An Abundant Rain

Rainy afternoons have the unmistakable power to make me want to curl up and restfully muse. They somehow put a governor on the breakneck pace I tend to maintain day to day and give permission to just stare out the window at the heavy, falling drops and scampering people trying to avoid them (or not). Rain speaks of suffciency and provision. We're seeing that here at AmaniDC.

Today it's both rainy and quiet in the shop. Perhaps one gives way to the other, but today's quiet is also a result of my being the only staff member in for the day. Being a Friday (our long days with evening shop hours), I feared the solitude of many hours flying solo. But it's been a nice rhythm, giving me the chance to get some things done and eagerly welcome visitors when they venture into the shop.

Today's mix reminded me why I so enjoy getting to know the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. Men and women of a whole variety of ages and ethnicities wandered in - some curious and alone and others with friends who had stopped in before. Now that the weather's warming up and we've got our sign out (check out the photo to the right), there are more people simply dropping in. I chatted for a while with two ladies about the jewelry and the women who make it. One woman stopped in after work on her way home from her international development job. I was able to share simiarities and distinctives about Amani. And I marveled at the fact that only in DC would the frequency of international development professionals be so high.

One of our favorite regular visitors is a man from the Community of Christ who is caring for his infant son this summer. They come in to "monitor our progress," and we love oogling over our littlest AmaniDC fan. Yesterday we roped the father into modeling our Father's Day gifts for the website. He's quite the natural.

I've wondered when (or if) I'll tire of sharing about Amani with new people coming into the shop. But the enthusiasm that builds behind eyes of people resonating with Amani's story still manages to spark something new in me. I'm inspired to find fresh ways to translate the nuance and depth of Amani's ministry to different audiences. Sometimes it's the last thing I want to do, particularly when I'm engrossed in a writing project or thinking through Amani's latest logistical puzzle with Rachel or Julia, but it's rewarding - and often surprisingly so - when I do.

Next week my friend Matt is coming to take photos of the shop, office, warehouse, neighborhood, and our staff & volunteers. It'll be nice to have more images to tell the story of this ever-expanding little community here at AmaniDC.

Being the end of the month, we're looking at the final sales numbers for our shop and online store. It's incredibly encouraging to see these number well above our projections. It's not just rewarding for our work here, but vital for Amani's health. We're struggling to recruit volunteers who provide a direct market for the women in Africa. But I'm encouraged to know that there has been abundant provision amidst the risks Amani has taken to open a DC center. May the early taste of summer - be it rain, sunshine, or humidity - be a foretaste of good things to come for Amani, both here in DC and in Africa.

Because assembled shelves & drawers are just so encouraging...

I can’t help but add in a separate word on a special project this past weekend. I was particularly grateful for a group from Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virgina who visited us this past Saturday to see AmaniDC and help us put together some new display units for the shop during their Urban Immersion weekend. What was meant to be a short 2-hour stop turned into six hours of assembling and installing! Their labors were greatly appreciated as we realized the countless hours we would have spent on it
otherwise.

Amidst the screwdrivers and pressboard, I was encouraged to connect with this multi-generational group and share Amani and Mt. Pleasant with them. They fell in love with Mt.P’s diverse vibrancy, eagerly explored the local Pollo Sabroso restaurant, and chatted with neighbors on the street.



On Friday night, the AmaniDC team also connected by taking Amani from the city to the suburbs for Immanuel’s Women’s Ministry spring coffeehouse event. Over 200 women gathered to spend time together with music, food, and some purposeful shopping. Amani was invited as one of the vendors in their marketplace. We were grateful for their support in providing sales opportunities and the chance to let people know about our new DC shop.

People are drawn to Amani from across the DC metro area, and when they come, they fall in love with an often-unseen part of this vibrant city with which I dearly love. It’s a thrill for me to see ideas change and eyes open to the deep needs and tremendous joys that swirl around one another here.

Come check out our newly outfitted shop!

The Little Sister Finds Her Way

I’m tempted to start this off with a lamentation for the delay in updating. Instead, I’ll direct you to the other things that have been occupying my time in recent months. A significant part of my work with Amani is helping connect people in the States with happenings in the Amani family in Africa and the US. This takes the form of an update blog for Amani ya Juu and regular e-newsletters with product and ministry updates, which can be subscribed to here. I also manage the info blog for the AmaniDC to share about our location with the DC area.

