The holidays often bring a certain pressure with them, don’t they? Or is it just me? I feel like our culture (here in the U.S.) has created this need to, well…. to perform. To put in immense effort to please people, to out-do others, to have it all look and feel just so.

I’m not sure how fulfilling that is really. I mean, yeah, we can pull it all off and at the end of the day kick our feet up with pride. Plink… done. Yes, I am certain in the mix of events and thought-itudes (don’t worry, I made that word up) we succeeded in pleasing the people around us who were blessed by our efforts. And that’s good. After all, we want our people to know they are loved and cared about. Sharing love and life together is important.

But what if we are missing a ginormous piece of the puzzle? What if we are so focused on our inner circle we are missing the uncomfortable needs outside of our cushy little lives? What would be accomplished if we simply turned our gaze? Would we be able to forget with a blink and a nod… or would we feel pressed to be a part of something bigger than our norm?

There are a TON of opportunities all around us to expand our hearts. You can probably look outside your front door and find someone who can use an extra dose of love. I challenge you to do that.

I also invite you to look and listen to the different stories we have collected working alongside the local leaders in Kenya and Tanzania. They are doing some incredible work reaching out and loving on people who have no options, have perhaps lost hope, or simply need help problem solving a basic need.

Over the next 10 days we are going to highlight different giving project areas. If you feel a little tug to step up and get involved we will show you how to do that easily. Keep your eyes peeled, we are SO excited to have you join us as we share what has captured our hearts. (if you just can’t wait and you are ready to DIVE IN now - click here it’s the link to the online giving catalog)

TOGETHER we can make a difference.

I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. - Maya Angelou

In the last 24 hours we have had two people with upcoming birthdays ask if they could run a campaign to build widows homes. The concept is to have friends and family give a little, with purpose, to collectively accomplish a lot TOGETHER.

The goal is to celebrate these birthdays by raising funds to build widows homes. The project starts at $500 and goes up depending on location and type of home needed. Does this $500 cover total cost? No…. the recipients of the home begin by having some investment and end with some labor with the help of the local community and church. That leaves room for us to join in what they are already doing. Fabulous, right?

With $500 raised we can provide one dirt floor home for someone in great need. And it may not seem like much to you but trust me, it is HUGE to them.

So all it takes is 50 people giving $10, 20 giving $25… Or 5 giving $100.

What if we Could do even more… like raising enough to put cement floors in to guarantee it would be jigger free. (If you haven’t seen the video of this check out our FB Page) That would cost an additional $500.

Jen Hansen dreamed up the idea to do a campaign supporting a woman in Western Kenya for her birthday. ( see Team Members tab for details) She would love to see her friends and family donate towards a widows home vs. buy her a gift.

Linda Gist loves working with the Koko’s In Maasailand and for her birthday she would like to start a campaign. You can donate below by clicking the donation link.

We absolutely love the fresh new ideas people are coming up with to get involved. Let us know if you have an idea. Together we can make difference!

Please join these incredible projects and share some love by jumping over to the “Get Involved” link and make a donation to “most needed”, make sure to add a note letting us know who’s campaign you are supporting.

Linda working to build a home in Maasailand.