Gratitude Abounds

We pray you are feeling the joy of the season as you reflect on all your blessings! We reflect on you-our generous partners!

For almost 7 years, you have been faithful to support us and we could not be more grateful! At timesit seems overwhelming, but God never ceases to amaze me with who he stirs up to support us. If you’re reading this, you’re likely one of our loyal and faithful supporters! THANK YOU!

While some of our prayers have not yet been answered we wait with expectation that He is not finished! To look back and see all we’ve accomplished together, it’s quite overwhelming and it would not be possible without YOU stepping out in faith, taking action and giving to others who will never be able to repay you this side of heaven. 

If you are looking for opportunities for year-end giving, please read below! 

•  Christmas is coming and that’s always a struggle to raise additional funds on top of current donations needed. At time of this newsletter, we are in need of $2650 additional donations to provide an outfit, shoes and a Christmas meal to our children.

• We have goals to provide more clean water wells. We’re in the process of repairing two wells to ensure they continue to provide safe water to communities.

• Unfortunately, we are still dealing with a pandemic of Jiggers in Kenya. These tiny creatures wreak havoc every single day. We have not had any funds to treat, prevent or educate the communities in quite some time.

• General donations are down significantly. General donations help bridge the gap on unexpected expenses (motorbike repair, well repair, medical needs, etc.).

We trust God to provide what we need as He always has but He does it through His people! Please help us share what we are doing and let’s get others on this journey with us! It’s so fun!

Please read on for some good news! We are so thankful for you!!!

Christa Horst and the Give Amore Team

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 107:1”

— Psalm 107:1

We are thankful for You

Give Amore is gearing up for the festive season and it is not lost on us how big an asset your support has been this year and over the years. Together we have transformed many lives and are motivated to even do more through our unwavering partnership. 

Thirty wells and counting, dozens of children educated, tens of women empowered and more fed are just but indicators of what we can do when we come together under the wings of love to impart joy and hope to our brothers and sisters in Kenya.

As we prepare to wind up 2021 it is our prayer you continue with us through this transformative journey and we couldn’t be any prouder of your sustenance especially through the pandemic. Thank you and happy holidays. 

Volenshell Transformed

Born out of wedlock in a tiny remote village in western Kenya, little could be thought of little Volenshell turning out as great as she is today. With a mother in high school and a deprived grandmother surviving on less than a dollar a day, you’ve helped shape this beautiful child to who she is currently. 

Her love for hide and seek with her peers every distribution day is exhilarating and sometimes such a sight to see. Speaking to her mother Gladys, she describes her as the greatest gift whilst acknowledging the vivacity of the help she has got over the years in raising her.

Everyday, she grows, smiles and play, we see hope, joy and love in her eyes courtesy of thoughtful generosity sponsored by you and we hope and pray she grows to become the best young woman God intended her to be.

Jingle All the Way

From the peaks of snowy heights to the plains of warm savanna, it’s Christmas time! United by a unit bond called Jesus Christ, we join hands whichever our cultures, color or any other factors in a campaign of love, concern for others and above all thanksgiving.

Just like snow crystals, Christmas comes in unique forms, shapes, feel and beauty every year. It sprays our hearts with warmth like a cup of hot chocolate on a freezing evening after a hard day’s work and revitalizes our love sinuses to continue flowing with liquid love to reach the unfathomable depths of souls thirsty for affection.

Remember Christmas is no Christmas unless we exhibit one of life’s paramount dimensions: having that outward concern for others. As we all celebrate, let it be stencilled in our mental sheets that those around us make up who we are and who we become. They could be family, friends or even total strangers. Let us be total ambassadors of God’s love, love in our hearts and love in our deeds.

Praying a wonderful Christmas season for you and your families!

Humbly Asking in Expectation that God Will Provide

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  Mathew 7:7

Dear Partners,

We can’t believe we’re wrapping up our 7th year as a ministry! God has shown up mightily over the years and what a privilege it is to have the view that I’ve had to see how God uses each and every one of us to weave this beautiful tapestry!

As we prepare to head into the giving season, we kindly ask that you pray to see if you can stretch your generosity a little (or a lot more) and help us do more than maintain our current levels but increase them! The cost of everything has increased and the dollar is not worth what it used to be, yet we have not decreased what we are providing to the children and families we serve. A few generous donors have been helping us bridge the gap but we’re finding ourselves still behind. 

