Amani Family Update: Government Shutdown

Due to all of the recent dramatic occurrences in the United States, especially in the nation’s capital, we wanted to check in with our AmaniDC family and get a sense of how they were being affected. We were able to talk to Sarah, our DC director, who shared with us her feelings about the situation. [caption id="attachment_3025" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Sarah, Amani's DC director[/caption] According to Sarah, “it has been such a crazy and bizarre couple of weeks for DC, between multiple shootings, a person setting themselves on fire on the National Mall, and the government shutdown.” Interestingly enough, despite the confusion and chaos surrounding the government shutdown, it seemed to be benefitting Amani. Because people weren't working, they had more free time and a greater opportunity to shop. Sarah said that she had “seen a little bit of a lift in sales and [had] been telling the Amani story a little bit extra!” Also, Sarah mentioned that while she was talking about the reconciliation and healing aspects of the Amani Africa centers, a woman said that “it puts her life and not working for a few days in better perspective.” Sarah wants to thank everyone for their concerns and prayers and welcomes those who want to join her in praying for three main things:

1. "Pray for congress, Obama and policymakers, for constructive conflict that benefits rather than harms our federal government and its running in the long term.
2. Pray for the lower pay-grade level government workers (people like janitors who already don't get paid enough to live in our expensive city and for whom not getting a paycheck for a week will really mean financial trouble).
3. Pray for light in DC and for those hurting after the tragedies from [the past weeks], and for Amani being able to find new ways to be a light here to those who are hurting and for God to show us how to do that well/show us where He can use us best."