Season of Change

As with all things in life, things change. And God uses change for our good…to grow us, to make our roots stronger, to give other people opportunities to grow, to teach us and to remind us of who He is and that He is in control. Pruning is often painful. It doesn’t look how we want it to look. We hate cutting back in order to be stronger. It’s not in our nature. But any good gardener knows, it’s necessary! Well, Give Amore is in a pruning season.

It is with a sad (but trusting God) heart, that I let you know that Heather Duncan, a vital member of our incredible Give Amore team will be stepping away from her work with us. We don’t know what He has planned for her, or for us, but we know He has great plans for us all-to prosper us, to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). 

The sad part for me really comes from just truly adoring Heather and her heart to serve. She’s helped us so much and was an answer to years of prayer I had. I saw God provide. I know he can do it again! But she will be missed by us and our team tremendously! She’s not abandoning us but she is transitioning her work over to us and that leaves a huge hole to fill for us all. She was the best darn travel partner for 3 trips to Kenya filled with so much adventure, highs, lows, tears, laughter and so many front row seats to miracles. Lost/held hostage luggage, missed connections and being rerouted to Ghana, camping in the Masai Mara, “sliding in faith”, jiggers, “meeting men about dogs” (don’t ask ☺), are just a favorite of our adventures! These kind of experiences and friendships are rare and she’s been a true joy to me and to all of our Kenyan family who adore her too. If you’ve noticed our website organization with photos posted and organized for all of our events/activities/children, you can thank her! She’s truly amazing.

I say all of this to let you know there’s a HUGE void right now for Give Amore until God works out what our next season will look like. For me, it’s hard to imagine anyone filling her shoes. I prayed for years for her and one day she literally just showed up! I know God can do it again! But we wait! If you’d like to be a part of our ministry, we can use you! We need help with website/photo organization, mailchimp, social media, fundraising, future trip planning and more! Please reach out to me if God has put a tug on your heart to be a bigger part of what we are doing! We can use all gifts, talents, time and treasures! 

As always, we want to thank you for your support through prayer, financial giving, social media sharing and more! For over 5 years, Give Amore has been able to accomplish so much because of the combined effort of many doing what they can! We are in awe to see how 

God continues to provide and sustain us! We trust that this pruning process will cause us to bear even more fruit. 

Christa Horst

Founding Director

Give Amore 

A few housekeeping items: 

1. I wanted to make sure everyone has received their Tax Statement from Women’s Non-Profit Alliance (our 501c3 umbrella). If you have not, please email me at christa@giveamore.org and I can email that to you.

2. We are finally caught up from our December activities and have uploaded all the photos of the children from December as well as our most recent Made with Amore graduates and our newest well! We post these so you can see your sponsored children grow and thrive and so you can see how your generous funds are used. We have full transparency and want you to feel confident in knowing your funds are used how you intended them. 

   1. Children photos can be found here: http://www.giveamore.org/children-profiles

   2. Well photos can be found here: http://www.giveamore.org/clean-water

   3. Distribution photos can be found here: http://www.giveamore.org/sponsor-a-child

   4. Made with Amore sewing school photos can be found here: http://www.giveamore.org/sewing-program

21st Well It Is!

Thirsty children come to their new source of clean water just steps from their homes!

Our latest addition to the Give Amore’s portfolio of boreholes is our well number twenty one which was commissioned and handed over to Emily’s community two weeks ago via a prayer session graced by the Give Amore team Kenya, local leaders and a delegation of the beneficiary community. 

The marveled community praised this problem solving project terming it thoughtful and most timely especially in this dry season when clean safe water is barely accessible. Moreover, they extended their heartfelt gratitude and love to the sponsors and the entire team who made this possible.

This wonderful well has only activated its fathomless service to approximately over twenty homesteads each consisting of at least five nuclear families and so much more from neighboring villages and beyond. 

Finally, our 22nd well’s sinking is on course and should be completed soon. The well is located in a remote location that is also home to Queen, Moses and Violette, all sponsored children of Give Amore.

Our Tailoring School Concern

Here one of our Made with Amore sewing school graduates proudly shows off her business that provides stable income for her to provide for her and her family and end the cycle of poverty she was in.

Our sewing program is one of the vital means for Give Amore’s focus on long-term techniques to sow in the community seeds of self-sustenance and enterprise that eventually will result into enduring positive impacts in future. Unfortunately this may not be realized due to the rising financial concerns threatening its progression. 

