"Every work of art is an 'act of faith' in the vernacular sense of being a venture into the unknown...Every work of art, even if long premeditated, enters a stage of improvisation as soon as the artist moves from thinking about it to beginning to form its concrete reality."
- Denise Levertov from "Work That Enfaiths"
One might argue that my current undertakings with Amani ya Juu do not actually qualify as a work of art. But this comment by Levertov draws a parallel between my processes of late and the artist's way. My work with Amani moving toward a DC ministry center presence has certainly been "long premeditated." I've included this photo of Zipporah and me from our visit to Simprosa's house last summer while I was in Nairobi. I've mentioned before that my time in East Africa last summer solidified my desire to fully enter the Amani family. I've been so grateful to see these connections continue and deepen.
This summer, I poignantly felt the prickly insecurity of venturing into unknown places. Working multiple jobs was exhausting. While (falsely) priding myself on my willingness to take the risk of support-raising, the fears and doubts easily crept in about this position really working itself into sustainability.
Since May, I have seen a strong support base emerge, rooted in the DC area with strong ties throughout the States. Because of your support I was able to leave two of my part-time jobs and transition to full-time status with Amani. What an answer to a prayer long-offered! I finally have the time available to dive into this work with openness and creativity.
And now as summer draws to a close and the days cool off, I find myself in a season of improvising with time, plans, and dreams. As with any new job, the fresh ideas are endless. My great task is finding balance and taking risks toward the long-term vision of a DC center. I'd like to share with you a few of the ways we're experimenting with growing sales and ministry relationships locally. These are just a few highlights of the past few months:
- Visit to the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services with Restoration Ministries - Rachel and I joined RM volunteers on a Sunday afternoon this August for a luau-themed party with the girls who they visit at the DC Youth Rehabilitation center. RM is building relationships with girls who are vulnerable to sex trafficking.
- Coordinating new commission-based sellers - Amani is experimenting with commission-based sellers in the area. These individuals or businesses are selling Amani on consignment and earning a commission. Hopefully this will be a sustainable source of income for Amani and our partners.
- Selling at Adams Morgan Day Festival - We organized a booth at the 30th Annual Adams Morgan Day Festival in northwest DC in September. Thanks to many volunteers from Church of the Advent, we were able to sell products and share with many neighbors about Amani.
- Establishing a regular market presence - We've been happy to welcome Arnila, a friend from college who came to DC for a graduate program in peace and reconciliation. Arnila is coordinating a volunteer effort to establish a regular presence at local markets such as Eastern Market. This will allow us to regularly sell products and share Amani's message.
- Sankofa: Walk Back. Look Forward. - Amani is bringing its high-end fashion show to DC on October 17th, and we're busy preparing for their arrival! This is a tremendous opportunity for the women of Amani to share their collective story of brokenness, transformation, and celebration with audiences in the United States. I'll post more on this soon, but for more information or to buy tickets, you can visit Amani's website.
