Amani ya Juu

After being here for almost 8 months I just now- FINALLY visited Amani ya Juu (higher peace).  I have heard so much about it and I'm so thankful I got to go today.  Honestly, I didn't know that much about it.  I thought it was some sort of sewing project for women with AIDS.  I found out today that it is so much more than a sewing project.  

Most of the women are marginalized and must carry the burdens of poverty, corruption, and war.  The intent of this project is to empower women phycially and spiritually in these unjust conditions. 

We got there early enough to join their devotions and prayers.  What a treat!  After that they welcomed us and introduced themselves to us.  They went around the room and about 30 women told us their names and where they were from.  About half way around a lady said "Hi, my name is Lucy and I'm from Southern Sudan."  Of course my ears perked up as I have learned so much about Sudan in the past couple years.  (I have actually been to a forum where I was in the same room with a man from Darfur.  I wanted to talk to him so bad- but never got the chance.  I feel like I know many people from Sudan from the books I've read)  Afterwards all the women came and hugged and hugged us.  I have never felt so loved as a visitor!  Finally- Lucy and I made eye contact.  We walked toward each other- she was beaming.  I told her how sorry I was for her home country; how I have wept for her people and for the war that continues there.  I told her that I have been praying for Sudan and reminded her that God has already won the battle and He IS there... in the midst of that war.  I was a sobbing mess by this point and she began to cry.  At this we decided to just hug for a while and cry.  It felt good.  A perfect stranger- but sisters in Christ meeting for the first time.  I got to hear just a little of Lucy's story.  She fled Sudan with only her husband.  Now- she has 5 beautiful children in Kenya. 

[For those of you who are like myself 2 years ago and know little to nothing about the war in Sudan- here is a paper I wrote a while back for a quick/ simple picture on what Sudan has been enduring.]

Later I found out that Amani ya Juu started with 3 women.  Two from Sudan and one from Rwanda.  Among those 3 was Lucy.  Now it has grown to 50 women from 18 different ethnic groups all across central and eastern Africa.  A sister center has been established in Kigali, Rwanda to meet the many desperate needs of women in this war torn country.  A portion of the start up costs for the project was provided by the women of Amani Ya Juu in Nairobi through the savings of their proceeds.  The project in Rwanda is also self-sustaining and promotes the same philosophy and mission.   

Tye Dying... or "bateek".  This is fascinating.  They make their own fabrics by taking a stamp and dipping it in hot wax then press a pattern on the fabric.  After it dries they dye it Then wash it in cold water so the wax falls off.   

Lucy on my right and Monik from the Congo on my left.  She has only been in Kenya 4 years.  Don't you just wonder what all these women have been through in this lifetime?  

Another lady (not pictured) fled from Rwanda during the genocide where she lost her grandparents among other family members)

Us girls with our Amani Loot!  In the background there are about 98729457 families (white) with their adopted kenyan children.  This must be the place for play dates.  Just smidgen of jealousy in my heart.  (But it's good jealousy... if you can have that.)  
My purchases today:  ( I know it is backwards- that is the way Mac's do things).  It's a sign for the front door that says "Karibu" (Welcome). 

I was really excited.  Not only was the purse super cute and going to a great cause but it was on sale!  It was originally 2,200 ksh.  THEN it was marked down to 1690 ksh, THEN marked down again to 840 ksh!!!  Some of you might be laughing that I'm being frugal to charity... but remember- missionary here: still have to be careful with the $$.)  PS- got my pink shirt in Kibera for about $1.   :)    

So this leads me to my next question.  Most of you ladies have been to pampered chef, tupperware, candle parties- right?  Well, there is such thing as an Amani Ya Juu party.  Only- it goes to a much better cause.  What you do- is someone hosts a party and Amani Ya Juu distribution center in Washington D.C. sends you 70lbs worth of Amani stuff.  Your friends come and buy.  You send the $ to Amani and then send the stuff that didn't sell back to D.C.  It doesn't cost you a dime.  If you want you can specify that you want all purses or all childrens stuff.  So if we threw a party would you guys be interested??  Let me know if you'd show up so we can decide to do one when we get back.  :)  Or you can simply go to the website- pick and order.  But the party would be a great way to see, touch, and smell the cuteness!   