Over the years we have graduated tens of students, majority being women, each receiving a sewing machine and a sewing kit to catapult them into the vast world of entrepreneurship to give back to the society and yes almost all of them have been successful in setting up small business in their villages.  These small fashion shops give them tenacity, put food on their tables and keep their children in school but sadly this may not be the case for our current students who for months have worked hard and are deserving of this life changing sendoff package.

To save this program we need you as we always have because saving this program means saving and changing hundreds of lives of women and children who desperately need it.  To find out how you can lend a helping hand, visit www.giveamore.org/donate today and give a gift of education, of hope and of love.

Mentorship for Greatness

Brenda has displayed traits of leadership, holding herself to a higher standard and is a wonderful role model for her peers and those younger than her.

Apart from education sponsorship and so much more offered to her in hope, joy, and love, Brenda has so much going on for her through a revamped mentorship program by Give Amore. Her now important role not only gives her added purpose, but also a chance at giving back  the best way she can to the family she’s known over the years. 

Brenda and other select influential teenagers are now leaders of caucuses of sponsored children carefully selected and put together by our staff and are now charged with tasks and responsibilities of guiding, listening to, informing and advising their members on all aspects presented to them. 

This idea is based on the truth that they have constant interaction with each other and therefore are much more in touch with their struggles, joys and achievements at a personal level. Further, this program seeks to hone their leadership and life skills, and friendships, for the beautiful future that awaits them. 

Apart from education sponsorship and so much more offered to her in hope, joy, and love, Brenda has so much going on for her through a revamped mentorship program by Give Amore. Her now important role not only gives her added purpose, but also a chance at giving back  the best way she can to the family she’s known over the years. 

Brenda and other select influential teenagers are now leaders of caucuses of sponsored children carefully selected and put together by our staff and are now charged with tasks and responsibilities of guiding, listening to, informing and advising their members on all aspects presented to them. 

This idea is based on the truth that they have constant interaction with each other and therefore are much more in touch with their struggles, joys and achievements at a personal level. Further, this program seeks to hone their leadership and life skills, and friendships, for the beautiful future that awaits them. 

Our 2020 Vision

Dearest Partners,

I can’t believe we are celebrating 5 years of Give Amore! 5 years! 20 wells completed, dozens of children graduating from high school, thousands of feet free of jiggers, dozens of men and women providing for their families, roofs replaced, needs met, the love of God shared and HOPE for a brighter future!

What a privilege to be on this journey and to have you all join me. God gave me a vision long ago that He could use me to be the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth. But was I willing to surrender some things to him and trust him? I knew if he gave me the vision then he would make a way. I just had to be willing. I’m in awe to see what He’s accomplished through Give Amore, despite me. 

 As we were wrapping up 2019 and I was busy mommin’ and getting through the holidays. I was feeling a bit down that I hadn’t done enough to communicate with everyone about what we have done and how to get involved. I felt like I was failing at social media. I felt like I was failing at leading my team as I don’t communicate with them the way I had envisioned I would…you know sending them daily affirmations, prayers, Bible and life lessons. I felt like I was failing at parenting, because 2.5 weeks with everyone is often too much for me (God bless you mamas that can’t stand to be away from your precious littles). Well, I was checking my email when I saw that we had received donations for almost 4 clean water wells in one 12 hour period! WHAT???? That is sooooo God and so how he likes to show up. It was a reminder to me that HE is in control. He doesn’t need me or my social media prowess. He doesn’t need me to do Facebook Lives and speaking engagements and sell tote bags. While all those things are great and they certainly don’t hurt, they are not required for HIM to stir in people’s hearts to support Give Amore! He can do that with or without me! Praise God how I needed that reminder!

So, I come now with abundance and expectation as we embark on our 6th year and we have wells 21-25 fully funded (5 wells for 2020 already!)!!! All of our children are sponsored! We graduated 6 sewing students in December! And lives are being transformed through the love of Jesus Christ in Kenya. Our mission, the vision God gave me, is going strong thanks to you all! 

I cannot thank you enough for supporting Give Amore these past 5 years! Being a part of this journey has strengthened my personal relationship with God and gives me such hope for the future of the world for our children. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2020 with you all on our side! 

God bless,

Christa Horst

Give Amore Founding Director

Pauline Transformed

Pauline (pictured left) at our September jigger clinic was severely infested with jiggers in her hands and feet. Her entire family was as well! Our team worked tirelessly to rid her and her home of jiggers then surprised them with new bedding, clothing, food provision, toiletries, a cow, a goat and a chicken (in a pear tree)!

2020 commenced on an ecstatic note for Give Amore as we report immense and unfathomable life transformation for Pauline and her family from massive jigger infestation to great manifestation of healing and blessings.

