When people ask me what a grant from GBGM, funded by Encounter with Christ accomplishes for the mission of Give Ye Them To Eat, I don’t begin with numbers. I begin with a woman.

Several months ago, I watched three graduates of our More Than A Bandage Community Health Promoters Program stand in front of nearly eighty children in a small frontier village.

They confidently taught the importance of brushing teeth, demonstrated proper dental care, and applied fluoride treatments to every child.

As I watched them lead, I realized something remarkable. Just eighteen months earlier, these same women had been students sitting quietly in the back of our classroom, unsure if they had anything worth offering. Today they were the teachers. They were the leaders. Their neighbors trusted them because they were not outsiders—they were mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends from communities just like this one.

Then something unexpected happened.

One of our American volunteers visiting for another program, removed his dentures and flashed the biggest toothless smile imaginable. The children burst into laughter. Even the adults couldn’t contain themselves. In the middle of all the excitement, one little boy proudly announced, “I’m going to brush my teeth four times a day!”

Everyone laughed. But I found myself thinking beyond that moment.

How many conversations would happen around dinner tables that evening? How many brothers and sisters would hear that story? How many parents would remind their children to brush before bed because of what happened that afternoon?

That’s how transformation begins. Not through grand gestures. Not through expensive buildings. But through trusted local leaders who share knowledge, compassion, and hope with the people they love.

This is why Encounter with Christ’s partnership means so much. Your generosity didn’t simply pay for a training program. It equipped women with knowledge, confidence, and practical skills that they now carry back into villages where healthcare information is often scarce or unavailable. They teach young mothers about pregnancy. They help families understand diabetes and heart disease. They monitor blood pressure. They recognize emergencies. They provide health education in churches, schools, and community gatherings.

Most importantly, they remain there long after we leave. That is the beauty of the Give Ye Them To Eat ministry. We aren’t creating dependence; we’re cultivating local leaders who continue serving their communities year after year.

People often ask if a gift really makes a difference. I wish they could have stood beside me that afternoon.

They would have seen children laughing.

Women leading.

Families learning.

Communities growing healthier.

And they would understand that every gift becomes far more than a donation. It becomes hope. It becomes confidence. It becomes healthier families. It becomes the love of Christ made visible through people serving their own neighbors.

Thank you for making stories like this possible. Every life touched continues the ripple effect, and together we are witnessing communities transformed—one woman, one family, and one village at a time.