Our specific needs are:

General Giving ($2500+ more per month)

Made with Amore Sewing Program ($10,000 per year)

7 Clean Water Wells ($2500 each/$17,500 per year)

If you are led to support any of these additional needs or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me-christa@giveamore.org

In the meantime, please read our newsletter to see just three highlights from this past month (though there are many more). 

We are blessed to have you on this journey with us and we thank you for your generous support, prayers and hearts to help those who will never be able to repay you for your kindness! Well done good and faithful servants!

Christa Horst

Give Amore Founding Director

30th Well Finally Completed

Thirty wells before now we couldn’t comprehend how far we could get but it’s outstandingly clear anything is probable. Six years on, our thirtieth well was sunk and handed over to the community realising our consolidated goal of providing clean safe water for consumption to those who most need it.

This new gift comes to the community at the most opportune time when many are in dire want of clean water and not only does it appease their thirst but also bring them together as a community believing in unity to go further. 

As earlier reported, it was anticipated this borehole would have taken two weeks but as things turned out it took four weeks after our builders hit a snag courtesy of a bedrock that slowed down activities. However hard work and prayers paid off in the end. 

Right now, tens of families somewhere in western Kenya are adoring safe water, due to your continued thoughtful support. Thank you.

Covid response Update

After the onset of covid 19 and the first case reported in Kenya, our efforts to keep our sponsored children safe have paid off immensely. Our rapid response effect not only impacted our children and their families but also reverberated through the communities they reside in.

So far, we have been distributing to them extra soap every distribution month and alongside it effective information to help keep them safe from the deadly pandemic. No infections as well as fatalities have been reported and that holds up well with our efforts to keep everyone safe.

With more cases of the delta variant surging across the country, everyone is vigilant and in balance with the government laid direction and we greatly hope no harm comes to anyone.

Another Life Transformed

As a little girl sitting on her favorite’s seamstress’ workshop, Little Sarah wished and hoped she would one day be just like her, and now all grown and married with two children, her dreams are hinging even closer after successfully graduating from our sewing class. 

Ms. Sarah views her achievement as a great transformation and she’s glad she was part of a life changing program that not only equipped her with valuable skills but also charged her up with determination and hope for a better tomorrow. 

And just as she looked up to her favorite seamstress and mentor, she hopes her beautiful little girls do the same to her knowing that no one is limited and every dream is valid. Sarah hopes to some day own a shop of her own and mentor many others to greatness she hopes to achieve someday.

Thank You for Your Steadfast Support

“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. ”

— Psalm 112:7

In times that feel extra dark and heavy, I’m thankful to know that we are doing what we can do to make it a better place for some of our brothers and sisters across the globe and share with them the love of Christ. 

2021 has been an extremely challenging year for our family and our Give Amore family. Though we can focus on the many blessings and many praises, we also can’t ignore the real challenges we all face. I’m reminded of a scripture that jumped off the pages recently when I read it…

”They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord”. Psalm 112:7

While the world spins faster and faster and feels increasingly out of our control, we will not fear for our hearts are steadfast and trusting in the one who holds the world in His hands. We will not be shaken. 

We are so thankful for your steadfast support during these challenging days. I pray God’s peace and strength rest on you and your family!

Christa Horst

Give Amore Founding Director

Well #30 in Progress-So Exciting!

As this newsletter issue goes out today, Give Amore’s 30th well sinking is on course and should be completed in less than a fortnight. This was made likely through your thoughtful sacrificial donation that now will allow tens of households’ access to clean and safe water for daily use possible.

In a community where each drop of water immensely counts, it is not guaranteed that water fetched from distant rivers and streams is safe for consumption. This is due to rampant pollution in and around these sources, a fatal disaster to most families.

Cholera and typhoid are the most prevalent infections from such cases and in their attacks, many are left critically ill and in some sad cases dead. Therefore, this heaven sent water source provides an array of solutions people here are in dire need of. 

Joy Fueling Hope in our Tailoring Graduates

Since the inception of Give Amore’s Free tailoring training program in Kenya, hundreds of women have benefitted from this training than we can keep up with. Again, another lot graduated recently after successfully completing six months’ worth of training in everything embroidery.

These beautiful women showcased their sewing mastery and creativity through neatly custom tailored dresses that they made and get to keep as both gift and souvenir of the hard work dedication and sacrifice they inputted in their training. Additionally, they received certificates acknowledging their much treasured achievements. 

