Kiva.org

Rusty Andrade is one of the most giving people I know. He does so much for other people. So caring and selfless. He recently informed me about an incredible website that lets you help struggling people around the world by donating money to help them live better lives. They are entrepreneurs trying to get their businesses going so they can make a decent life for themselves, or just a struggling family in need of help. That's where WE come in. You browse through the people listed and can read their stories and why they requested a loan. You can search by specific categories like: Food, clothing, construction, housing, transportation... etc. Rusty bought $25 gift certificates and gave them out to friends and family as gifts so that they could help change a life. One of the best gifts you can give if you ask me! I'm so thankful he gave me $50 to donate. It was so great, but so sad to read through the people and try to find who to donate the money to. There are so many people in need and I wish I could help them all. I came across 2 people that stuck in my mind.

The first was José Del Carmen Mejía.


Jose works for a company that distributes water to all parts of Nicaragua. He's a pump operator. He's worked for the company for 17 years and sometimes works seven days a week. His goal when he started his job was to be able to lift up his family, to provide them with food, education and housing. He has two young children. Work on his house has moved along slowly, always depending on what money he brought in. Jose's next step is to continue the construction of a bedroom so that he can make his two young children more comfortable. That's why he's asking for the loan, to buy the materials he needs for construction.

When I thought about his 2 children I felt so heartbroken. We seriously take advantage of the way we live. We are sooo lucky to live the way we did. It made me think of one of the areas of my mission that was just outside of the city of Chihuahua. We went to visit some people and we walked up over this hill and what I saw made my heart break. It was miles upon miles of the poorest living conditions I've ever seen. Tin houses, houses that had cardboard for walls and roofs, houses held together with twine and wire. Awful. I feel so guilty living in my air-conditioned house with running water and get to fall asleep on my soft queen sized bed.

The second profile I came across was Jose Luis Arriola Hernandez.


"I have a plot of land that has some construction work on it, but I need to build a room on it because my wife and I are currently living in an old, broken down bus. We do not have any children because of our current living conditions. I am requesting a loan of $800.00 USD in order to obtain at least a safe and steadier roof over our heads so we can sleep."

Again... how can I not donate to help someone build themselves a home and get out of that broken down bus! I couldn't pass that up.

I hope you will all check this website out and hopefully be as touched as I was. Thank you Rusty for the gift certificates. It was such a great gift. I'll be donating to more people in the future. Thank you.

Learn what Kiva.org does, and how they do it by clicking HERE!