Mission Statement

It started with a vision in 2004.

Two couples from San Diego, Gary & Marnelle Helling and Tom & Patti Gay acted on that vision. After several years of working in Paarl South Africa and building bridges of understanding into the community, they saw many needs where the people were lacking food, basic shelter, and any hope for the future. They saw poverty with no plan and no prayer for breaking the downward cycle of despair in which they had been trapped for generations.

Their response to this poverty, the implementation of their vision, was the creation of what is now called Monte Christo Ministries.

The goals of Monte Christo Ministries are three-fold:

1. To meet the basic human needs of those trapped in poverty. This includes feeding the hungry in a community of 150,000 people - where it is estimated that 40% of the children go hungry every day - and relieving the pain of HIV/AIDS, abuse & violence, and providing basic shelter.
2. Help the people turn in a new direction and learn life skills and moral values that will lead them to a meaningful future.
3. Focus on sustainability. This rolls out activities that will create jobs and teach new skills to the disadvantaged by giving them a “hand up versus a hand out.”

To meet these goals Monte Christo Ministries has been busy over the last 5 years. They started with the Monte Christo Farm, 750 acres of beautiful rolling land which operates as a Christian camp and retreat center that includes 30-acres of table grapes and areas for grazing cattle and producing honey. The Monte Christo Coffee Shop, in town, serving as the ministry headquarters and used to create jobs and support ministry needs. Bottled Monte Christo Spring Water from the mountain springs on the farm has produced an additional income “stream.” They also have plans for building meeting facilities, family camp grounds and rental chalets for overnight guests, church camps and retreats at their farm all to help support the three goals for uplifting those trapped in poverty.

These ventures have now led them to the exciting introduction of the Promise Olives Project. Promise Olives is a plan to develop an olive orchard of 7,800 trees on the Monte Christo farm that will generate the jobs and income to feed and minister to the people of the Paarl Valley for 100 years and hopefully generations to come. Over the expected 100 year life of this olive grove, a million dollars of income per year is projected to help fund the ongoing work of Monte Christo and to ensure a better future for the people of this region while reinforcing the principles of sustainability and personal growth.

Participation in the Promise Olives 100 Year Hike is your way to help this worthy cause and to be part of the legacy. By raising money for our 100 Year Hike, you will be helping to purchase some of the 7,800 olive trees that will sustain the needs of thousands of people for 100 years and beyond.