A letter from Kay Day serving in Rwanda
December 2014 - Walking Together
Advent Greetings from Rwanda,
The incarnation—God with us–is such an amazing concept. It stretches the imagination to think about the creator of the universe taking on the form of one of his creatures and coming to live among them, as one of them, to share in their joys and pains, to live with them in their frustrations and fears. And yet that is just what God did. That is the core of what we celebrate at Christmas—that God is with us in all the circumstances of life.
Maybe equally amazing is that God invites us to be a part of his incarnation by joining him in that opportunity of being with those he calls us to serve—to be a part of his ministry of presence. That is what I have the privilege of participating in every day that I am here in Rwanda—being with our Rwandese brothers and sisters in Christ. About once a month I get to do this by traveling with my students to their home parishes and preaching in the congregations that sent them for theological training. I have the opportunity to be with their pastors and to be part of their ministries, if only for a day. The rest of the month I am with my students as they lead daily worship and preach in English for the first time. I am here to pray with them for the hurts of their lives and the struggles of their families’ lives. The longer I am here, the more often I am invited into their lives, the more I am able to share with them, to pray with them, to share victories in studies and in answers to prayer.
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Samuel (right) and his brothers, according to age.Yesterday I had the opportunity to “be with” two of my students in a special time. Usually when I go to a rural parish I am able to rent a car, but I wasn’t this time. We took public transportation (bus and hired car) into the village. We worshipped, I preached and my student Samuel translated, and then the pastor and I served communion. It was a blessing. On the way back to town Samuel asked if we could visit his family. I said yes, but the taxi driver was reluctant; Samuel’s village is very remote. We drove as far as we could. The taxi driver agreed to wait, mumbling that the muzungu (white person) should not walk that far. I did. It was about two miles on small paths up and down the hillside to a remote group of houses. There Samuel’s family was waiting, his three brothers and their wives and children and his 70-year-old mother. It was the first time a muzungu had ever visited them. They were so welcoming. Samuel’s second brother had been the one to push Samuel in school and had encouraged him in his faith. There was such pride and joy in their greeting and in their welcoming of me. I was deeply touched. As we left, the family escorted us to the waiting taxi, all walking the two miles, chatting as we went. That act of walking with us gave me a wonderful image of the “with us” of the incarnation. I believe that is what we are to do—walk together. The photo is of Samuel (right) and his brothers, according to age.
I just want to take this opportunity as we celebrate the advent of Christ to thank you for walking with me and giving me the opportunity to do the same with our Rwandese family of Christ. I couldn’t be here if it were not for your prayers and for your generous financial support. Thank you for walking with me in ministry in these ways.
I pray that this Advent season you will experience the incarnation of “God with us” in wonderful ways as you walk with one another in the life of faith. Merry Christmas.
Love in Christ,
Kay (Cathie to the family)
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 128
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 152
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Blog: Day's Diary
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