Mike Ne-yo Hay
Registered
My story began on January 2, 1997 when I was born. But it actually goes back further. In April of 1994, the Hutu people of Rwanda began genocide against the Tutsis. My mother and father were forced to flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo. They returned to Kigali in Rwanda two years later when it was safe. I was born two months after their return.
Unfortunately, I never knew my father. He disappeared after returning to Rwanda and my mother was left with five children and me. It was very difficult for her with all of us to support by herself. But she was a Christian —being baptized in 1997— and she trusted God to help her and us. Best of all, she taught us all to trust in God and attend church and all its programs.
Due to finances I was unable to attend nursery school, but in 2003 at six years of age I got the chance to attend the first year of Primary School (P1), thanks to Compassion International’s child sponsorship program. I was able to do well in all of my classwork. I also sang in the school choir for my entire primary education. But in 2011 when I completed P6, I not only had to leave the primary school but the choir as well because they were only supposed to take care of children under 12 and I was now thirteen. I had started baptism class but had to stop; so I decided I would be baptized after finishing high school because I first really wanted to learn everything I could about the Christian faith and the Church.
I was eventually able to begin Secondary school, again thanks to Compassion. But in S2 in 2013 my mother had to move to another place far away from where we used to live and from my school. I needed to stay here with the Compassion program so I decided to go and live with my sister. Unfortunately her husband did not want me there and I was forced to leave shortly after. I then moved in with my grand brother; but after one year his wife chased me out of the house and I decided to quit school and move away. I missed my entire third term in 2014; but I had been accepted as a candidate for the national exam, so I took all my notebooks home and studied by myself. I wrote the exam and passed.
Then it was vacation time, but I wanted to continue to attend the Compassion program. So I decided to come back on my own and find a place to live. A friend accepted me to live with him but when school opened I had to go far from my friend’s place. However, God made sure that family friends took me in. Unfortunately I could not find the fees to continue secondary school so I decided to attend vocational training school. But God had a different plan and after a short time, He had somebody notice me and tell me I needed to go back to high school. God is so good!
I decided to find a school near me and found the World Mission Secondary School. I loved it! I learned computer science and found that I loved coding so much! People from Silicon Valley in America came and held courses in robotic programming. I got a certificate from them. Then at the end of 2016 I got a chance to study television production and earned another certificate in that field. I completed my high school education in 2017. And all of this time I worked on developing my artistic skills because I love drawing and painting so much.
While at high school, a missionary there started a worship team and I was the second person to join. I love worship! She also gave me a gift of the Bible that I still use. Following high school graduation, I started taking baptism classes and was baptized.
Following high school, I got a job in 2018 teaching bible study to children and working in a nursery school. In November 2019 the school moved far away and I was not able to go with them. But I continued with children’s ministry until March 2020 when Covid came to Rwanda and all churches had to close.
I decided to try to continue my education and was accepted by a university in India that not only waived 100% of my tuition fees but would have provided room and board. I had nobody I could ask for the money I would need for my airfare and all of the documents I would need to travel to India. So I prayed that if it was God’s will He would provide the finances. But God said no, that is not My will at this time. I accepted that. My Heavenly Father knows best for me.
I am always trying to improve myself and learn something new. Thanks to an unpaid training course in hotel work that I took about three and a half years ago, I was able to find part time employment in hotel kitchens. Right now I am working full time as a commis chef in the kitchen of a five-star hotel in Kigali and have just been promoted to the highest commis chef position. I am continuing my art work. And I am continuing to seek more education. I would like to learn more about ministry and how to teach others about Jesus Christ.
So far my life has been filled with challenges. It has not been easy and I am still struggling. But I know that God has a future and a hope for me. That is what it says in Jeremiah 29:11. I was born for a reason and I want to fulfill that reason in my life.
Unfortunately, I never knew my father. He disappeared after returning to Rwanda and my mother was left with five children and me. It was very difficult for her with all of us to support by herself. But she was a Christian —being baptized in 1997— and she trusted God to help her and us. Best of all, she taught us all to trust in God and attend church and all its programs.
Due to finances I was unable to attend nursery school, but in 2003 at six years of age I got the chance to attend the first year of Primary School (P1), thanks to Compassion International’s child sponsorship program. I was able to do well in all of my classwork. I also sang in the school choir for my entire primary education. But in 2011 when I completed P6, I not only had to leave the primary school but the choir as well because they were only supposed to take care of children under 12 and I was now thirteen. I had started baptism class but had to stop; so I decided I would be baptized after finishing high school because I first really wanted to learn everything I could about the Christian faith and the Church.
I was eventually able to begin Secondary school, again thanks to Compassion. But in S2 in 2013 my mother had to move to another place far away from where we used to live and from my school. I needed to stay here with the Compassion program so I decided to go and live with my sister. Unfortunately her husband did not want me there and I was forced to leave shortly after. I then moved in with my grand brother; but after one year his wife chased me out of the house and I decided to quit school and move away. I missed my entire third term in 2014; but I had been accepted as a candidate for the national exam, so I took all my notebooks home and studied by myself. I wrote the exam and passed.
Then it was vacation time, but I wanted to continue to attend the Compassion program. So I decided to come back on my own and find a place to live. A friend accepted me to live with him but when school opened I had to go far from my friend’s place. However, God made sure that family friends took me in. Unfortunately I could not find the fees to continue secondary school so I decided to attend vocational training school. But God had a different plan and after a short time, He had somebody notice me and tell me I needed to go back to high school. God is so good!
I decided to find a school near me and found the World Mission Secondary School. I loved it! I learned computer science and found that I loved coding so much! People from Silicon Valley in America came and held courses in robotic programming. I got a certificate from them. Then at the end of 2016 I got a chance to study television production and earned another certificate in that field. I completed my high school education in 2017. And all of this time I worked on developing my artistic skills because I love drawing and painting so much.
While at high school, a missionary there started a worship team and I was the second person to join. I love worship! She also gave me a gift of the Bible that I still use. Following high school graduation, I started taking baptism classes and was baptized.
Following high school, I got a job in 2018 teaching bible study to children and working in a nursery school. In November 2019 the school moved far away and I was not able to go with them. But I continued with children’s ministry until March 2020 when Covid came to Rwanda and all churches had to close.
I decided to try to continue my education and was accepted by a university in India that not only waived 100% of my tuition fees but would have provided room and board. I had nobody I could ask for the money I would need for my airfare and all of the documents I would need to travel to India. So I prayed that if it was God’s will He would provide the finances. But God said no, that is not My will at this time. I accepted that. My Heavenly Father knows best for me.
I am always trying to improve myself and learn something new. Thanks to an unpaid training course in hotel work that I took about three and a half years ago, I was able to find part time employment in hotel kitchens. Right now I am working full time as a commis chef in the kitchen of a five-star hotel in Kigali and have just been promoted to the highest commis chef position. I am continuing my art work. And I am continuing to seek more education. I would like to learn more about ministry and how to teach others about Jesus Christ.
So far my life has been filled with challenges. It has not been easy and I am still struggling. But I know that God has a future and a hope for me. That is what it says in Jeremiah 29:11. I was born for a reason and I want to fulfill that reason in my life.
