Remembering a Life Well Lived - By Kevin Conforti 5/24/2020
The article below, highlighting Mrs. Anna Way, appeared in an email in 2017. Anna was a longtime supporter of CFI’s ministries in Haiti. Mrs. Way passed away last week. Please join us in sending prayers to her family.
Sustaining Donor Award: Mrs. Anna Way
Over CFI’s 40 year history, hundreds of people have faithfully partnered to pursue a common dream. Donors, team members, prayer warriors, Haitians, Americans, and beyond, we have unified in hopes of furthering God’s kingdom in Ranquitte.
There is no way we can adequately demonstrate our appreciation to all who have made this ministry possible; there are just too many to count. But at this time, we would like to recognize Anna Way, our recent Sustaining Donor Award recipient.
Anna has been contributing to the ministries of CFI since the 1970’s. I recently had the opportunity to speak with her and hear firsthand why this has been a priority for her all these years.
Anna first heard about CFI from Ray Jackson in Sunday School. She and her husband began donating almost immediately. So why the continued donations and prayers? According to Anna, that’s a fairly simple answer with profound implications. It’s all about living out their faith.
The Ways moved to Richmond, KY in the 1960’s, and were immediately confronted with racial inequality. “Being a black American through segregation…I prayed [Jesus] would help me be a blessing.” While Anna lived out her faith in her job, church, community, and home, she found it such a “blessing to talk to God and thank Him” through the struggles she and her family faced. Racial equality has been a lifelong priority for this family, a legacy that has radically changed Richmond.
So where does Haiti fit in? Although many would assert that the Ways had plenty of God given work to do in their own community, Anna was continually trying to help make the world better, improve opinions, and change the future. She wasn’t daunted by difficulty, but determined to do what she could to make it better. From her perspective, the people of Ranquitte “had less than we did,” and was “even worse,” than anything she was experiencing. And so, they gave. Consistently, faithfully, and cheerfully.
She says she still thinks about Haiti regularly, and she shares one piece of advice, “Be kind to your lesser brothers and sisters.” We think this is a worthy sentiment, and we are quite sure that God answered her prayers to be a blessing.
Thank you Anna. We are humbled by your contribution to our ministries over the years. We are grateful for your partnership.
@Kaity - picture here
