Make Christmas special for two people with just one gift

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Would you like to do your Christmas shopping in a stress-free, crowd-free, line-free environment?

And, at the same time, would you like to make Christmas special for two people with just one gift?

Are you looking for a way to escape materialistic chaos and find a way back to the spirit Christmas?

If so, let me suggest life-changing, life-giving alternatives.

You can give a gift to one of the world’s neediest people in the name of (in honor of) someone on your list—a good idea, especially for those who are hard to buy for.

Consider giving gifts through OneVerse (a sister organization with Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL International; my husband and I worked for 11 years with both organizations in South America and Africa).  

Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar write this:

“It pains us to think that this Christmas, 340 million people speaking more than 2,000 languages will not be able to hear the account of Jesus’ birth in their own language. We wish everyone on Earth could have access to God’s Word like we do. Gift-a-Verse is a perfect gift idea for people who appreciate God’s Word themselves and would like to see others have access to it. A gift of $26 will cover the cost to translate one verse for a people group without Scripture in their language.” 

Click here to find out more about OneVerse or make your gift via telephone by calling 1-866-ONEVERSE (663-8377).

World Concern is another ministry dear to my heart. Experts in developing sustainable communities, World Concern lifts up struggling people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, seeking those living in remote areas with no other aid. From HIV/AIDS support, to microfinance, and education World Concern provides hope.

Whenever I hear breaking news about a disaster—in Haiti, the Horn of Africa, or Japan, for example—I know World Concern is already taking action, and I praise God for these good folks.

You can make a difference in the world by helping the poorest and most vulnerable: Buy a World Concern gift in the name of (in honor of) someone on your Christmas list.

Recently I searched World Concern’s Global Gift Guide and I’ve gotta tell you: I wish I had enough money to buy every one of their gifts.

   

Eventually I chose “Cure a Child for Just 44¢.” Just $44 can cure a hundred children of debilitating worms for a whole year. The catalog says, “Worms stunt growth, hinder learning and, in severe cases, they kill. But after receiving the de-worming mediation and Vitamin A, kids’ stomachaches go away, their immune systems are strengthened, and they can absorb vital nutrients again!”

I bought enough for 200 children for a year, and I rejoice to think of them being much healthier by next Christmas! (And if certain members of my family read this, they now know what one of their Christmas gifts is!)

In Meaningful gifts for those who have everything, Elizabeth Griffin writes this about giving a gift from World Concern’s gift guide:

“‘It’s a way to give without giving something [the recipient] doesn’t necessarily need. The idea is that you don’t have to give something random at Christmas, you can give something meaningful, like a goat,’ said Derek Sciba, marketing manager at World Concern.

“While another box of chocolates or a tie may not mean much to the recipient, a goat given to a family in Haiti or Africa can be life changing.”

Jesus said “I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40,The Message).

This Christmas, may we celebrate

by giving to the overlooked and ignored,

in Jesus’ name.