Meeting fellow servants...

Thursday night Joy came in from Boone and we drove to Charlotte to her friend's place.  I must say we hadn't had much time to talk, so I thought we were going down there to hear David Johnson speak at a church or auditorium.  Well, I learn as we are pulling in that we were there just to "hang out" with fellow believers that have hearts for the oppressed.  I asked Joy: "So David Johnson (1) is coming to just 'hang out'"?  She looked at me kinda funny and said "well, Yea."  You see, in my mind he's kind of famous in a way due to his involvement in helping the oppressed people of Sudan.  He is doing something I have dreaming of for the past year and a half.   

Here Chris was trying to send me with a video camera to tape the "speakers", but I told him I wasn't going to take it because I'd be the only dork with a camera.  Boy would I have felt like a ding dong walking up in there with my video camera.  Sure am glad Joy saved the day.  Poor Chris, just wanted to be able to hear. 

Any way, so we ended up being the first ones there. We walk into this super cool apartment in downtown Charlotte and meet the most precious couple.  They were so down to earth and on fire!  There were 12 of us there all together; a few couples, David, Joy and I.  Well, a long story short, David has actually been to the Livingstone House and stayed there!  Later on in the night I asked if he could remember when he first started learning about the horrific acts happening in Sudan.  To which he replied "I was actually sitting at your kitchen table at the Livingstone house about a year and a half ago."  The guy he had traveled to Ethiopia with wanted him to know what he was getting himself into if he wanted to shoot in Sudan.  So he slid him some papers and a book to him, sitting at that kitchen table.  I'm flippin' out!  I just thought that was the coolest thing ever!  I had a million other questions to ask him about Sudan, but forgot most of them.  

... Who knows though, maybe he'll come back to the Livingstone house one day.  

(1.) David has traveled around the world doing documentaries  of oppressed, persecuted, and suffering individuals.  His heaviest involvement being in Sudan.  Purchasing Voices of Sudan is well worth your money as ALL of the proceeds go to provide relief efforts to the Sudanese.  The book is only $20 and is a great way to educate others on what is happening in Sudan. 

Darfur Genocide

If you want to know more about this heinous act happening right now, click here and read Darfur for Dummies.  

Darfur Genocide

November, 2007

Why Darfur?


Why would anyone in their right mind want to step foot into the Country of Sudan? Much less, Darfur, Sudan. When one person I know found out Chris and I had been called to Kenya in 2008- they actually said these words: “I personally think you need to see a psychiatrist.” I don’t understand. When people ask “why?” I say “why not?” I mean the last time I thought missionaries were crazy I was a little girl in GA’s. I didn’t understand the importance of spreading God’s love and sharing the most important news anyone will ever hear. Surely our faith is a little stronger than an 8-year-old girl’s by now. “But aren’t you scared?”

2 Timothy 1:7-10 (NIV)

7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God,9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Those are some of my favorite verses. I understand peoples’ fear over perceived danger. It does sadden me, though. Many disciples around the world risk their lives every day for the gospel just as Jesus told us to do (Mark 8:34-35). It saddens me when American Christians are for missions, but want to do it without any risk. They seem to think that, if there is any danger, then it must be someone else’s responsibility. We will send troops to fight and kill other people in very dangerous places, but we forget about the real war of spiritual struggle, that is going on and do not take responsibility for it. I know that seems a little hard, but over one billion people are in these Muslim, Hindu, and communist areas without any way to hear about salvation through Jesus. And Jesus is waiting for us to take the gospel to them. I say hard things because people need to hear hard things.



This is why Sudan is a heavy burden I carry:

I, honestly, cannot comfortably climb into my warm bed at night, safe in my home, and not think about the people who are huddled under trees in Darfur because they have absolutely nothing. They have no cover, no food, no water, and some have no family. They have nothing because rebel forces have raided their villages and all their belongings have been destroyed or stolen. They have no water because the Janjaweed contaminate their wells, and rivers. Because of this, more are dying due to disease and famine. Their parents, children, husbands, and wives have been hacked to death with machetes, burned alive inside their own home, and shot down with AK47’s. Children have watched as their mothers are gang raped and even murdered. The Janjaweed use rape as a weapon against these terrified, defenseless women and children. Approximately 1,000 are killed and 300 are raped daily. Women with their babies on back, dragging their children, are maliciously shot down as they run for their lives. The breasts of nursing mothers are cut off so they can no longer provide food for their newborn babies. This is all too horrifying to be true, right? Wrong. “Genocide” is what it has been called, but I don’t think there is a word in our vocabulary strong enough to describe this.