Their happiness exuded by their smiles is a clear indicator of how grateful they were, terming it as “An incredible way of arming them for their future through loving thoughtful hands that gave towards this worthy cause.” We wish them all the best.

Encouraging Achievement

For years you have helped nature our sponsored families through dietary supplements and toiletries, the only thing you may not know is how far greater this sacrifice is. Our sponsored children have grown into impeccable young men and women courtesy of this program and continue to thrive through it.

This venture contributes immensely in our efforts in eradicating food insecurity in our community with the full knowledge that eradicating hunger isn’t an easy task. Hunger causes suffering and poor health and further slows progress in many areas of development like education and employment.

Bearing all these in mind we couldn’t be prouder of our achievements through the pandemic to date in keeping our sponsored families fed and safe and hopping that our continued partnership bears more fruits that bring glory to God through hope, joy and love.

Let's Go! Let's Love!

“God will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. ”

— Hebrews 6:10

 We are so grateful for your generous giving! We cannot believe all that God has been able to accomplish through generous hearts and prayer partners! I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes: “Alone we can do so little;  together  we can do so much.”-Helen Keller.   

Yesterday, I had a rare opportunity to chat about Kenya with a fellow world traveler. He is an incredible photographer who has a heart for Africa and is about to go to Kenya for 3 weeks. It dawned on me that I haven’t had the opportunity/privilege to talk with others in person about the work we are doing in Kenya in so long.  I found myself so excited and so darn proud of all that we’ve accomplished and it got me dreaming again for the first time in a long time about the things we still need to do there!

 First off, recognizing that when I travel to Kenya it better allows me to be the voice of our brothers and sisters across the globe,  I’m prayerfully considering traveling to Kenya in January 2022. However, I need others to join me. Please pray to see if this is something God is putting on your heart. Curiosity? A nudging? A true desire to use your gifts and talents to love on others? All are welcome! Please message me and we will schedule a conversation about it! 

Secondly, the pandemic has caused some long-term changes to our sewing program and I’m praying we can reverse those. Our recent graduates completed the classes but did not receive a sewing machine as all other graduates have received and that pains me. Our sewing program has great success in providing skills and income opportunities for its graduates. We have ae waiting list of people who want to join but, we have no funds to continue our classes, let alone provide sewing machines for our graduates. Previous trips to Kenya have allowed me to bring back tote bags and products to sell that have funded our sewing program. Without the sales and donations, we aren’t able to continue.  Please read the article in this newsletter and consider donating any amount or sponsoring an adult sewing student!

Lastly,  we wait with expectation at all that God has planned with us and through us!  Thank you for joining us on this journey!

Christa Horst

Give Amore Founding Director

Our 29th Source of Joy, Hope and Love in Kenya

Paloma (right) and other children from her community wash their hands with clean water now available just steps from their homes thanks to generous givers!

Paloma and her community have a good reason to smile after a new well was commissioned and handed to them by Give Amore in a mini prayer session. The joyful community now have found a lasting solution to their enduring clean water scarcity problem and can now do even more with their saved time previously used in search of this precious commodity in streams and springs. 

Ever imagined something as abundant as clean water to be so scarce and even the slightest of its presence to be very reassuring? Well, in Kenya women and children like Paloma, trek for miles daily in search for water and this eats up in to their time that could be otherwise be spent elsewhere with no guarantee of its viability for consumption.

This new blessing bring our total number of wells dug to 29, a major boost in our enduring quest of disease and poverty reduction as well as sharing hope, joy and love with many in remote areas such as this one. Tens of Families will drink from this well and will testify of its life changing purpose.

Launched into a World of Opportunities

These six young ladies completed our sewing program. Unfortunately, due to cutbacks we are not able to provide them with sewing machines as we have in the past. They are still extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn new skills.

Beneficiaries from Made with Amore free sewing training school are set to take on the world ‘to fish after learning how to’. The six women’s resilience, hard work and commitment saw them through the six-month training program and through skills acquired, they will be able to fend for their families.

Some of these women are widows, survivors of failed abusive marriages, while others are semi-literate individuals who had to quit school due various reasons.

By empowering them, not only do you help put daily bread in their bellies, but also keep their children in school and give them a sense of purpose. While exuding great excitement, they were so grateful to you for making their dreams come true and launching them into a world of opportunities. 

