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Memorial Service Tuesday for Kathryn “Kay” Sundstrand
SPRING VALLEY, CA (March 12, 2007) – A memorial service for retired Evangelical Covenant Church missionary Kathryn “Kay” Sundstrand, 89, will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Miguel Covenant Village. She died Saturday.
Sundstrand was born Sept. 20, 1917, in Rockford, Illinois. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Wheaton College in 1939 and attended North Park Bible Institute from 1948 to 1949.
Prior to entering the mission field, Sundstrand taught primary classes in the Rockford public schools. She also led release-time Bible classes for several years for 1,000 students at nine locations in the Rockford School District.
In an unpublished autobiography, Sundstrand recalled being a senior at Wheaton College and praying, “God, if you call me to be a missionary, I’ll go, but I hope you don’t.” The days and months went by, and he didn’t call me, and I was happy. I relaxed and decided I could go on with my plans for my life.”
But in 1946, during a church service, she sensed God’s call to Africa. This time, she writes, “As I walked home, I felt I was walking on clouds.”
Sundstrand was commissioned to be a Covenant missionary to Congo in 1949 and served in the country until 1974. She returned to Congo and served from 1986 to 1989.
Sundstrand influenced education in the Congo by teaching in several schools and often serving as principal. While in Congo and after returning home in 1974, she developed a Course of Religious Education that was written in Lingala and French for children in first grade through high school.
In addition to the Covenant, the lessons have been used by numerous denominations working in Congo, including Mennonites, Baptists and Pentecostals.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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