Thankful for You!

Dear Partners,

In this season of gratitude, I want to first start by saying how very thankful we are for you! We know there are a million amazing causes and a million and one ways to spend your money and time so we appreciate your support and prayers more than you know!

Since I’m often telling you all about our needs, I wanted to do something different this month and offer a gift of Thanksgiving to our ongoing givers who give so generously without expecting anything in return!

I would like to gift you a Made with Amore tote bag (of our choosing, while supplies last), along with the card that tells our story so that you can keep it or gift it to someone else this Christmas season! We’d love for you to wear/use it or gift it and let the receiver know our story and how you are involved! I believe this is a great way to bless you all and can be a blessing for others and/or help us tell our stories.

The Made with Amore tote bags are handmade by our sewing students out of beautiful African fabrics we choose from the open-air market in our area of Kenya. We sell them online as a way to raise funds for our sewing program which offers every graduate skills to provide for their families. As we are able, we provide a beautiful Singer sewing machine, table, stool and needles/threads for our graduates to be able to immediately provide for their families. It’s a remarkable, one-of-a-kind program and we’d be honored to bless you because of your support!

If you’d like to receive a complimentary tote bag (while supplies last) please Venmo @Christa-Horst $7 for shipping or let me know you’re mailing a check to cover the shipping and we will get that out to you! Please mail/make out any checks to Christa Horst, 14407 Wildflower Loop, Fort Smith, AR, 72916. If you’d like to purchase any more for yourself or as gifts, they are available on our website, www.giveamore.org.

The urgent needs we have are still active but we are trusting God for his provisions to see how we proceed for 2024. Please see previous update from me on our blog for more information about that.

As always, we thank God for your support and can’t wait to see how He continues to provide for His children here and in Kenya. You are in our prayers and our daily gratitude reflection!

God bless,

Christa Horst

Founding Director

Give Amore

What Are You Thankful For?

For over eight years now, Give Amore’s growth and sustainability in service and persons empowerment has been tremendous even beyond our understanding given how small we started. But now looking back, it is without doubt that your support and alignment of your hopes with our cause has been the backbone that has catapulted us this far without forgetting God’s grace that binds us.

The hundreds of families that we have touched and still continue to bless through our programs are pure proof of how a seed no matter how small, if planted and well cared for can grow into a huge tree and bear so much fruits over and over to reach and nourish multitudes for a life time. You inspire each day to be such an honor to serve, giving hope, joy and love a whole new meaning.

Therefore, we take this chance to toast to the goodness and solutions our partnership has been able to realize and hope for even much thrill this journey will offer in the coming future despite potent challenges there have been and will be. We so dearly celebrate you and from us to the rest of your families, happy thanksgiving.

Here for Every Child

In retrospect, almost all of the children we encountered had an understanding of grief and sometimes proved quite a challenge to mitigate given how different children cope with loss in contrast to adults. As a mushrooming organization, we had little skills to best handle them both psychosocially and emotionally but however, we took up the task non the less and they turned out so well beyond our prior imaginings.

At the passing on of a parent most children tend to worry about ‘’what next? which if left unchecked, lands them to depression which breaks their wellbeing in so many ways even sometimes fatally. Significantly, entities like ours come in not mainly as a loss replacement but as a shoulder they can lean on in collaboration with their existing families. Continuation of education more specifically is key in the reassurance that they are not alone and that their dreams are valid.

In our sponsorship program, we have seen gradual improvement in our children over the years, some even graduating college and raising their own children in line with everything they learnt under our guidance and we are even prouder when their life long dreams are achieved. Like Mother Theresa said, “Let no one come to you and leave the same.”

A Day with Justa

Justa Gakii is a graduate from our sewing program and since last year 6/30 has been an impactful alumnus. Upon completion of her training and award of a sewing machine and compliments, she immediately took to setting up her own workshop evidently specializing in women clothes and children fittings and so far, this vibrant young mama couldn’t be prouder of the difference and privileges her business has achieved.

 She is grateful for the opportunity of earning a living that has kept her one son in school and supplemented her food rations her loving husband tables daily. She works from home sometimes to cut down on workshop rent but sometimes during the peak seasons as this, she dares her competition for the market share.

