Day 7: A Day Well Spent

Day 7 and we were excited to head back to Amani and be amongst the women.  Jennifer started us off by leading us in a devotional in which we focused on the power of speaking the word of God out loud. It was a powerful time of being reminded of the power of His word in our lives.

After the devotional, Christian gave her second presentation on emotional health. She reviewed ways to reduce stress in our lives by eating well, exercising, and not spending too much time on social media. Her talk was followed by a much-appreciated stretch and exercise break!

We then broke for chai time! During this chai time session, Sharon and Dorcas shared about the Amani Sewing Machine Subsidy program. This program helps the Amani women purchase a sewing machine at a low cost.  Having a sewing machine at home helps them produce more (therefore earn more wages), it helps them to get better at their craft, and it helps them to be able to work from home, giving them the ability to care for their children. For more information about this program please visit the Amani website HERE.

Dorcas sharing about the sewing machine subsidy program.

Sharan sharing about the sewing machine subsidy program; she and Dorcas tag-teamed this one!

 After our Chai break, we proceeded to work on our Amani peace projects. 

Jennifer getting some help with the chair from our drivers, David and Edward.

Jessi and Kaija staging products and taking pictures for the Amani website.

For our last session, Melanie shared about the qualities we all have to be a leader.  She encouraged each woman to search and see where she can step up and lead in her circle of influence.  The women were challenged and encouraged as only Melanie can do! 

The women praying for each other after Melanie's presentation.

Thank you once again for journeying with us!  Stay tuned for a special post full of beautiful photos from the Amani fashion show that the women of Amani are throwing for us tonight! We are excited to get to see their work on display in such a fun way!

Day 6: A Day of Rest

 Today is Sunday and we were able to take a step back and rest a bit.  We started the day off with church at Nairobi Chapel.  This was quite the experience!  Their church is held under a large tent which is located in the center of a large campus.  The staff at Nairobi Chapel welcomed us at their welcome tent with hot drinks (tea, coffee, or hot chocolate--it was chilly in the morning!) and shared a bit about how they run.  We were impressed with all their programs, their campus, and all the talent that was shown during the service.  God is doing great things through this church and we were blessed to get to worship with them this morning.

The team with Margaret, the manager of the hotel we are staying at, Gracehouse, in front of Nairobi Chapel.  You can see the large tent in the background. 


After church, we ate lunch at a restaurant called Tamambo Gardens.  There was a beautiful outdoor eating area in which we had our delicious lunch.


After lunch, we visited the Karen Blixen museum.  We enjoyed listening to our tour guide and touring Karen Blixen's famous house and grounds. 

The Karen Blixen home and grounds.

We were not allowed to take photos inside the Blixen home, so we have no pictures to post of that, BUT look at this cute little guy!  Our tour guide pointed him and a whole host of others that were climbing up and around the trees.  They are called Tree Hyraxes!  This cute little Hyrax was so close we could have touched him if we dared.  ;) 

African Tree Hyrax

We go to bed tonight feeling blessed to be in Kenya!  God is good and we look forward to all He will do in this next week. Tomorrow we head back to work at Amani and meet with the women once again.  Thank you again for your prayers and support!

Day 5: Amani Watoto Children's Camp

 Day 5 brought us much joy through the Watoto Camp! The Watoto camp is hosted at Amani and for the children of the women of Amani.  We had the great joy of running the camp this year with Charlene at the head! We had five stations: salvation story bracelets led by Christian, the story of Creation and reminder of God's love led by Janice, field games led by Jessi and Kaija, fun crafts (slime!) led by Charlene, and a dental hygiene for kids station led by Holly (the kids received toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss).  We once again want to thank the generous donor of these supplies; the families have been so incredibly grateful!).

Pics of our kids camp and one of Jennifer working on the upholstery project with some help from our drivers, David and Edward. 

Wycliffe leading the kids in one of our favorite songs!

Funny story: while on our snack break we all heard a big whoosh sound and then a loud THUMP! Janice turns around and finds that a very large avocado fell from the tree above! It barely missed Charlene who was walking by!  We all had a good laugh and were thankful no one got hurt as the avocado was heavy!

We survived the great avocado fall!;) 

Kaija and Jessi making bubbles for the kids.  The bubbles were a big hit! 

We had such a wonderful day! We were able to share the love of Jesus with these sweet children and had fun to boot! Our prayer is that each of those children know how deep and wide the love of God is for them.  

We ended the day with a team dinner at Carnivore, an all you can eat meat buffet restuarant--it was incredibly delicous!  We were able to taste some pretty wild stuff (crocidile, ostrich and some others).

 

A fun way to end the day!

Thank you for your prayers and support!! They have carried us day by day!

Day 4: God is at Work!

 Day 4 was a glorious day! We started the day with devotions once again lead by Jennifer and translated by the wonderful Dorcas.  We were encouraged with the truth that we are God's masterpieces, and that He takes our mistakes and weaves them into the beautiful picture that is our life.  Praise Him!

