BECKY CHINCHEN’S STORY:LEAD ME TO THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I

By Dr. Lois Semenye

Waiting and waiting, days turned to weeks, weeks turned into months. Is there hope for peace in Liberia?

A coup occurred and Becky, her husband Del and their four children found themselves caught up in it. They were managing a Bible College in Liberia when the coup happened. The question that was on Becky’s mind was, “When will Liberia return to normalcy?” News that they heard as they took shelter in Ivory Coast was not encouraging, both the Bible school and their home were in rubble. They lost everything except items in their suitcases that they had packed in a hurry.

Becky experienced the loss of community, the support of her friends, her family’s possessions and their home. Because of the coup they were now refugees. She struggled with issues of provision, security and no place to call home. With so much of her personal freedom gone, she was now at the mercy of others. While she hoped for peace for Liberia, her life in short was like a roller coaster. Her new life was filled with many tears and prayers!

One day as she was praying, she clearly heard from the Lord through this Scripture, “From the ends of the earth I call to you, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61: 2; NIV). At that time a new vision was birthed in her heart.

The situation in Liberia was not getting any better. This led the Chinchens to move to Kenya. At that time, Kenya had so many refugees from neighboring countries. Becky saw the agony of the women and was able to identify with them. She desired that these women would also experience and look to the Rock that was higher than themselves.

Meanwhile, Becky pursued a Masters in Community Development from a Christian University. The knowledge she received there was tremendous. It gave her a foundation for development from an African perspective. Her heart went out to the refugee women. She decided, “Something must be done to transform the pain of these women so they can both receive and be a channel of peace from Above.”

In 1996, with a personal loan of $500 US dollars, a project was started. Becky called it “Amani Ya Juu,” Swahili words meaning “Peace from Above.” Her vision was to have a place for refugees where they could just be. A place where they could come without the need to explain themselves, a place where they could get their feet on the ground while learning different skills, and grow in many ways. Becky began with three refugee women and now there are over 125 women involved in Amani Ya Juu. Local Kenyan marginalized women have also been included.

Amani Ya Juu stands on four pillars for holistic development: social, physical, economic and spiritual. The women find their identity in Christ. They are free to move on, back to their

country where possible or anywhere that they can put their learned skills to work. As they move forward it opens space for new people to join Amani.

The growth of Amani is well calculated. It has not grown beyond its means nor is it donor dependent. What the women make – crafts, dresses, shirts, kitchen items, and toys (to mention a few) are sold at Amani Ya Juu shops here in Kenya and in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They also export products when purchases are made in other parts of the world. The women are paid from the proceeds of these sales. It is a nonprofit organization that only raises funds for capital expansion such as manufacturing facilities, and for missionaries’ support.

Amani is very careful in how it develops the Center and how it expands because if they include too many women there will not be enough food and resources to meet all their needs. They do not want to create economic danger and distress for the women involved, so growth is managed with extreme caution.

Challenges Faced

There were challenges faced but with patience and training the Centre thrived. These are some of the challenges Becky faced:

1. The women came without skills and had to be trained.

2. Training and controlling quality were not easy.

3. The managers also needed training.

4. For long-term sustainability the center required constant production of quality items, and this was a challenge.

5. There needed to be assurance that each month there was enough money to pay the women’s salaries.

6. Balancing the passion, emotions and feelings of wanting to help many more women than was possible with limited resources was a burden.

Becky had to face the reality that she could not serve all the marginalized women. As such, she strived for quality growth. It was not the numbers of women that mattered but the depth of their growth. A five-year strategic plan was developed which included exposure to expand the market for Amani products and increase the number of women who could be involved. Becky was able to solve these challenges creatively in ways that resulted in the building up of people.

Knowledge Gained

Becky has learned a lot through this journey of transforming Amani Ya Juu into what it has become. Some of the lessons learned include:

1. Balancing expansion without losing the Christ-centered focus of Amani.

2. Accepting changes, navigating them and leading others through them.

3. Restructuring positions and the facility to accommodate change.

4. Constantly maintaining high quality through all the changes.

Advice to Leaders

Becky’s desire is to see leaders grow so she is quick to share some of the tips she has learned:

1. Remain strong in your identity in Christ. Christ is all and there is no need to prove oneself or who you are.

2. Recognize your value. The sky is the limit. God will lead you to the Rock that is higher than yourself.

3. Allow God to be the Rock of everything.

4. As opportunities come your way, trust in God who knows all things.

5. Don’t think too far down the road but be faithful with the opportunities God brings to you. Remember you are His vessel.

6. Be satisfied with small steps, it will grow.

7. Look to Him as the Rock. He is Wisdom.

8. People will come alongside you so have courage.

9. Follow your passion and do not become rigid. Accept what God has given you.

Amani ya Juu reminds me of the Scripture passage, “Do not despise the small beginnings…’ (Zechariah 4:10). Listen to God, start moving, surrender to God, be at pace and peace with God!

Reflections

1. What challenges do you face in balancing quality and development, and how do you overcome them?

2. What are some ways of keeping your focus on the Lord in the midst of developing a project or ministry?

3. What are some thoughts from this story that you can apply to a project or ministry that you are involved in?

To donate to Amani ya Juu Foundation, please click on this link below: Give to Amani