Drawing from our clinic held last fall, this beauty was the hard hit by the jiggers  in contrast other victims; her agony was conspicuously envisaged all over her face. From a distance it appeared like her soles were falling off with no chance of any possible recovery where as her fingers gave chills even to the strongest.

Today, thankfully all her jiggers are gone and health restored. Pauline can now walk with her head high in celebration of this new chapter of her life amidst disbelief of her used to be bullies at school.

Further, her family was soaked in blessings of a cow, goat, chicken, household items, and toiletries. Also, her home was thoroughly fumigated to avert any possible chance of re-infestation by these blood sucking parasites.

Well of Wellness #21

Emily, a teenager in our sponsorship program, was in school so she was not present for this photo. However, Violet also in our sponsorship program (pictured center in red dress) also lives in this community! We are blessed that two children in our program will receive this much need clean water source!

With the dawn of the New Year came the joy of a new well, somewhere in western Kenya, courtesy of Give Amore bringing the total tally of current wells dug to twenty one. The well is situated at Emily’s home and is projected to serve over fifty families on its completion.

Being the dry season in Kenya, most households have snags accessing clean safe water for consumption leaving them to long treks in search for this precious item in unsafe open water sources. Therefore, this well boosts our essential objective of helping eradicate waterborne diseases while easing access to clean safe water.

The well digging is on course and should be completed in close to a fortnight. This new baby will keep growing our family of wells as well as the numerous families we have already blessed and so many more to come.

Back to School!

Our team presents Paloma with Most Improved Student Award for the 2019 school year!

Schools this month reopened after a 60-day rest for learners. As much as it is great news, back to school bustles are not easy to keep up with in Kenya. However, we managed to beat deadlines and our children are successfully back to school all-expenses paid!

As previously planned, every child in our school sponsorship program received a package of stationery, course books as well as reading books. On the other hand, our team made it their personal errand to ensure that all outstanding tuition fees, examination fees and other sundry expenses were fully settled for the remaining bit of the year.

Also, among the items distributed were essential toiletries, prayers and great motivation from our team. The children were excited to resume school for the second of three terms this year knowing that they will stay in school and focus on learning other than worrying of dropping out.

From the look registered on their faces, they are all set to learn new things that will eventually translate into shaping a brighter future for them. We wish all them best and God’s protection over them.

Wrapping Up Another Year with Love

To our Amazing Supporters!

For five years God has been so faithful to provide you as hands and feet to help our brothers and sisters across the globe. Five years of HOPE, JOY and LOVE!

This busy Christmas season we pray you reflect on your blessings, your joy, your hope and may you be surrounded with an unending supply of LOVE for Christmas is all about love. God loved us so much that he sent his son to this earth, humbled as a baby born in a manger symbolic that He is the Hope and Salvation for ALL MANKIND.

The lyrics to one of my favorite Christmas songs by Matthew West “Give this Christmas Away” summarizes our Give Amore mission (link to song and full lyrics above)…

Give this Christmas away. If there’s love in your heart don’t let it stay there. Give this Christmas away. And your life will be changed by the give you receive when you give this Christmas away. For God so loved the world, He gave His only son so we could be His hands, His feet, His love, His love. What if I told you you have the power to give someone hope far beyond their wildest dreams. What if December looked different this year? What if we all just give this Christmas away, if there’s love in your heart don’t let it stay there…It’s feeding the hungry, it’s serving the poor, it’s telling the orphan you’re not forgotten anymore. It’s doing what love does even when no one’s watching you…What if we all just give this Christmas away…

Merriest of Christmas Faithful Givers,

Christa Horst and The Give Amore Team

Piece by Piece Restoring Hope

Somewhere in western Kenya a family of eleven is relishing the benefits of their new cow donated to them by Give Amore a few weeks ago, an act that not only rekindled their hope in a life they had lost faith in, but also affirmed that love isn’t limited.

From their story, the family had been through so much unfathomable melancholy for so long having been displaced from their family property due to land clashes leaving them at the mercy of their nemeses. Fortunately enough, God guided them into the compassionate arms of a local midwife, Imelda, where they reside presently.

Among the children, there was Mary, a 16 month old baby, who was extremely malnourished and weighed only 4.5 lbs. when we met her nine weeks ago. Therefore, milk from this cow will go a long way in supplementing her protein intake and together with the current support and God’s blessings, we are confident her health shall be restored.

Also, plans to erect a new shelter for the family are on course and hopefully in the coming year they shall be comfortable.  

Christine Living a Jigger Free Life

Our new painless method of jigger retrieval and treatment is effective and reliable as testified by Christine’s jigger free feet. She was one of the heavily hit patients by these notorious parasites as noted from our recent jigger clinic.

