Faith to Move Mountains

A Christmas miracle came early this year.  I feel incredibly lucky to be able to witness what God is doing through me and through Imani Care International.  Let me explain...

The past few weeks have been chaotic.  Emotions running high, to do lists so long they went to the back of the page, out of town visitors, last minute event planning details, coordinating volunteers...not to mention continuing to work my night shifts and preparing for Christmas.  I thought perhaps when the event was over on December 7, things might settle down a bit.  Not true.  It was amazing how well the night went, and I was overwhelmed by the community spirit and generosity that I witnessed.  We not only met but exceeded our fundraising goal.  This was a huge blessing - and then it became a race against time to pull things together to actually start the project to fix the sewage & drainage problems at the clinic that we had been fundraising for since May.  As I told my co-workers, I was trying to move a mountain.

We had the money, but now I had to draft a contract, discuss it with the board of directors, revise the contract, get approval from the board, sign/scan/send to Kenya (which involved taking my printer out of the box and setting it up), wait to hear back, be in communication with the Rotary, send a "test" international wire to their bank account, wait to hear if that had gone through, receive the signed contract, confirm the test funds had been received, and finally, make it to the bank before Christmas Eve to send the first installment of funds to be used to purchase all the supplies, which would mark the official start of the project.  And by God's grace, it happened!  Truly a miracle.

As I was standing at the counter at the bank, I was holding back tears as I thought about what that particular moment symbolized.  Yes, it marked the beginning of a construction project that would tangibly benefit the staff and patients at Imara.  But it was so much more than that.  It represented all that I had been fighting for since the day I got back from my trip to Kenya in 2011.   It was the pay off for all of the hard work so many people have done over the past year.  It symbolized being able to restore hope by addressing a need the clinic has had for years.

Normally I do not put a whole lot of thought into the meaning of names, but it is no coincidence that Imani means 'faith.'  I feel like my faith at the beginning of this journey in Spring of 2012 was even smaller than a mustard seed.  Now I am not exactly sure how big a mustard seed is.  According to Google, a seed even smaller than a mustard seed is that of a certain variety of Orchid....so it is safe to say my faith was as small as an Orchid seed.  Everything at that point in my life I had pretty much attributed to hard work and perseverance.  Yes, I acknowledged God's hand at work, but I don't think I had ever done something I was so completely afraid of and for awhile opposed to.  I normally just did the things I was relatively good at - I was a play it safe type.  I wanted to help the people in Kenya, but I figured I would only do things within my reach....ask for donations on my birthday, save up money so I could travel back, tell people about my experiences when they asked.  I did not think I was the type that could do something bigger.  I did not want to make too much noise.  I did not want to fail.

I love what Martin Luther King Jr. said - "Faith is taking the next step, even when you cannot see the entire staircase."  There are no guarantees in life - and anything that promises that is just a futile attempt to make us feel like we dictate the course of our lives.  Starting a nonprofit organization felt like a huge risk.  I felt like I had everything to lose and that maybe I should just 'play it safe' and not take the chance.  I kept thinking what if I go to all this trouble, spend all this time and money, and then in the end, I don't actually help the people I care about in Kenya.  Lots of what ifs.  And to be honest, those did not end when ICI was founded.  They continued.  What if.....we don't get our tax exemption?  ....we run out of money?  ....no one comes to our events?  ...people don't care?  And on and on.  But there was always that voice saying But how can you not try?  What if it does work?  What if you do succeed?  What if this is your chance to change the world?  

This really is only the beginning.  So many things have happened this year that I never thought would happen.  Now I don't seem obstacles as much as I see challenges.  My fears are opportunities to have faith.  My exhaustion is the chance to fully rely on God.  My weakness is God's strength.  And those mountains...I have seen them move.

Generosity & Gratitude

Sometimes "thank you" just does not seem like enough.

In the weeks/months prior to Imani's Christmas event, I was so focused on tasks, details, and deadlines that I failed to recognize what a beautiful thing was unfolding before me. Sure, I had been in contact with dozens of people over the course of the fall season. I had recruited people to do a variety of things, invited over 100 people to attend, and sought assistance and encouragement from friends both near and far. But it was not until December 7 that I really saw what Imani had become. Within a matter of hours, a banquet room stuck in the 70's was transformed into a breath-taking winter wonderland. Saturday morning, one of the coldest days of the year, people began to arrive. And they just starting to do things. Yes, I had long lists of tasks to be done, but it was something to behold how people just saw a need and met it. Trees were set up, lights strung, napkins folded, tables set, tables moved, crafts set out. It was incredible.

And then the event itself. I had played it through in my mind many times, trying to think of as many "What if" scenarios as possible in order to be prepared. Yet it just happened. Sure a few hiccups along the way but they just seemed to work themselves right out. I can honestly say I was not stressed and able to enjoy myself. Everything was taken care of. And as the event came to an end, that same village got to work. Packed the place right up. I did not have to ask a single person to stay and help. They just did. Incredible. All of that in addition to a great turnout (the event actually sold out) and the faith and generosity of those who attended. It still gives me chills to share with people that we raised $10,000. Amazing.

This is what Imani has become. A dedicated group of individuals who believe in the work we are committed to and who are willing to help in the ways they can. One thing I shared at the event was my heart to expand the definition of "giving." I know not everyone can write a check, but I am convinced that everyone can give - time, talents, connections, prayers. I always believe giving takes some amount of faith - if you wait until you feel you have all your ducks in a row, you will miss a lifetime of opportunities to be generous. I believe in what Imani is doing, but there are countless opportunities to give - to an individual in need, a devoted organization, the church you attend, someone going on a missions trip. Christmas is a great time to be generous, but I pray we don't stop there. It was such a joy to inform the clinic that God had provided and that soon they would not have to worry about the rains flooding their clinic.

I have learned so much about generosity and gratitude from the people I have met in Kenya. The first time I went to the clinic as I was leaving to get into the van to go back to the volunteer house, I remember Francesca insisting that she buy me a soda to thank me for coming. During my senior year of college, I received multiple cards from Kenya - Christmas, graduation, thank you's. Each time I initially thought, "They shouldn't have spent the postage to send this," yet quickly realized I needed to just receive it graciously. When I spent time in Indonesia, I was humbled by the generosity of our host families in preparing food for us and truly giving us royal treatment, despite having very little to give.

I am learning to be more gracious. I am working on not saying "You shouldn't have" when someone makes a donation or gives beyond what I feel was necessary or expected. I am learning to just express gratitude and thank the person for giving in faith. I am also learning that saying "thank you," though it may not seem like much, is a powerful gesture and always worth the time. As Christmas comes and goes, let us be generous, grateful, and gracious - replacing our "shouldn't have's" with "thank you's" and not being afraid to accept the gifts of others. May we learn to give, not for the sake of shopping, to repay debts, out of obligation, or whatever other motives we may have, but out of response to our generous Heavenly Father who gave us the most precious gift of all, His son.

With Gratitude, Alyssa