Story of Yona Kanamuzeyi (about 1918-1964)

Father Yona Kanamuzeyi was an Anglican priest in Rwanda, then in the throes of a civil war between the Tutsi and the Hutu tribes. As a respected clergyman and prominent Tutsi, Father Kanamuzeyi’s influence was enormous—so much so that he was feared by the Hutu. Kanamuzeyi labored untiringly in a Tutsi refugee camp, ministering to more than six thousand believers through the work of his central church and the many village churches he helped to establish. In January 1964, Hutu troops arrested Kanamuzeyi and his friend Andrew Kayumba. They were driven to a Hutu camp, where the officer in charge ordered them to pray. Knowing what was coming, Kanamuzeyi asked God to accept his life as a sacrifice and to forgive the soldiers who would kill him. The priest was then marched to a bridge, shot, and his body thrown into the stream. His friend, later released, told the story to the church—and the world—thereby preserving the memory of one of modern Africa’s great Christian martyrs. The following prayer was spoken by Father Kanamuzeyi while serving in the refugee camp.

O God, it was you who called me
and sent me to this place.
You know all about me—
the days I have lived
and the days that are let to me.
If it is your will to call me home,
I leave the decision to you.

Scripture Meditation

O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalms 139:1-8, 16, 23-24 NLT

Read through Psalms 139 today.

What verse or passage is ministering to you?

Take this into meditation, prayer, and praise to God.

Specific Prayer Need

Pray for Mr. J (UT discipleship school student) who recently fell into a pyramid scheme. Two thirds of North Korean defectors have been exposed to multi-level marketing within their first 5 years of living in South Korea. Most of the deception related to multi-level marketing comes from other North Korean defectors, as they don’t hesitate to ‘sell their soul’ and deceive one another when it comes to money. One of our students who just graduated from UT has spent more than $9,000 in multi-level marketing this year. They are blinded to seek after money and once entrapped, they cannot easily get out of it. One of the VOMK ministries is to help them get on the right path by teaching them Biblical truth.