Amani's U.S. Safari: How Great Thou Art

Stephanie Ball, Amani's US Warehouse Administrator based at AmaniDC, writes about time shared with the visitors from Kenya. The recent visit from our Amani Kenya sisters is one I will cherish deeply. It was a special week, but the most memorable moment from their visit was the final meal we shared at Brittany’s home. The AmaniDC staff enjoyed watching as the Kenya ladies sampled Butternut Squash Soup. Squash is traditionally only eaten as baby food in Kenya, but they deemed it delicious and were excited to have another chance to eat “leaves” (salad), for which they had a newfound culinary appreciation.

Singing together after our meal

As we broke bread together in an intimate setting, I was struck by the privilege it was to have that time of fellowship. Each of us shared what we had learned from our time together. After everyone had a chance to bear witness to the ways we had seen God work that week, Joyce thought it would be fitting to sing a hymn together and selected “How Great Thou Art.” Jerita’s strong voice led in Swahili, while the rest of us sang in a variety of languages. Psalm 96:1-3 perfectly captures that moment:

 Psalm 96 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

Our time together was a moving representation of how the Lord unites us and welcomes people from vastly different walks of life into his fold.