Andrew, an African schoolteacher, was an eyewitness to the death of Yona, a Christian pastor in Rwanda. This is the translation of Andrew’s report: “Yona died rejoicing. He died praying, praying for those who were killing him.
“On Thursday, January 23, at seven o’clock in the evening, a jeep with five men arrived in front of Yona’s house. He was called outside; he went with a brave heart, trusting God. Two of the men came to my house and told me I was wanted. When I went outside, I found my friend already there. They told us to climb into the jeep.
“We went off with a third prisoner toward a town where we thought we were being taken. When Yona saw we were going toward this town, he said to me, ‘Let us surrender our lives into God’s hands.’ He did not say this because of any evil he had done, but because for many days he had seen men taking people away like this, and they never returned.
“We went on our way, crossing a river, and a little way on the further side we saw about eight more men. They ordered us out of the jeep and told us to surrender anything we had. The third prisoner had a small suitcase which he put on the ground, and I put my watch on this case.
“Yona asked permission to write in his diary, and he wrote, ‘We are going to heaven...’ and then he wrote, as carefully as he could in the time, an account of the church funds left in his care. He placed this diary, with the key of his cupboard, on the case as well as a few coins from his pocket and asked the men to see that his wife was given those things.
“One man then said, ‘You had better pray to your God.’ So we all stood up and Yona prayed, ‘Lord God, You know that we have not sinned against the government, and now I pray in Your mercy, accept our lives. Look upon our innocent blood and these men, who know not what they are doing. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.’
“Then we were commanded to sit down, and they brought rope and tied our arms behind our backs. One man was told to take Yona away, but before he went we sang the hymn, ‘There is a happy land, where saints in glory stand...’
“When we had finished singing, they took him away, and as he went he asked me, ‘Do you believe in Jesus Christ?’ I said, ‘Yes, I believe, because we read that whosoever believes will be saved.’ Then he went, singing as he walked: ‘There’s a land that is fairer than day, And by faith we can see it afar...’ “The men took him to the bridge over the river. There they shot him and threw his body into the water. “I was left sitting with the third prisoner and the other men. They were all amazed; they had never seen anyone go singing to his death as he did. The men then called me to them, and I went. They ordered me to sit again and asked if anyone had an ax or a knife, and I thought that perhaps they were to cut me up as they had done to many others. They asked me my name, and then they returned my watch to me. I asked them to keep it to send to my wife, but they ordered me to put it on.
“They then put me in the jeep again and, leaving the third prisoner on the road with some of the men, we returned, and they told me to go home. God in His mercy later sent a man to lead me through the bush, so that I might flee to another country where I have found refuge. “The death of Yona amazed those men who saw him, because he truly died as a man of God, praying for his enemies. For himself he did not fear death, because for him, as for all other saved people, Christ Jesus is the door to heaven. “As for me, who have been saved from this bodily death, it has taught me again that God will save me from the second death which is the final judgment saved through faith in Jesus Christ who died for us. And you who read this testimony, God is asking you to confess Him before men now even though the day may never come when you might be called to stand before those who would kill you, as Yona did. “I, Andrew, whom God has saved from death, write these words, and they are true.”