Chickens, rabbits and water buffalo for Christmas

No, that isn’t my Christmas day menu!

I posted some links a couple of weeks back of organisations with catalogues that provided us with the opportunity to purchase needful things for those who are most needy instead of us privileged ones giving each other more stuff we don’t need, and often don’t even want.   I was really pleased when Christian Blind Mission responded with a comment here.

Gospel for Asia has some really neat ideas – chickens and rabbits for A$12.50 a pair, and how about a water buffalo for a$540 or a well to provide clean water for A$1250, if we could afford to give that amount?  Blankets for A$6.60?  That’s two soy chai lattes I need to forfeit (or just one – I had a really expensive one in Chinatown yesterday! A$6.05…)  Or one magazine!  Kinda puts it in perspective, doesn’t it?  If you have family or friends who just don’t “get” the whole concept of buying them this kind of “virtual” gift and need something tangible to be assured that you love them, what about an Indian shoulder bag for $20?

Can I challenge you to watch this Christmas video and rethink your Christmas gift budget?

Feeding the “dump” people and Christmas gifts

We forget how very blessed we are to have an abundance of good, healthy food to eat every day.  Please take a moment to read about the “dump” people in Honduras on Trey Morgan’s blog.

We are in the lead up to Christmas.  I am being inundated by snowmen on facebook.  The shops are tinselly.  Luckily the Christmas music hasn’t started – yet.  Can I challenge you to cut back on the excessive Christmas spending we do (do any of us actually NEED anything?) and give some presents that will make a real difference to people who have very little?

I was going to give gifts from the Christian Blind Mission International Gifts of Life Christmas catalogue this Christmas but the goats and chickens- what I was going to give-  have sold out already! Last year I gave C an adult’s cataract operation from CBM. That proved rather prophetic as he had cataract surgery this year, followed by more surgery for a detached retina.   So we know firsthand how precious that surgery, and eyesight, is.

Other catalogues are:
World Vision Smiles Catalogue (chickens for A$6, goats for A$39, piglets are A$47)
Gifts of Compassion – Global Food Crisis Gift catalogue
Tear Australia Useful Gifts (fish farming for A$5 would be a cool present for a kid!)

Let’s make a difference to those who need it, and not waste money on more stuff and clutter we don’t need.  We can give chickens or fishfarming for the price of 2 coffees!  What a blessing those gifts will make to the families who receive them.  And it will bless us in giving them too.

Matthew 25: 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.