Memorial service honors slain student missionary

The slaying of a student missionary from Southern Adventist University has cast a pall over the Collegedale university for three weeks, but students say it has inspired a new class of missionaries.

On Wednesday, hundreds gathered in the university's chapel to remember the life of Kirsten Wolcott, the 20-year-old stabbed to death while running on the island of Yap in Micronesia.

Evil stirrings caused Miss Wolcott's death, students and faculty said during the service, but the silver lining may be that more missionaries come forward.

"Evil has crept into this world ... the enemy realized ... his army was facing a challenge," said Stephen Arauz, a friend who spoke at the memorial. "But the battle is not over. Death no longer frightens us."

Among Southern's 3,000 students, foreign missions are common. About 100 students are scattered across the world doing that sort of work.

"Kirsten gave up her life, in essence, so we should rise up and do all the more missions," said 20-year-old Wyntre Robinson, who was Miss Wolcott's roommate before she left on her yearlong mission trip. "It was the devil that was attacking us, so I hope people walk away with a fire and a zeal."

Ms. Wolcott was teaching second grade on the island state. Her father, Hollace Wolcott, who did not attend Wednesday's memorial, said she was following a long family history that included Christian missionary work on both her mother's and father's sides of the family. Teaching was a passion, he said.

"She was an adventurer at heart," said Dr. Wolcott, a Tappahannock, Va., dentist. "She just lived life to the fullest. She adored teaching those children, she just absolutely loved it."

There has been an arrest in the homicide, but details are scarce, Dr. Wolcott said. He said the crime is believed to be an attempted rape, and that his daughter brutally was stabbed to death.

The family has been touched by the outpouring of support -- both from Collegedale and from Micronesia, he said.

"We have had an outpouring of support from all over the world," Dr. Wolcott said.

Leaders of Yap's legislature passed two resolutions in honor of Miss Wolcott when university President Gordon Bietz made a trip to the island. The first named the road where she was killed Kirsten Wolcott Memorial Road. It also set Nov. 18 as a memorial day for Miss Wolcott and other victims of violent crime. A memorial marker also is going to be erected, Mr. Bietz said.

"This was a very big deal in Yap," he said. "I am told a murder occurs there every three or four years ... and it never has involved a visitor, much less a missionary."

Miss Wolcott was buried last week at a family service in Virginia, her father said.

In the history of mission work at Southern, no student missionaries have been slain, said Brennon Kirstein, the university chaplain. And though this death has shocked the school, Mr. Kirstein said there is little the school can do to make missionary work any safer.

"We're still deep in a fog of grief," he said. "But there is no guarantee of safety anywhere. We live in a world where there is always an evil lion roaming."

MEMORIAL FUND

A fund that will benefit education and missionary work has been established in honor of Kirsten Wolcott. Donations may be made to the Kirsten Wolcott Memorial Fund, c/o Tappahannock SDA Church, P.O. Box 1106, Tappahannock, VA 22560.