A letter from Kay Day serving in Rwanda
June 2015 - Ministering Beyond Rwanda
Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings from Rwanda.
How does a PC(USA) mission co-worker in Rwanda minister in Burundi without leaving Rwanda? Through her students. PIASS (the Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences) has four students from Burundi studying in the Peace Building program. Burundi, Rwanda’s southern neighbor, about the same size (slightly smaller than the state of Maryland), has been thrown into civil unrest with the decision of the current president to challenge the constitution and run for a third term. Peaceful protests have erupted into weeks of swinging clubs and finally gunfights, burning and looting. More than 30 have been killed, a coup has failed, and over 120,000 have fled to Rwanda, Tanzania and the DR Congo. Our students seek daily reports on the increasing instability of their homeland. All of this has brought them to me to ask for prayer for the country and for their families.
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Burundian students after prayer time
With only a little encouragement, my Rwandan students have joined with the Burundians in a commitment of daily prayer. Last Sunday we held a special service of prayer in the English Chapel that I serve. The Burundian students did not come to PIASS because of their Christian faith but because of the Peace Building program, but they are now open to discussing faith as the theology students have stood with them in prayer and in reaching out to refugees nearby, since we are located so close to the Burundi border. Their nominal faith is being enlivened as they see even small answers to prayers. God is using something so terrible to draw these students to himself, using an American, the Japanese Christian professor who heads the Peace Building program, and a number of theology students to engage them in conversation and in prayer, to support them in this difficult time.
I can’t help but think of Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8 that the disciples would be his witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost part of the world. Then he brought the world to them as we read in Acts 2:5: Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. And the disciples proclaimed the gospel to them. Many times we think we have to go far away from home to minister, but God brings the ministry to us in the people who are right in our community, if we are willing to engage with them. I think what an amazing opportunity God has given me to minister to those from a country where the PC(USA) has no official work, but the hand of Christ is extended because Rwanda’s neighbor is in distress and I am here in Rwanda with the PC(USA) and the EPR (the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda) to extend a hand. This outreach beyond our assigned borders is happening all over the world for PC(USA) mission co-workers where there are foreign students and refugees.
But such ministry is in danger now because of the financial shortfall that PC(USA) World Mission is facing, as I shared last month. I could very easily be one of the 40 mission co-workers who may have to be recalled because of lack of funds. My future is uncertain, but in a much greater way, the ministry of the PC(USA) through World Mission is uncertain if churches and individuals do not step forward and join in ministry with financial support. If you or others you are in conversation with want to know more about how to give to World Mission, please contact the Funds Development Team through Nicole.Gerkins@pcusa.org. I am so grateful to those of you who do support me. I extend my deep thanks. I am here because of you. I am here on behalf of you. Others of you support me in prayer. That is just as important. Thank you.
Please rejoice with me. I am traveling to Malawi the end of this week to celebrate with my son Thomas at his graduation with his master’s in Christian Leadership. I will have the opportunity to see all the family and some friends while I am there. Please pray with me for safety in travel.
God’s richest blessings,
Kay (Cathie to the family)
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 152
Read more about Kay Day's ministry
Blog: Day's Diary
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