When you give money to a charity, what happens to it? Does the money actually reach a person who is in need? Does a small gift really make a difference to anyone?

Several years ago Kay Marshall Strom discovered a new avenue for giving that especially intrigued her: gift catalogs. The catalogs, put out by various organizations, offer opportunities to provide specific material, educational and medical provisions for people all over the world, such as a year of school for a Chinese pastor's child, tuberculosis medicine for a patient in North Korea or animals for a family in Cambodia.

But Kay wanted to find out for herself what happened when the families actually received the gifts purchased. So, working with Partners International, she set out on an eye-opening expedition around the world. What she found was financial integrity, fulfilled promises and radically changed lives.

Through these pages you can travel with her on her journey. See the delight of families, and enter the stories of hope in the midst of struggle. Kay offers here an invitation to discover the power and joy of giving that changes lives--yours, and the lives of people all over the world.