Jennifer leading the bible study with Dorcas as translator.

Following the devotional, Christian gave a presentation on women's health.  The ladies of Amani were so appreciative of her expertise (Christian is a registered nurse) that the Q&A session went over time!

In the "stitching" room for the women's health presentation.

After the women's health talk, the team broke for Chai Time out in the cafe.  During this session, Sharan shared about the Amani Ambassador program.  This program is a neat way to share the products of Amani to those in your circle of influence.  Once signed up, Amani sends a box of Amani made products to your home.  You would then invite friends and those interested to come and shop!  One box of products sold reprents 9 women who are fully supported for a month!  If you are interested in learning more about the Amani Ambassador program, please check out their website HERE.

For the second half of our day, we were blessed to spend time with two different schools.  First up was Center of Hope School in the Kibera slum.  This was the school Kaija and Jessi were able to visit yesterday.  We were treated to dances and songs and so many beautiful smiles!  The need of this slum school was so apparent and so great.  Please pray for Center of Hope school. Jesus, sustain the faculty and staff as they serve such impoverished children.  Provide for their every need Lord and may you place on our hearts our part, amen!

Center of Hope School in Kibera

It was hard to leave those precious children but our next stop was wonderful in its own way--Project Elimu!  Project Elimu is an afterschool care program whose mission is to empower children through arts education.  We visited the end of one of their camps in which basketball drill challenges were conducted, dances were shown and certificates for the campers were presented.  The atmosphere was one of joy and FUN!  For more information on Project Elimu and there talented director, Mike Wamaya, you can visit their website: https://projectelimu.org/. 

Project Elimu's current building.

We are thankful for the time we had, however short, with these two schools.  We pray the Lord provides for their every need, and again, that He would show us our part.  Thank you for journeying with us via our picture summaries and through your prayers!  Please continue to pray as we look ahead to tomorrow's kids camp!  

Asante Sana!

Day 3: A full day!

 By the sound of a drumbeat, our 3rd day at Amani began!  The leaders of Amani draw the women to start their morning by drumming on a drum that can be heard throughout the campus.  After a song in Swahili and English, we started our day by hearing from Jennifer.  She gave a short bible study that we were all encouraged by.  One of my takeaways was this little nugget, "Beauty begins where our self-reliance ends."  Truly, the more we trust in Jesus we become more like Him! 

Jennifer leading our bible story as well as a short time of
exercise which the women loved!

After our bible study time, Holly gave an informative presentation on general dental hygiene. The ladies were then given a bag that contained a toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss. The gratitude shown on the faces of the women was priceless.  Many thanks to the donor who donated these items--what a gift to these women!

Holly doing her thing!:) 

We had a short break or, "Chai Time" during which one of the Amani staff shared about their Mtoto (child) sponsorship program.  This program was created to find sponsors for the children of the Amani women to help pay for their schooling.  Only $35 a month covers their school fees which otherwise would be simply impossible for these women to pay. If you are interested in sponsoring a child or would like to receive more information about this program, please email Cathie at cathie@amaniafrica.org.  

Cathie (in red) sharing about the Amani Mtoto Sponsorship program during Chai Time.

Next on the day's agenda was a time to work on our peace projects. Janice and Melanie were able to work with Nelly on a new technique Amani is considering adding to their skills toolbox.  The results were incredibly fun!  Jennifer continued working on her chair project with Stella, and Jennifer and Christian worked on various outside projects. 

Nelly dyeing the fabric using the newly learned Shibori technique.

Jessi, Kaija, and Charlene had the special opportunity of visiting the Kibera slum school in the morning. They share that their time with the kids of the school was just precious.  They remarked on the amazing behavior of the students as well as the kindness of the director, Isabelle, and her staff.  The rest of the team is excited to join them at the school tomorrow.

Top: Charlene with the faculty of the Kibera Slum School.
Left: Students in a classroom at Kibera.  Right: Jessi showing
the students their pictures on her camera.

It was a full day! Tomorrow we spend half the day at Amani and the other half visiting a couple of the slum schools in Kibera.  Thank you for your continued prayers!

Prayer Points

• Pray for our continued health; specifically, that our fearless leader, Melanie, would continue in strength and energy. 
• Pray for each of us as we give our transformation presentations; that we would share what God would have us share.
• Pray for God to work in the hearts of the women we meet; drawing them closer to Him.

Thank you for your prayers!

Day 2: The Work Begins in Earnest

  Day 2 in Kenya proved to be just as wonderful as Day 1!  The majority of our time was spent working on our peace projects working together and alongside the women of Amani.  Please enjoy the following photo summary of our day!  Also, please continue to pray for our team--your prayer matters!  See our prayer points at the end of our post.

