Life-Giving, Life-Changing, Life-Saving Christmas Presents

This is the third year Tom and I have supported  Gospel for Asia's Christmas Gift Catalog.  GFA's catalog isn't unique.  There are numerous ministries and nongovernmental organizations that do Christmas catalogs, allowing their supporters an opportunity to buy any range of items that will help and minister to those who are in great need and certainly less fortunate than those of us living in the United States.

There is something for everyone in GFA's Christmas catalog.  The catalog is organized into several sections - Gifts from the Stable, Gifts for the Poor, Gifts of Outreach, Gifts for Missionaries.  They also include the opportunity to get involved in their sponsorship programs for children and missionaries.  They've also designed some fun bundles, such as the Barnyard Bundle, which includes six chickens, two goats, two pigs, one lamb and one cow.  Whether you've got a couple hundred dollars you could donate or just eleven dollars, you'll find something in the catalog that will be life-giving and life-changing for families in Asia.  And, best of all, one hundred percent of what you donate for the mission field, goes to the mission field.  GFA takes nothing out for administrative or fundraising expenses.  

I got the idea to do a fun take on the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' based on the GFA Christmas catalog.  Here goes: 

On the first day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
a Jesus Well in my backyard

On the second day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the third day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard

On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Six Rabbits Hopping,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Seven Lambs-a-Lounging,
Six Rabbits Hopping,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eight Goats for Milking,
Seven Lambs-a-Lounging,
Six Rabbits Hopping,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Nine Ladies Reading,
Eight Goats for Milking,
Seven Lambs-a-Lounging,
Six Rabbits Hopping,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Ten Bikes for Trekking,
Nine Ladies Reading,
Eight Goats for Milking,
Seven Lambs-a-Lounging,
Six Rabbits Hopping,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones
Three Fish Nets
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eleven Looms for Weaving,
Ten Bikes for Trekking,
Nine Ladies Reading,
Eight Goats for Milking,
Seven Lambs-a-Lounging,
Six Rabbits Hopping,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Twelve Drums for Worship,
Eleven Looms for Weaving,
Ten Bikes for Trekking,
Nine Ladies Reading,
Eight Goats for Milking,
Seven Lambs-a-Lounging,
Six Rabbits Hopping,
Five Gospel Tracts,
Four Pay Phones,
Three Fish Nets,
Two Chick-a-dees,
And a Jesus Well in my backyard. 

Now here's the facts.  

A $1,000 Jesus Well is a cost-effective way to provide clean, fresh water for hundreds of people. These wells, located near a church or Bible college, give missionaries an opportunity to share the love of Christ with people in need of living water. Giving toward a well, or buying a complete well, makes a huge impact.

A pair of chickens for $11 can create a steady income. Chicken eggs provide food for the family and the extras can be sold at market.

Millions of Asians rely on fishing to feed their families and to make an income. When you provide a fisherman with a net, which costs $25, he doesn’t have to rent or buy one, leaving more money for food and essential household needs.

A $60 pay phone can help an Asian family pay the bills.  By installing a pay phone near their home, a family can generate income for years. 

A national missionary can hand out hundreds of tracts in just a few hours and just one dollar can pay for 200 tracts. Thousands have chosen to follow Christ after coming face-to-face with the Gospel message in these tracts. Donating Gospel tracts is an inexpensive way to make an eternal impact.

A pair of rabbits for $11 can change someone's life. A pair of rabbits will quickly multiply, providing a steady diet of healthy meat, and plenty of bunnies to sell. Rabbits are easy to feed and can be raised in a small space—an important consideration in the crowded areas of Asia.

A $65 lamb will produce up to 30 pounds of wool each year. That's like giving an Asian family 10 miles of yarn! And wool is not the only thing lambs have to offer. Their rich, nutritious milk is an excellent source of calcium and makes delicious cheese. A pair of lambs will reproduce, providing even more lambs for wool, milk, and meat. 

A pair of goats for $140 produces at least two offspring each year, and plenty of milk is provided to drink and sell. 

The GFA Women's Literacy Fund is available to both women in the church and the community. You can provide women the opportunity to learn to read by giving to the women's literacy fund.

With the help of a $110 bicycle, traveling from village to village is no longer a difficult burden for national missionaries. Daily walks that once took hours are now just a short ride away. 

Northeast India's tribal villages are known around the world for their beautiful, hand-woven textiles. Entire families make their living weaving cloth and sewing it into garments, handbags, hats and household items. Donating a weaving loom for $137 allows a family to produce these items faster, increase their profits, and provide for their needs.

Most Asian churches don't have pianos or fancy sound systems. Often, the worship is led by one person keeping the beat on a tambourine or a drum.  You can donate a drum for just $22, helping God's people give him praise.

I hope you'll consider giving some of your bounty to those who are less fortunate.

Merry Christmas!