In our rounds of post treatment follow ups, we me a highly confident Christine with pep in her steps, something that wasn’t a daily occurrence during her painful days. As she confirmed, she felt no pain walking, slept better in a very long time and she is doing her best to maintain highest standards of cleanliness to keep jigger causing fleas away.

Her mother in a separate interview was thankful for the jigger clinic program terming it as life changing and pain relieving. With her ‘host’ wounds healing off perfectly, this beautiful girl is not only ecstatic of her new state of health, but also hopeful that they will not return ever. 

Moving into 2020 Motivated

Our Give Amore Team is excited to continue our mission in a new DECADE!

20 wells dug, over 53 sponsored children in school and well provided for, multiple men and women empowered through our sewing and computer classes, and so much more are what define what Give Amore stands for today, five years on, and we are so grateful to you for supporting us all the way.

Moving into 2020, we couldn’t be any happier to make this leap together with you into a year of possibilities, hope, joy and love. On the other hand, this Christmas we are all about outfits and the good news is every child will be getting one alongside school supplies and general distribution items consisting of food and toiletries.

New outfits for Christmas is a big deal in Kenya and a tradition that has been practiced for many years, therefore, this Christmas ‘Santa’ will, for a record fifth time, be doing it right. 

From Give Amore family, we wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2020 full of hope, joy and Amore!

We Give Thanks for our Donors!

Dearest Partners, we are so very thankful for you!!!!

In this season of gratitude we would be remiss to not give our sincerest appreciation to those of you that make the goals and dreams God has given us for Give Amore possible. Faith without works is dead. Our ministry is alive and well thanks to generous givers that support us! We know there are so many amazing organizations out there that you can support! We also know that there’s so many ways you can use your hard-earned money and we cannot thank you enough for trusting us to use what you’ve generated to help others!

As a non-profit we often struggle with making people aware of the issues in Kenya then once they are aware we struggle to get them ENGAGED. It’s truly the biggest challenge. So many people admire what we do and say “Great job!”, “Keep up the good work!”, “What you are doing is amazing!” but only a fraction of those aware of our mission actually are engaged to support us. We truly could not do what we do without you!

I wish there was a way I could thank you! A gift? A card? A public acknowledgement? But for now, I hope you know how valued you are and that you are a treasure to us, our team, all the lives we impact and, of course, to God.

Thankful, Grateful and Blessed,

Christa Horst

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

— Matthew 6:21

Ruth's Modern Walker

Ruth received a modern walker courtesy of Give Amore fraternity; discarding her previous makeshift walker that made her assisted mobility worse out of its heavy weight during movement.

Her previous walker was put together by her incredible grandchildren out of wood which was not only too heavy for her feeble arms, but also hindered her indoors movement due to its size in her small house space.

For a recap, Ruth was involved in a road accident decades ago where she suffered dislocations in her hip, multiple arm and shoulder fractures that were never treated. Due to lack of proper medical attentions, this grandmother of seven had to live in severe pain for over twenty years now but the good news is, Give Amore is further taking up the costs of her pain management medicine given that no corrective surgery can be done on her.

While this isn't the happiest of endings we were praying for, Ruth now has better mobility, less pain and she knows she is loved by others and by God. One day, in heaven, all her wounds will be healed and she will be free from pain. Until then, may God comfort her and keep her safe.

Investing in Halima

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for his life time. — Italian proverb”

Halima, a mother of two, can now boast of a tailoring business enterprise in her village market out of the support she received of a sewing machine and more importantly sewing expertise she gained at Give Amore’s tailoring school.

Visiting her months after her graduation, this Made with Amore alumni is in a good place and giving it her best shot at business, a career she prior had no idea of and never even fathomed venturing in. 

Her testimony exhibited that unlike before, she is now able to take care of her family and her children’s school needs. However, she also stated that her main challenge is fabric given that she is located in a remote location but from her little savings she tries her best to meet the costs.

Currently she is a sole worker majoring in children’s clothes and repairs.

Getting Ready for the Big Leap!

Via your continued support over the years, our 12th graders will be graduating from high school and hopefully join college! With amore’ we say a big Thank You!

Abednego and Elvis are our 2019 12th graders and they are sitting for their final national tests, a huge determinant of their viability for college scholarships. 

For over a decade, they have been in a sponsorship program (formerly TGD, now Give Amore). Their sponsors have nurtured and watched them grow into confident wonderful young men that they are and as their stewards, all we can do is support and dwell with them in prayer as they take this huge step in their lives, a milestone that will usher them toward their dreams.

