Rachel's Ministry Updates: After the feast...

"We were like men who dreamed
Our mouths were filled with laughter
Our tongues with songs of joy
Then it was said among the nations,
'The Lord has done great things for them.'

The Lord has done great things for us.

For those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy
He who goes out weeping
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of Joy
carrying sheaves with him." Psalm 126

Mary Maina shared these words with Amani staff and the Sankofa team as an expression of PRAISE to the Lord for the great things He has done.

As we traveled through Orlando, Dallas, Charlotte, and the DC area, we saw first hand the work of the Lord. Each stop, each speaking engagement, each show, and each host home were filled with the Lord's provision and blessing. The entire trip far exceeded our plans and even vision for Sankofa, but the Lord used Sankofa to bring glory to Himself- "He has done great things for us."

The women of Amani shared their difficult stories with strength, boldness, and dignity. Their stories of pain and injustice also produced thanksgiving and joy in what the Lord has saved them from and given to them.

"The Lord has done great things for us.

For those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy
He who goes out weeping
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of Joy
carrying sheaves with him."

As we prepared for the shows and were overwhelmed by logistics, we sat in awe as each show carried on, and produced a presentation that far excedeeded our expectations- full seats, involved audiences, wonderful lights and sound, and cast and crew enjoying themselves. "The Lord has done great things for us."

We set up the involved stage and boutique each stop, surrounded by boxes of products, hangers, hooks, hours later relieved to see it all set up- we worried about selling enough product or if we had enough of this or that- but at the end of each show we were in awe of the empty tables, cleared racks, and excited faces of our guests. As we packed back up we were thankful for the empty boxes that could be thrown away. And at the end of the tour we praise the Lord for the financial support each sale provided for the women of Amani that far exceeded our expectaions. "The Lord has done great things for us."

In the end we realize how much this was NOT about ourselves, not about how much work we put into it, how far our publicity went, or how high our sales got. This was entirely about how the Lord was going to use it for His own purposes, to bring glory to Himself. "The Lord has done great things for us."

I know that a countless number of lives were touched over the past three weeks- not only ours (the women of Amani ya Juu), but every person we came into contact with. I pray that the Lord reaps the seeds that were sown, and that we will be here to help guide more to know His eternal peace and gift of salvation.

As I come off this mountain, tired in mind and body, I find myself also envigorated by the Spirit. The Lord has great plans for Amani, as He does for each of us in the coming months. He asks that we give ourselves and everything over to Him. Sankofa is a testimony of His care and provision- one that I will carry with me as a reminder of what happens when we place our troubles and concerns at His feet.