During our visit she had quite a number of dresses made and ready for sale and as we found out lately only a handful are in stock. We pray for her greatness in the very competitive fashion industry and as she soars higher, inspire even more to follow in her footprints.

URGENT NEED!!!!

Thomas is one of 43 children in our sponsorship program! Our sponsorship program is in urgent need of financial support to keep the children fed, medically cared for and in school!

Dearest Partners,

We pray that you are doing well and that God is providing for you and your family! We thank you so much for your generosity and continued support over the past almost 9 years! God has been so good to provide for the needs of so many by stirring in the hearts of complete strangers to support what He has called me to do with Give Amore. It’s a constant reminder of His goodness and faithfulness.

 Because of your generosity I find it so challenging to ASK for help. You already give! You already support us! But we’ve had quite a few of our ongoing partners cancel their recurring child sponsorship donations for various reasons. Our orphan sponsorship program is our most challenging of our programs because of the constant varying prices of food, supplies and school fees based on each child’s location, grade and health status.

Basically, I’m saying we are consistently under-funded for this mission. But right now, we are EXTREMELY short in school fees that will be due in the coming months!

We must act NOW to keep this vital program going and keep all our children in school! Our goal is to raise an additional $4850 in monthly recurring donations immediately. The best ways to support us are as follows:

• Create a new recurring donation in any amount to start monthly for October!

• Make a one-time donation in any amount toward our sponsorship program to help us cover the current deficit.

• Spread the word of what we do!

• Gift the sponsorship of a child in someone’s name. We can provide a certificate that you can print and wrap/digitally share!

• See if your company has an employee match program and if so, please reach out to me so we can set that up!

The wait list for our sponsorship program is lengthy but we’ve not added anyone to our program because our donations for sponsorship are extremely inconsistent. Please help us stabilize this extremely important program immediately!

With Utmost Gratitude and Appreciation,

Christa Horst, Give Amore Founding Director

See the Beauty in Water

Because you care, Give Amore just clocked its 42nd well and we cannot ignore your unrivalled generosity in shaping our current achievements for a better tomorrow, keeping in mind hundreds of families impacted so far by your act of faith and love. This thoughtful blessing has commenced its purpose and now many can sleep easy knowing that clean water is available round the clock.

As most perceive in Africa, water crisis is a woman’s issue, but it is certain now that the same women will reap widely from the convenient blessings that this well holds. Time once lost in wandering in search of water will now be channelled in other productive activities that were prior overlooked creating another window for even more tagged blessings and opportunities.

Drawing from it for the very first time, this deserving community exuded their fathomless gratitude in song and dance and reassured everyone present of its safety and that its purpose shall be felt by even people beyond its scope for many more generations to come.

It’s Never Too Late to Change the World

For years now generous giving has explored life with Jesus like kindness through empathy, stories and conversation. Somewhere along the way while we were telling stories of our sponsored children who could not afford the luxury of basic education, you heard one and joined in to help hence sowing the seed of hope through unconditional love bettering their tomorrow full of meaning and zeal.

Once again, our education program needs your help for immediate and recuring donations to keep it sustained and thriving. Due to inflation, we are experiencing increased costs such as fees and more and therefore we invite you on board once again to keep these precious children in school to avert any chance of possible dropouts.  

Your much needed help will keep the wheels of the program spinning giving them a chance to stay in school and fed. If you feel called towards this noble cause, you can visit our website for more information and just like their predecessors, you will shape their future and dreams for a lifetime. Amen.

A day in the Life of Shelvin

Radiant as her demeanor exudes, this 23-year-old mom has taken up to daily sewing for five hours while still enjoying watching her three children run around and play in the yard terming it as a necessary distraction. Her name is Shalvin Wekhoba.

She is hooked to making anything African wearable from men African print shirts and women dresses as well as children’s. Her husband and children enjoy the spoils from left over prints as so far clothing isn’t much of a concern like before; as well as the extra income the venture fetches. She enjoys her new found occupation and the love towards it is gratitude enough.

Immediate, Urgent Need!

