Love 41 {giveaway}

Love 41 is one of my favorite businesses. All their proceeds go towards orphans, widows, and street kids. If ya’ll know me even just a little bit, these three things are so dear to my heart. {We are adopting from Uganda!}

What is the Love 41 story?

In the summer of 2010 our family took a trip to Rwanda. We planned the trip after Africa New Life Ministries invited us over to see what they were doing. Little did we know, this not only would be the trip responsible for Love 41 but also the trip where we would meet our two African sons, Jean Claude and Athanase. Our 3 year old daughter, Sela, would also find Karasira, the boy she sponsors by doing extra chores. This trip has changed our lives as a family forever.

Before we went, we had a basic knowledge of Rwanda’s past and the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of nearly 1,000,000 men, women and children in less than 90 days. I tried to prepare myself as much as possible by reading books like “Left to Tell” or “A Thousand Hills” and watching movies like “Hotel Rwanda” and “Sometime in April”. But nothing prepared us for what we witnessed when we arrived.

In our short time there, we met hundreds of kids without families or homes and many of them were sniffing glue to dull the hunger pains. We also got to know many women who, in the past, felt they had no choice but to resort to prostitution so their children wouldn’t starve to death.

Check out the {story} video HERE

Love 41 is a retail business that sells handmade and unique items from around the world. Our profit will go towards helping orphans, widows and street kids in third world countries by educating, training, feeding, and showing them acts of compassion. Love 41 was started out of a deep desire to do more in Rwanda, Africa. Suzette heard about the great need from a company called Africa New Life nearly 4 years ago. She was so moved by what they were doing, she and her husband started supporting them financially. She wanted to know more so she decided to take a trip with her two young children and husband and see the need first hand. That trip changed her life and she began feeling burdened to do more than what she was already doing, so she began to pray. God laid it on her heart to start a business where 100% of the profit would go to help orphans, widows, former prostitutes and street children. Her ultimate goal is to expand beyond Rwanda and to help other third world countries in need.

The mission? “Where receiving is giving”

What products do they offer? Unique and handmade items such as jewelry, tee shirts, bags, belts, scarves and sweaters from around the world.

I was so excited to receive my spoon necklace from Love 41. Oooo, I love this piece of jewelry. What is a spoon necklace?

• Pendant is cut from bowl of a vintage silver plated spoon

• Folded and stamped with Love 41 on each side
• Pendant is approximately 1” x 1.5”
• Soft, pliable lambskin leather braided necklace
• Color is brown and dyed all the way through
• 41″ long with toggle closure
• Can be worn many ways: single loop, doubled, tripled, loose knot around pendent
• Handmade in Old Mexico the and U.S.A.

From the founders of Love 41: If you’re like me, I don’t give much thought to spoons. I just pull one out of the pile in my kitchen drawer and dig into my food (and hope the kids let me enjoy it while it’s still hot). However, many in our world don’t own a spoon or have never used one.

This spoon pendant necklace is the very first piece designed for Love 41 and it‘s the necklace I was wearing when I chose the name, Love 41.

On our last trip to Rwanda, we discovered some children were passing out at school due to a lack of food at home. A child can’t learn, grow, and thrive without food. Love 41 purchases help to provide food for these children and others.

Isn’t it just adorable? I LOVE LOVE LOVE mine! And have you seen the other products that Love 41 has? I love their jewelry {oh my, its to die for!} and their apparel is just so adorable, and there is something for everyone in accessories.

a Rafflecopter giveaway