They complete their tests in a fortnight and with that in mind, we pray for good health and courage through the entire vital remaining bit. 

Kenya 2019 Trip Summary

Some of our incredible Give Amore team! We are missing Bryan, Evans, Judith and Winnie in this photo!

Everyone wants me to summarize our trip. It’s SOOO hard to do! But I will try! This was another incredible trip to Kenya. Heather Duncan is an amazing partner and travel buddy. Our flights were fairly flawless and our luggage was not held hostage. :) Our team was overall in good health, as were we, but the real summary is this: TRANSFORMATION IS HAPPENING!!!

As I often say, we are blessed to get a front row seat to all Give Amore is able to do through your generous donations! Our trip consisted of a jigger clinic, a Made with Amore Graduation Ceremony, a party for the sponsored children, a blessing of well #20, launching a new Made with Amore product (that is sold out!), time with our team, church at Cornerstone Shibuli, beautiful afternoon rainstorms, home visits, school visits and so much more!

This video is the best way I can summarize our trip. So hard to narrow it down to 50 or less of our favorite photos, but I hope this gives you a glimpse into the joy, the hope and the love we all receive through Give Amore.

For those of you that generously gave toward our trip, here is a summary of how the funds were used:

We were able to also provide the following items/opportunities with your generous giving for our trip!

• A walker and pain medication for Mama Ruth

• Schools supplies (pencils, pens, chalk, paper, construction paper, crayons, clay, stapler, calculators, paper punch, notebook, a PRINTER, and more for the teachers and children of Cornerstone School Shibuli

• School supplies, clothing and food provision for the family of one of our well workers who recently passed away

• Stools for our Made with Amore Sewing Program

• Fungal Medications for over 50 people

• Deworming treatment (we can’t even believe this is a thing) for 200 people

• Printer for our Give Amore team

• A new sewing machine

• A cow for baby Mary and her family

• 5 mice/mouse pads for our computer training program, large dry erase board with markers

• Bibles for a local pastor

• Feminine hygiene products in bulk

• Fees toward college for a special young woman

• Funds toward a co-op founded by some of the guardians of the sponsored children

• Fabrics, scissors, threads for new Made with Amore Kimonos (we sold out, y’all!)

• Folding chairs for our Give Amore offices

• And much, much more!!!

Thank you to all that contribute to our mission! We could not be the hands and feet of Jesus without the support from you! We are so appreciative and can’t wait to see what else God has in store!

Asante!

One Small Bug, One Mighty God

The many jigger infested individuals can now get sound sleep after being treated of jiggers all thanks to you. The clinic was held in a school setting and it saw tens of children get treated of these vicious agonizing bloodsuckers.    

Being the seventh clinic and the very first witnessed live by Christa and Heather during their visit to Kenya, the mamas on a mission showed greater compassion which helped ease the magnitude of pain and agony some of the children had at the time.   

Also, some of the hard-hit homes were disinfected to rid any chances of re-infestation, and to reinforce the latter further, the now jigger free children were gifted with shoes to protect their jigger free feet. 

Finally, it is amazing how one jigger attack has yielded seven jigger clinics that have helped kick jiggers out of the lives of hundreds of families previously living at the mercy of these malicious parasites in western Kenya. This is greater love.

Blessed and Daring Amore

Give Amore acquired another motorcycle thanks to the Horst family. It came as a huge surprise nay blessing and it will go a long way in bolstering our operations which entail frequent distribution activities, school and home visitations among other undertakings. 

Over the years, motorcycles have been the bedrock of transport in Give Amore due to their efficiency especially in accessing the remote areas we serve. Therefore, with now two of them, we believe we can do even more!

On the other hand, Made with Amore is daring big in a beautiful way.  Augmented to our vibrant tote bags, the made in Kenya brand now boasts of kimonos handmade with love from African Swahilifabric.

We are hopeful this brand will grow just like its predecessor to impact in a huge way in your life and in the many lives of God’s people here in Kenya and hopefully beyond. 

Ever Growing Amore

Gizel and Calid’s cloud of hopelessness has passed and their future now gleaming with optimism after they were added to the Give amore family. The duo is the latest addition to the growing ‘household’ of Hope, Joy and Love

Gizel, 7, is a first grader and had dropped out of school due to lack of school fees and requirements. However, she will soon be able to happily rejoin her peers in the corridors of education after staying out for months. On the other hand her sibling Calid, 2, is not yet in school but will all the same busk in the warmth of his new family.

The two were abandoned by their father after the death of their mother about a year ago and ever since they’ve stuck with their frail granny.

Emily, their granny, is too frail to work and therefore relied on support from friends and well-wishers for their upkeep.