Dearest Partners,

We pray that you are doing well and that God is providing for you and your family! We thank you so much for your generosity and continued support over the past 8.5 years! God has been so good to provide for the needs of so many by stirring in the hearts of complete strangers to support what He has called me to do with Give Amore. It’s a constant reminder of His goodness and faithfulness.

 Because of your generosity I find it so challenging to ASK for help. You already give! You already support us! But we’ve had quite a few of our ongoing partners cancel their recurring child sponsorship donations for various reasons. Our orphan sponsorship program is our most challenging of our programs because of the constant varying prices of food, supplies and school fees based on each child’s location, grade and health status.

Basically, I’m saying we are consistently under-funded for this mission. But right now, we are extremely short in school fees that will be due in the coming months!

We must act NOW to keep this vital program going and keep all our children in school! Our goal is to raise an additional $5000 (that’s 50 $100 per month donors) in monthly recurring donations immediately. The best ways to support us are as follows:

• Create a new recurring donation in any amount to start monthly for September!

• Make a one-time donation in any amount toward our sponsorship program to help us cover the current deficit.

• Spread the word of what we do!

• Gift the sponsorship of a child in someone’s name. We can provide a certificate that you can print and wrap/digitally share!

• See if your company has an employee match program and if so, please reach out to me so we can set that up!

The wait list for our sponsorship program is lengthy but we’ve not added anyone to our program because our donations for sponsorship are extremely inconsistent. Please help us stabilize this extremely important program immediately!

With Utmost Gratitude and Appreciation,

Christa Horst, Give Amore Founding Director

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

— Matthew 7:7-8

Well #41 in the Works and to be Unveiled Soon

It’s always a wonderful feeling launch sustainable projects in the community and this month we are more than happy to report the ground breaking of yet another well to a deserving community courtesy of your cherished support. The borehole sinking is currently underway and is completion eminent.

With hundreds of families eager to draw from this life changing well, its strategic positioning was well evaluated and this well is among the most well placed for its service in respect to accessibility. This is our 41st well in our books and we couldn’t be happier to commission it to its beneficiaries.

The bedrock of our water project program is sustainability and safety above all else. With such a gift that keeps giving, the community is guaranteed of convenient and consistent supply of clean water up to lifetime. More will come from far to draw from it and health will be restored back in a society that was so prone to malady.

Hope Soaring as Love Empowers More

Equipment are a vital necessity in imparting skills and delivery of effective services and thus in their last visit to Kenya, Christa and friends donated computers and accessories as well as office furniture. This boost has gone a long way in effecting service delivery to all immensely.

Our computer training program offers free training to many across Kakamega a county in Kenya and so far there has been record enrolment from students who would have rather paid exorbitant fees in other institutions despite their deprived backgrounds. The skills acquired will go a long way in levelling the playing field of opportunities in a fast changing world.

Despite most of the students being from very poor backgrounds their commitment and consistency is something so admirable. This motivates us to even do more for these much deserving individuals.

Meet Anastasia, Our Extraordinary Alumni

Incredible and focused on her projects, Anastasia Ayotsi expresses the image of her business as blissful and an easy venture through her thoughtful and artistic stitching and designs. Of all the other alumni we’ve met so far, she is the differentiated one, going out of her way to market what she does in her shop well located in the busy streets of her local market.

 She further trains her peers and young alike for free to keep the spirit of giving back alive and flowing. She makes all sorts of clothing rang from men women and children. Further she makes curtains on demand for her customers who are impressed with her delivery and consistency. She graduated on 11/1 last year.

Her vision is to continue supporting her family as well as mentoring more girls who share in her hope to liberate them from the fangs of poverty and keep the spirit of change flowing. This is what our sewing program stands for and emblems.

Kenya Trip 2023 Update and More!

Long time no newsletter! Sorry about that! Since the last newsletter was published, we moved from Texas to Arkansas, went to Kenya, went on a family vacation, went to 3 National Parks, went to Atlanta for work and JUST got home! God is good!

Hopefully, you followed along on my Facebook pasts and Instagram Reels for just a glimpse into our incredible trip to Kenya! It was so worth the wait! God brought me the perfect travel companions and helpers and it was a magnificent trip!

Larisa and Anna joined me in falling in love with Kenya and its people. We laughed, cried and shared so many incredible moments together! This experience is hard to explain to others so to have others experience it with me is so wonderful.

