My name is Parfait Karekezi. With my wife, Michelle, I am writing to introduce our ministry, Send Me International. I was born and raised in the central African nation of Rwanda and came to the United States to complete my college education. Two years after graduating from Indiana University, word came in April 1994 of the genocide occurring in Rwanda. Tribal rivalries between the majority Hutus and minority Tutsis escalated into a nightmare of murder and mayhem lasting 100 days. When the rampage ended, over 800,000 men, women and children had been slaughtered. Among the dead were my two sisters, their husbands, two brothers, and a niece. Only my mother, one brother, one niece and nephew survived in my immediate family. I later learned that most of my friends and former classmates also died.

The senseless and overwhelming circumstances of the genocide led me to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ in 1996. In Him, I found strength to accept the deaths of my family members. Forgiveness came over time, but I had no intention of ever returning to my homeland. God, in His wisdom, had other plans.

Michelle and I moved to Tulsa as newlyweds in 2000. As members of Victory Christian Center, we attended Victory Bible Institute and became active in the church’s prayer and Evangelism Explosion ministries. I began translating Christian literature into my native language.

God's love and grace allowed me to eventually forgive the people who killed my family and friends. This forgiveness became the spark that ignited in Michelle and me the desire not just to help from afar, but to return to Rwanda to share the Gospel with those who have not heard. In July 2008, we arrived in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, where we remained for a year. Our work included overseeing two International Victory Bible Institutes (IVBI), ministering in many churches, holding pastors and leadership conferences, visiting orphanages and prisons.

We have established a ministry called Send Me International and are raising support, with plans to return to Rwanda this fall. Just before we left, God opened a door to allow us to establish seven Bible Schools (IVBI’s) in Rwanda prisons. One school has begun and we hope to open the other six as soon as possible after our return.

As is understandable, most of the ministry in Rwanda focuses on the survivors of the genocide. But 60,000 people are incarcerated in Rwanda prisons for murder and other crimes committed during those terrible 100 days. They are the forgotten, the invisible. But not to God.

Before leaving Rwanda, a man told me that I should prepare to one day minister to the very people who killed my family members. By God’s great mercy in our lives, Michelle and I are ready to do this, ready to share the Good News of forgiveness that is found in no other name but Jesus. We do not know what sentences these prisoners face, but we know Jesus breaks chains of bondage and yokes of torment, bringing hope and peace to all who will receive Him.

Michelle and I are seeking opportunities to share our story and our vision for Rwanda with church congregations, small groups, businesses, and individuals. We know that God’s work is team work, not something we can do alone. We desire to expand our network of partners and want to schedule as many meetings as possible during the next four to six weeks. We would also be most grateful to meet with you or receive any referrals you may have locally or in other parts of the United States. A copy of our ministry's mission and vision statements are enclosed, along with a short biography of Michelle and me. We can be reached in Tulsa at (918) 704-0313 or at parfait@sendmeintl.com and thank you kindly for considering our offer.

In Jesus, Parfait & Michelle Karekezi