Ralph & Pat Wichers

In the mid 1960’s Ralph and Pat Wichers purchased a dairy farm tucked alongside the Wairoa River. It was to be their home for the next sixty years. Here they raised their six tamariki and established a thriving dairy farm.

In the 1970’s their lives took a significant turn. Having always been church goers and quite religious people they attended a gospel meeting at Lahore Street Gospel Hall in Wairoa. At this meeting the message they heard impacted and changed the course of their lives. Pat understood for the first time her need for a saviour. Hearing the message of Jesus Christ and how He was born and then gave His life as a sacrifice for all who are willing to put their trust in Him. It finally made sense and she committed her life to Jesus, the Son of God – being baptised shortly afterwards.

From this time on how they did life changed significantly. Ralph and Pat started to attend the Lahore Street Gospel Hall. They enjoyed ministering to the tamariki during the Sunday School times and this soon extended to inviting the tamariki back to their home for lunch and a play.

Soon every Sunday afternoon excitable Wairoa tamariki would arrive at the Gospel Hall around midday and from here they would be taken out to the farm. Pat prepared kai –usually a mince stew or sausages which was always followed by dessert, often a delicious fruit crumble, ice cream and custard.

Before each meal a karakia was said and after each meal there was a devotional time. Ralph and Pat or visiting guests would tell a story and teach the tamariki about the love of Jesus. Māori Postal Aotearoa resources were always available for the tamariki to colour, read and explore and would be taken into homes that might otherwise never hear the message of the Bible. those times on the farm had become very precious to him. He was thankful for the love and stories of Jesus he had heard.

The tamariki loved heading out to Wichers farm as there were many fun things to do. There was always an assortment of bicycles, a well worn trampoline and various board games for tamariki to play. In later years a John Deere Gator was purchased, and the tamariki loved being taken for rides on this. Being next to the awa, the summer months were perfect for lots of swimming, manu and floating on the awa.

The Wichers whānau gained an old school building, and it was moved on to the property to become a place for these tamariki to play basketball, table tennis and pool. There were always plenty of animals for the tamariki to engage with too - dogs, cats, cows, ducks, chickens. There was even a horse and alpacas at one stage.

Occasionally Ralph would load kids in the van or ute and take them over to Opoutama on the Mahia Peninsula. After frolicking on the beach they would work together to gather pinecones into large bags. Ralph would sell these in town to raise funds for MPA. Ralph loved to meet and chat with all the locals and talk about the work of Māori Postal Aotearoa.

Pat and Ralph became known for their generosity by sharing the blessings they received from God. Many missionary families, the Bible Society, Māori Postal Aotearoa, and Christian workers were financially supported by them. Their home was always open for anyone travelling through Wairoa and a nourishing meal, often sourced from the produce of the land, was prepared and shared.

“E aroha ana tātou ki a ia, nō te mea ko ia kua mātua aroha ki a tātou.” 1 Hoani 4:19

Sometimes tamariki would end up staying with the whānau for a season. They would learn about working on the farm, gardening, food prep and more about the life of Jesus. Ralph and Pat became Mum and Dad to many more tamariki than just their own.

This ministry continued for nearly thirty years until the ages of Pat and Ralph meant it was no longer feasible to have tamariki in their home. Pat (being younger in age than Ralph) was able to continue her work with tamariki through Christian Religious Education and Chaplaincy work in the local kura. The impact of their faithful ministry to tamariki over this time was significant, with at least 1000 tamariki enjoying time out at the farm and hearing the message of Jesus.

Many years later one young man wrote to Ralph and Pat from prison and let them know that, as he now had time to reflect,

They understood 1 John 4:19 and lived it well. “We love because He first loved us”.

Ralph passed away on the 14th December 2017 and his Pat passed on to glory on 24th of June 2022. Pat had recently reminded the whānau of this text on Ralph’s grave; Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life” John 8:12. She reminded us that in those hard times her hope was in Him.

Ralph and Pat will be missed but their legacy and light lives on in many. Both Ralph and Pat are now safe in the arms of Jesus and will be hearing

“Ka mea tōna ariki ki a ia, ‘Pai rawa, e te pononga pai, e te pononga pono; pono tonu tāu mahi ki ngā mea ruarua, māku koe e mea hei rangatira mō ngā mea maha; uru mai koeki te hari o tōu ariki.”

Matiu 25:23

“Well done good and faithful servant: You have been faithful with a few things: I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”

Matthew 25:23