Frequent Flyers rock when it comes to Kiva. The MilePoint team is now 10th overall and its 532 members have invested over $301,000 in December alone. As their Flyertalk experience was the inspiration for that team, we should take pride in its accomplishments.

As others have pointed out Kiva is not about competition, it is about helping. I hope the Flyertalk team will now take some inspiration from MilePoint and and that each member will make this Christmas season a little more special by making a Kiva loan.

I saw a loan request by a woman who made chicken stew. She sold out most every day and wanted a loan to by more chicken from a local chicken farm. So every penny she spent on chickens to stew and increase her income benefited the local chicken farmer. The chicken farmer bought feed and his necessities locally and so that $25 loan was worth hundreds to the local economy. You just cannot imagine the power of a $25 loan.

Keep on lending. Every loan counts, every loan helps, every loan benefits – not just the borrower, but it makes our world a little bit better too.

I joined the Flyertalk team in 2011 and made my first team loan. I'll make at least one more Flyertalk team loan in 2012. Hope you will too.

Merry Christmas and have a happy new year. May all your flights be upgraded and your hotel stays as well.