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by Chris Horst, chief advancement officer 

For reasons outlined in more detail on my personal blog last month, I’ll be stepping back from my current leadership role at HOPE International into a part-time role in January 2023. This transition was made for positive family reasons and the desire to decrease travel and be more present with my family during this stage. 

My transition means that two of my colleagues will be stepping into more senior leadership positions. For more than a decade, I have worked closely alongside both Dan Williams (pictured above in black) and Erika Quaile (pictured above in pink). They have both proven to be exceptional leaders of their respective teams. But even more significantly, I’m impressed with who they are as people. I am thrilled that they will be promoted to vice presidents and fully confident in their ability to move HOPE’s mission forward.  

Dan and Erika embody the best of HOPE’s culture, and we are inspired by how they follow Jesus. They desire to grow, learn, wrestle with their own shortcomings, and serve others—their families, churches, communities, and colleagues.  

It has been a joy and privilege to manage Erika and Dan, and I’m thrilled to share more about their unique qualifications for the roles they’ll be stepping into in the new year.
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By Chris Horst, Vice President of Development

If you attended a HOPE event in the fall, you likely heard us describe the 950,000 men and women HOPE and our partners serve around the world. Yet, when you read our 2017 annual report, you’ll see we report serving 838,000 people at the end of 2017. While we have adjusted our numbers substantially, we did not technically lose these clients. We made this change because we believe in reporting field data with the highest levels of integrity, even if it means reporting unfavorable news.

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I’m a gamer. Not the World of Warcraft sort of gamer, but a real gamer. Zelda never did it for me, but I’m always up for a ride on B & O Railroad or an excursion to the distant lands of Catan.

Yahtzee is one of my favorite games. In short, gamers throw five dice in series of three rolls to make certain combinations, highlighted by the elusive Yahtzee: a five-of-a-kind. A few weeks ago, I played with a friend who was new to the game. And one overzealous comment reminded me how dangerous prescribing can be. Continue Reading…

Timothy Kayera spoke with been-there-done-that confidence. He grew stronger with each word, pulling me closer with the fire of his conviction. And then he summarized everything I believe about charity. In four words.

I used to work with one of those organizations that gave stuff away to everyone. We’d give away animals, clothing, and clean water. All for free. I remember when we’d give goats to people, I would get phone calls and they’d say, “Timothy, your goat is dead.”

Your goat is dead. I’ve tried to articulate this idea dozens of times over the years, but never this potently. In four words, he said:

  1. It was never his goat in the first place,
  2. It was inconsequential it died, and
  3. It was Timothy’s job to replace it.

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A Rwandan artisan turns recycled paper into designer greeting cards via Cards from Africa. HOPE introduced savings groups to the vibrant young staff—all orphans—of this organization.

Cards from Africa. After the recycled paper is blended into a pulp, it is dyed and dried under the Rwandan sun.

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2012 Celebrating HOPE

“People that give are so blessed by their giving that it’s contagious. They want to talk about it. They’re excited to talk about it.” – Pastor Chris Seay at Compassion International chapel

“Contagious” is a word not often associated with generosity. And when it is, it’s often not in a positive way. I remember a moment several years ago when I purposefully made a call on my cell phone as I walked past a Christmas bell ringer, wanting to bypass the bell ringer completely as if I might catch a disease if I walked too close. Perhaps you’ve had a similar reaction to a fundraising support letter or a panhandler in your town. But when Seay describes contagious giving, he’s not articulating a pie-in-the-sky notion that it’s possible for generosity to be positively contagious. He’s seen it in a profound way. Continue Reading…