Option 1: We can choose to ignore this. Think there is nothing we can do about it.



Option 2: Do something! First and foremost, we need to be dedicated prayer warriors for the Darfurians. We can sign petitions and write letters to urge our senators to pass bills that will place powerful economic pressure on the Sudanese government to cooperate with international efforts to end violence in Darfur.

(Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007, S.2271) Current Status: SADA is currently being held up in the Senate.It has been put through a hotline process, which means that it must be approved by all Senators, of both the majority and the minority. After it clears both sides, there will be a quick unanimous vote and it will officially pass the Senate!



How in the world can one or two people make a difference in a place like that? I wish could answer that. But I don’t know. All I do know is that there is so much work to be done. Not only are these people dying horrible deaths, they are dying without ever hearing the name of Jesus Christ. I can’t ignore this. I don’t claim to have anything great. The only greatness I possess is my savior. If anyone is in need of a savior it is these people!



Will you choose to ignore this? Will you choose not to read about these things happening because they scare you? You hate the way it makes you feel? It might give you nightmares? Think about the nightmares of the Sudanese and know that yours will never ever compare to theirs. The difference in your nightmares and theirs is that theirs are real and when you wake up you have the comfort of your family, behind your locked doors, in your warm home. They do not. When they wake up they get to wonder if they’ll ever see their family again; or if this hunger pang will be the death of them. Not all of us are called to leave here and go do foreign missions and I am so thankful for that. It breaks my heart to see how clueless this resourceful nation is. I heard someone once say, “Americans live in Disney World and they don’t even know it.”



My goal here is not to make the person reading this, cry. It is simply to inform you. It is to inform you since the media doesn’t cover this stuff. It is to inform you to pray without ceasing for this pitiful nation that has little hope. Though I have wept and wept for these people and even gone as far as asking God “why?” The Spirit gave me these verses in which I often take comfort in:

Lamentations 3:31-33 (New International Version)

31 For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

Darfur for Dummies:


Definitions:


Janjaweed: Arab militiamen who have carried out much of the pillaging, killing, and raping in Darfur. These men, who receive orders on Thuraya satellite phones, have joined with the Sudanese Air Force and Army . . .

Darfur People: Black Africans. Muslim subsistence farmers. At the hands of the aforementioned Evil Horsemen, over 2,000,000 are now displaced, spread across western Sudan and neighboring Chad. Anywhere between 50,000 and 500,000 are dead. 



The Rebels of Darfur, Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM): The SLA is a large military faction composed of Black African fighters from Darfur. Originally organized in the late 1980s to defend the people of Darfur against the threat of the – then under-armed – Evil Horsemen, they are the only thing standing in between the Warrior King and the people of Darfur. To fend off the Evil Horsemen, the SLA have joined forces with the JEM. It is a shaky marriage at best.

The JEM are a newer, smaller Islamist rebel group led by Hassan al-Turabi, who was once a close ally of Sudan’s Warrior King. The JEM have strong links to radical Islamist groups like Hezbollah and al-Qaeda. The Warrior King, al-Bashir, is perhaps most fearful of the aspirations to power secretly held by the JEM.

Conflict to begin understanding Darfur, toss religion away as a motivating cause. Though religion fueled the twenty-year Sudanese civil war between the Muslim North and Christian South, Darfur is not a religious genocide like the Holocaust. It is first and foremost a political conflict between a geographical region and its government. But as with many other African nations, the political and the ethnic are often two names for the same thing.

Put simply, the people of Darfur have been left out of the Sudanese government for years. The people of Darfur were accustomed to threatening the government with secession. Their anger reached a breaking point in early 2003 when they attacked government positions in Darfur. The Warrior King Al Bashir, sensing a threat to his power, unleashed his Evil Horsemen on the civilians of Darfur. The wheels of the Darfur crisis were then put in motion.

Silent Images