A few of the highlights:

-Distribution Day with our children and their guardians coming for a full day of activities including stickers, bubbles, learning how to play the recorder, songs, balls, games and a messages of hope.

-Working with the Made with Amore sewing students and staff for new tote bags! Also, getting to know the students and what a blessing this program is to them!

-Teaching some life skills to the computer training students and how they can control their attitude, their effort and their response to things. Super beneficial and fun time!

-Groundbreaking community party for well #39! It was our biggest even to date with the local papers and media coming out! Bishop and MP Titus Kamala joined and it was quite a celebration!

-A jigger clinic at the school across the street from our offices. This was a heartbreaking time for us as even though I try to prepare myself and the ladies, it’s harder than you can imagine. Seeing a young baby infested with jiggers is so unreal. Man, it was hard. But we treated dozens of feet and provided shoes and goodies for the students and staff!

-Attending Sheila Kamala’s Kenyan wedding! This was fun!!!! Dancing, eating local food, watching this beautiful cultural event was a definite highlight, especially because Sheila is my friend and we’ve hosted her in America multiple times. Great timing that we were there for it!

-Team Time lunch and guided hike in the rainforest at Rondo Retreat Center. This is always a treat for our staff and ourselves!

-We ended the trip with an incredible safari in Nakuru where we could fully enjoy God’s beautiful creation and creative animals!

One of the best parts of all of this was watching others back home come along side of us, pray for us, cheer us on and give generously to so many needs! It is so wonderful to have the view I have on the ground and behind the scenes to see how God is providing and to watch the fruit of the labor that began over 12 years ago! Seeing 40 clean water wells is UNREAL! Seeing the children grow up is  beautiful evidence of what we are doing and why! And seeing the difference we are making in this community with our long-standing support is miraculous.

So, thank you for everything! But let’s not stop there! There are some needs that I pray God will help us meet! We need staff raises desperately. The cost of living has more than doubled but I have not increased the pay of our amazing staff in over 5 years. We need more jigger clinics that provide education and treatment to eradicate these nasty parasites! And we need to grow our sponsorship program! The wait list is a mile long, but our donations to this program are continuing to wane.

“
Be anxious for nothing, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. ”

— Philippians 4:6

Thank you thank you thank you!

 Be anxious for nothing, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

Another Well Shaping the Future

In a village haunted by water scarcity for a very long time, a clean water well came just in time to rid tens of families off this problem they prior embraced as a perennial menace for many years. This new baby in town now keeps clean water flowing in households and rekindled hope that was once lost.

Located in a community church, it is strategically located for all to drink from it as well as inspire hope for more possibilities tagged to its sustainability. This well totals the number of well to thirty-nine, a number that we couldn’t comprehend at the start of the programme eight years ago.

In other news, well number forty’s construction is underway and projected to be accomplished in ten days’ time and we couldn’t more thankful that you have been a huge blessing in this milestone. Sunk half way through; we satay motivated that it will be of much possibilities just like its predecessors… instilling hope and joy while cultivating communal growth through love.

*At the time of the publishing of this newsletter, well #40 was opened to the community!

Rising Tailors of Difference

Revamped and thriving, our tailoring program recently graduated another batch of her students, the latest graced by Christa, the program’s founder and Director of Give Amore on her recent trip to Kenya. Each graduates received a sewing machine as well as a sewing kit to take over the tailoring industry.

By the mantra of teaching a man to fish, these maiden tailors showcased their prowess by making their own dresses as proof of their readiness for what lies ahead of them. So far, the program boasts of equipping skills to hundreds of women and men who now own tailoring shops in their villages and making a difference through their love for everything embroidery.

Their grit, commitment and thirst for learning has channelled out incredible disciplined individuals who will change the course of fashion in the most significant way out there. As an organization we are proud of them and pray for their success in their new niches ahead.

Hope Defined

Violet, Queen, and Mosses can now hope for a better tomorrow they prior never contemplated given their deprived situation. The family of five now have their hope rekindled especially in these hard economic times where even a meal a day isn’t just luck but a blessing. They received a gift of a cow that will go a long way in reassuring their economic wellbeing.