The past few months have gone from a whirlwind to an emerging rhythm. And I’m so grateful. I’m beginning to see how Amani’s DC presence will emerge. I imagine it’s something like watching a child grow: it is both part of you and an entity all its own. As the first US center, AmaniDC is the third daughter center to be planted through relationships grown out of the mother center in Kenya. Amani - and living out peace as a whole - look different in these distinctive places. Our two older sisters in Burundi and Rwanda have struggled to discover their own identities and work through their particular struggles. They show us the way forward in this as we live out amani (peace) in a new neighborhood, city, culture, and continent.

The provision of helping hands
As we began thinking through all that would need to happen in our DC location to support sales and communications throughout the US, we knew the task was far greater than the four people in our office could handle. Volunteers are our lifeline. I was unsure where they would come from, but trusted that our need would be provided for. And it has been. Whether it’s a local nurse with random free afternoons, an unemployed friend, someone in transition, or a friend of Amani who connected with an African center and sought us out to stay in touch, there has been an abundance of helping hands to lighten the load. Amazingly enough, organizing product, welcoming customers or filling web orders can be a respite for our volunteers from the tedium of job searching or their usual work/life routines. Serving at Amani gives them a chance to support the work and connect locally in a unique way. And their presence is an encouragement to us as we work to support and speak on behalf of the women in Africa.

A visit from "Mama Becky"
Becky Chinchen founded and serves as Amani’s Executive Director. Over a decade after fleeing to Kenya as a refugee, she returned to Liberia in 2008 to join her husband Del in rebuilding the African Bible College where they worked before the civil war. From Liberia (with many and frequent trips), she provides direction and cohesion to Amani’s widespread family. We were excited to have her with us in DC for a week in early April. Over the course of five days, we worked through many major issues to give the new DC center a strong foundation. I was stretched in thinking through our budget and strategic growth. We brainstormed about Amani’s presence in the US and talked about product design. Becky and I planned out more regular electronic communications and fundraising initiatives for Amani ya Juu. It was an exhausting week that left our plates piled high with work, but also a sweet time of fellowship and vision-casting.

Listening and learning
Getting settled has taken priority in recent months, but seeking relationships with local people and groups where peace can be lived out is a core element of the vision for AmaniDC. For now, that means getting to know our neighbors in proximity and in common purpose.

I’ve shared before about our growing relationship with Restoration Ministries, a local organization working with victims of sex trafficking. Rachel and I were able to visit the residential school in Virginia where many of the girls they work with live. Our time there and dialogue since has helped further identify how we want to partner. In the next year, we are hoping to begin an internship program with young women who graduate from the school, as part of their holistic, relational care through RM. Please pray for this partnership and for the timing and details of moving forward.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been helping connect AmaniDC with the Mt. Pleasant Business Association in an effort to develop our relationship with local small businesses. The group is active and organized. We know we need to work together to facilitate everything from the use of sandwich board advertising on the sidewalks to parking to drawing people to Mt. Pleasant. Amani realizes that opening a retail operation during a recession is no small thing, and I’m excited to learn from and work alongside our neighbors who have both new and longstanding presences in this place that has seen its fair share of dark days and bright. Remember these businesses and our common efforts in prayer as well.

My days at AmaniDC are full and varied. Part of what makes it interesting is the fact that customers and curious visitors pop in to see our products and ask questions about the shop throughout the day. Sometimes it takes conscious discipline to pause my work and be fully present, but these people are Amani’s lifeline. They buy the beautifully handcrafted products and receive the stories of peace from the women in Africa. People are curious and eager to hear about this unique organization. Speaking on those women’s behalf of the peace they’ve found is a privilege I’m challenged to savor. And I find that as I do so with authenticity, I discover neighbors, hear their stories, and learn how they’ve experienced this place.

Speaking of learning about this place, I’ll leave you with a fun tidbit from a popular local blog. A writer from Prince of Petworth stopped by the open house hosted by La Casa/Community of Christ to introduce us and their other new tenants to the neighborhood. He wrote up a nice piece on our shop. Check it out here.

I am thankful for the support that enables me to devote my time to this. While it is work, it is also a rare joy to represent and work for the growth of a family in which I believe. Thank you for your support - in many ways - which makes this possible.