Love Lives on Amidst the Pandemic

Precious Thomas receiving school supplies delivered to his home due to new Covid restrictions.

Give Amore’s door to door distribution is back courtesy of the government’s directive seeking to mitigate the spread of Covid-19’s Delta variant reported in western Kenya. Our sponsored children not only received food and toiletries, but also books and stationery in readiness for the new school semester to begin soon.

Other School requirements are covered amidst growing concerns over the rising infection rates with no promise of a vaccine anytime soon. However, no cases have been reported in our areas of operation and we pray they stay safe.

All our sponsored children come from families that live on under a dollar a day and thus it is paramount to use any means necessary to get them the much need help we can offer until this deadly virus is contained.

God’s Timing is Perfect

““For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.””

— Jeremiah 29:11

I’m not sure if you, like me, are in need of a good dose of perspective change.  Well,  if so, or even if you just love seeing lives being transformed then read on! 

These updates from Kenya came at the perfect time for me. You see, I’ve been getting caught up in some disappointment, some first world problems as I like to call them. And I believe it’s absolutely ok to be disappointed. God created us to dream. He created me with a deep desire to travel, to make a difference, to live life to the fullest and I recently had a dream crushed. I was so sad. And it’s ok to be. But, I didn’t stay in the disappointment long because I opened my email and saw these updates from Kenya! WOW! If I ever need a little boost of some encouragement it was right then!  

I’m thrilled to share with you just 3 short articles that encompass dreaming, generosity, seeds planted long ago, hard work, perseverance and trust in God and his promise to give us the desires of our hearts if we delight in him. Well, here He is showing up for so many using his best workmanship-his people!

He also, gave me my first nudge in a long time about our next trip to Kenya! Right now, I’m considering January 2022! Who wants to join me? 

So, dear friends, be encouraged! God’s timing is perfect! Thank you for joining us on this mission to make a difference! Rest-assured, we are!!!! 

Your Sister in Christ,

Christa Horst,Give Amore Founding Director 

More Lives Anticipate Change with the Digging of Well #29

The good work of providing clean safe water to communities across western Kenya gained yet another boost after Give Amore embarked on sinking its 28th well all thanks to your thoughtful giving towards this cause. The well will impact tens of families greatly through poverty mitigation and massive eradication of waterborne diseases. 

The well is strategically located at Paloma’s home which also acts as the gate pass to the larger village that is deemed the direct beneficiary to this project. As a result, lack of a cleaner safer water source alternative will be a thing of the past soon.

Through your involvement in this worthy cause, you have helped chatter a pathway to possible sustainable economic growth through agriculture, and also allow children to go back to school off collecting dirty water all day. This goes a long way in breaking the cycle of poverty in the lives of many in western Kenya.

Compassion & Love Holding Ruth Strong

“If it weren’t for you my life wouldn’t be this possible, God bless you!” Are the words of Mama Ruth as she bid us goodbye after a successful follow up visit with her to find out her current health update after two failed unwarranted hip replacement surgeries. Despite being frail, she was in great spirits and thankful. 

Her mobility problem is still potent and getting worse with age despite having a walker and this is aggravated by her fracture pains alongside other terminal illnesses. However, this grandmother and sole guardian of seven is optimistic of living to beat it all to raise her grandchildren in the best ways possible.

As a recap, Miss. Ruth was involved in a road accident about a decade ago, a situation that left her with multiple fractures in her left arm and a severely fractured hip too impossible to repair. She currently thrives in pain meds and is overly bed ridden and pretty much reliant on charity for survival. 

The Strong Will of a Woman

Despite the dissenting economic effects of Covid-19 in Kenya, one woman in a remote village in western Kenya won’t just take it laying down. Miss. Diana Shisia, a seamstress by profession, found a way of managing her small sewing workshop from home whilst taking care of her twin toddler grandchildren simultaneously. 

The 50-year-old had to move her tailoring shop from her village market on the onset of the pandemic and so far this multitasking hardworking mama is at the top of her game. She confirms that initially consolidating both responsibilities of childcare and running her sewing business wasn’t easy but her love for what she does and commitment has seen her through.

Diana is a beneficiary of Give Amore’s free tailoring training program and is grateful that not only does proceeds from her home based tailoring business help feed her grandchildren but also help educate her daughter in high school. We wish her all the best.