Peace Projects

 Jennifer is incredibly skilled in so many ways!  For this peace project, she led Janice and two of the Amani women in reupholstering a chair for the Amani office.  Nelly (top left) helped to remove the old upholstery fabric while keeping it intact to use as the pattern for the new covering. Stella (bottom right), learned how to sew piping and was able to start a fun "extra" project that we will share when done! ;) 

Kaija and Jessi worked on the Amani swatch board. The Amani women create many of their own fabric designs using various techniques such as screen printing, Batik, and embossing.  Using these fabrics, Amani creates a new line for each year.  You see a snippet of the 2021 line in the above photos. Kaija's amazing handwriting caught the eye of the director of fabrics and she was asked to recreate the entire board! Jessi has become the "official" photographer for Amani while here; her photos will be used in future Amani blog posts and on their website.



Charlene, Christian, and Holly spend the majority of their day creating an herb garden as well as constructing a landscape install near one of the bathroom areas.  The fruits of their hard work will be used and appreciated for quite a long time to come!

Delphine working the long arm quilting machine.  The fabric she is using is one that was designed by the Amani women. 

Team lunch!  The Amani Cafe has the most delicious salads!

Prayer Points

• Pray for our continued health; specifically, that our fearless leader, Melanie, would continue in strength and energy. 
• Pray for each of us as we give our transformation presentations; that we would share what God would have us share.
• Pray for Kaija and Jessi as they work at the Kibera slum school a few days before the rest of us join them.

Thank you for your prayers!

Day 1: God is Good!

Jambo! Day 1 in Kenya is in the books and I am certain I speak for our team in expressing our great gratitude for your prayers in support!  We know your prayers carried us through the long journey of multiple flights and sleepless nights (or was it days; time got fuzzy there for a bit!) to finally arriving and being welcomed by the amazing staff at Gracehouse Resort.  It was a very late arrival (or rather, early as we arrived at 1:30am) yet, the staff greeted us wholeheartedly with a song of welcome and a warm meal.  We went to bed with full hearts and tummies! 

Entering Amani Ya Juu for the first time!

Today we visited Amani Ya Juu, heard the story of its beginning, and met many of the ladies that it serves.  It was a joy to meet the ladies and hear the impact Amani has made on their lives--it was quite incredible.  Please check out this short little clip of the blessing we were treated to as we were first introduced to the women of Amani.

In no particular order, please enjoy a short photo summary of the rest of our first day in Kenya.  It was a wonderful day that I know will forever be embedded in our hearts!

Beautiful mosaic artwork on the main building at Amani.  The story of how Amani began and came to be is powerful!  God is at work in this place and we are blessed to be even just a small part of it!  Please read HERE for the full story.

"Twistings"
Meaning taken from the Amani website: "Africa often communicates her wisdom through symbols. This African motif, called Nkyinkyim by the Adinkra of Ghana, is literally translated as "twists and turns."It symbolizes the winding path that life takes, and how one must be versatile and resilient to succeed. This symbol has been embraced by the women of Amani. “Twistings”, through hardships and losses, are all too common in real life.  Amani provides a safe space where personhood and worth is regained, the will to pick up the pieces and begin living again revived. Passion returns. New skills prepare them for a new path. Life takes on meaning and purpose once again."

The cutting room at Amani.  Here, Monica shows me the process she takes in cutting the pieces for an elephant baby bib.  Monica is one of the many women who fled from Rwanda in order to find a better life.  Amani has taught her skills that have helped her support herself and her three children.  She shared that Amani was especially helpful to her when her children were small as she was able to take work home and still care for her children.  Through the Amani sewing machine subsidy program, she was able to take a machine home to further assist her in completing projects.

Delphine has been at Amani for many years.  Here she shows us one of the many screens the women have created to use in making their own textiles.  This beautiful design is screen printed onto fabric which in turn is used to create a myriad of products.  Later in the day, Delphine proudly shared with us that she came knowing not a single thing about sewing but after receiving training at Amani, and much practice, she became one of the best "stitchers" they have!

Here one of the women trace a pattern and then cut the shape to later be sewn into a giraffe plush for children. 

Today, Charlene gave a powerful testimony of what going through trauma and forgiveness looks like.  It was the first of many "transformation" talks that we pray will be encouraging and draw the Amani women closer to Jesus.

 We were able to meet the women of Amani in small groups and heard bits of their stories, we spent time getting to see their works in progress, and ended with a time of reviewing our "peace projects" for the next day.  It was a full and wonderful day! A quick picture before we turned in with everyone sporting our team shirts (see first pic above).  We have full days ahead with the aforementioned peace projects, more transformation talks, and relationship strengthening! 

Prayer Points

• Pray for our continued good health.
• Pray for each person as they share their "transformation presentation." This is a time where we each get to share our testimony and give a word of encouragement to the women at Amani. 
• Pray for energy, patience, and perseverance as we start our "peace projects."  These are service projects that will help Amani in various ways.  (Gardening work, creating new textile to designs,  website/social media work, and many other things.)
• Pray for God's transformational work to be done in the hearts of the Amani women, as well as in our own! 

 Thank you for journeying with us!