Owning a cow in Kenya is such a luxury and a show of economic sustainability no matter how meagre. A larger percentage of Kenyan families depend on farming as a source of economic growth and this cow promises just that and even more.

In the foreseeable future we pray they thrive and grow in brighter future they so deserve.

Going Back to Kenya!!!!

Top Left: Bourgeois Family, Top Right: Green Family Bottom two: Give Amore Team 2019, Bottom Left: Horst Family (minus Connor)

It is with extreme gratitude that I let you all know that God provided not one travel partner but TWO!!! Wow!!! We leave June 7th for Africa and we cannot wait! My dear friend and neighbor, Larisa Bourgeois and a friend/health coach partner, Anna Green are joining me for those first mission trip and their first visit to the great continent of Africa! What an adventure they are in for!

And, if it couldn’t get more exciting, I found out that my dear Kenyan friend, Sheila Khamala, will be getting married while we’re there! So we get to attend an authentic Kenyan wedding!

On top of this, we will be blessing new wells, working with our sewing team, speaking with our adult computer students, visiting our children and overall being the hands and feet of Jesus to our brothers and sisters across the globe. It’s going to be so amazing!!! But, we need your help!!!

We always come across various needs while we are there. We don’t try to fix everyone’s problems (that’s God’s job) but sometimes He speaks to us and through us and we want to be open to hear where He wants us to step forward in ACTION. Would you consider donating to needs that we come across during this trip?  

Please note that we personally cover all of our expenses for this trip (and know that it is not cheap), but we’d love to have funds to use for various projects we come across while we are there!

 One of my favorite things we are able to do with Give Amore is SHOW you where your money is being used and who it is blessing! Please read this month’s newsletter for just a few updates on what we’ve done this past month through the generous giving of our partners!

As always, we are beyond grateful for you prayers and partnership! We can’t wait to see what God has in store in the coming months and for this trip! It’s going to be amazing!

Now, to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…Ephesians 3:20

In Christ,

Christa Horst

Founding Director

Give Amore

Look at your Feet and Feel the Gratitude

Doing good to impact a lasting difference still continues with yet another jigger clinic courtesy of your ever-growing generosity. Give Amore’s team Kenya visited a couple of schools and carried out jigger treatment on tens of students, who can now sleep easy off the pain caused by such vicious parasites.

Apart from jigger removal, the beneficiaries received each a pair of shoes that not only prevents reinfection but also can be used as school going shoes as well. Further, we look forward to clinical check ups to monitor their progress and keep tabs on any likely recurrences.

Jiggers are a huge menace to children in most parts of rural Kenya and it is an honor and privilege to share in the healing process with them and even do more to reach a versatile audience in the future. We believe with possible eradication of jiggers; these promising children stand a shot at a brighter future and we are privileged you are in this journey with us.

Well #38 is On

Hope once lost on lasting solution to water problems by villagers of Trinity Christian Center somewhere in western Kenya has been rekindled by the sinking of a clean water well that is currently underway. Grateful to this thoughtful venture are women and children who are always in the frontline in the search of water for domestic consumption daily.

This well is centrally and strategically located in one of the local churches which not only guarantees security but also ease of access by the locals and people from villages beyond. This well brings our total tally to thirty-eight and we believe just like its predecessors, it will serve the greater good of alleviating water scarcity problems and any tagged risks.

We stand motivated by the local women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough in ensuring that not even an ounce of water misses in their households despite all the difficulties and challenges they face while at the task.

Asante Sana (thank you so much)

Here is to eight years of being the story of good and change in the lives of hundreds of individuals nay families and stopping at nothing to ensuring lasting affirmative change in the lives of our beneficiaries despite all the challenges we have faced over the years.

We couldn’t have done a single thing without your prayers and the so much needed help you extend without pouting. Above them all, we are grateful of the inspiration of grit you give to our team and the unconditional love you show our children not forgetting that you are the pillar that keep our programs running and our projects completed.

So much we can say and so little we can do to match the sea of goodness you have done so far and, in that spirit, we hope to scale even greater heights with you by our side. We love you and together let’s keep the joy hope and love flowing for a brighter better tomorrow. Thank you so much!