care system. And in and out of juvenile detention. His only coping mechanism was to
escape his life by smoking marijuana and mandrax. Finally, he landed in prison.

While in prison, Gerald worked his way up the ranks of a prison gang. And when he was
released at 27-years old, the people in the township knew who he was and “feared” him. He
was a thief and a high-ranking officer in a gang. This led to an attempt on Gerald’s life. A knife
was plunged two inches deep into Gerald’s heart and he was left to die.

God had other plans for our friend. He survived. After a month in the hospital, he was released.
Still bandaged up, he went back to his old way of life. A thief. This time, this theft, changed his
life forever…

Gerald stole a phone from a younger boy in the township. A boy that was being discipled by
Chris Wilkins, a Khayamandi Foundation Missionary serving in Knysna. This led Chris to
confront Gerald and retrieve the phone. Before he left, Chris gave Gerald a word of
encouragement and took time to share something with him that would change his life forever.
He shared Christ.

Hungry to hear more, Gerald met with Chris the following day. He heard that his life matters.
He is highly valued. God loves him so much, that he sent his son to die on the cross for him.
Gerald’s heart was finally healed, spiritually. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
And in February 2018, Gerald publicly professed Christ at his baptism.  Chris continues to disciple Gerald and help teach him many life skills.

This is a true story of God’s redeeming love.

If you would like to help sponsor Chris and Rebecca Wilkins, Khyamandi Missionaries serving in Knysna, please click on the “Donate” button and select Chris and Rebecca Wilkins.