My favorite Christmas gift I have received is a small whisk, a little bigger than a pencil. My children bought it for me three years ago. It is perfect for whipping up a glaze for scones, which I make quite often. It is also useful for whisking just one egg for an egg wash. I love kitchen items as gifts because they are very useful but something I rarely splurge on for myself. They are a practical luxury. Do I need a pencil-sized whisk? Of course not. Do I use it often? You bet!
Giving thoughtful gifts is a genuine act of love. A gift that someone would use all the time but would not buy themselves is the best kind. Fulfilling a need shows care. Many items in Gospel for Asia Christmas Gift Catalog are practical luxuries: They are gifts that our partners on the field often make do without, but such gifts can be an everyday blessing.
Bible-college students studying in the Himalayan mountains received winter clothing packets.
Many of these women are from poor backgrounds and came to Bible college without warm clothing.
Take the gift of a bicycle for a missionary who has been traveling on foot. He cares for multiple congregations; plus, he visits even more villages. He walks many miles every week just so he can be there for everyone. At the end of the day, he may get home just in time to tuck his children into bed—or not. With the gift of a bicycle, he may make it home in time for dinner with his family. He may be able to visit his congregations more frequently. He may be able to share with others the amazing gift of Christ Jesus! A bicycle may seem like a child’s gift to us, but for a missionary in Asia, it is a gift that will dramatically impact his daily life.
A few years ago, a group of women attending a Bible college on the slopes of the Himalayan mountains received such a gift. It is very cold year-round, but especially in the winter. Many of these women come from poor backgrounds and arrived at Bible college with very few possessions. It is common for women in Asia to not have the support of their families to attend Bible college. They are often expected to marry and help care for the family. Many are cast out of their families for following Jesus. In such cases, these women come to Bible college without much more than the clothes on their bodies and with no financial support. There receive no care packages from home with toothpaste, soap and homemade goodies.
In these situations, gifts are a very tangible way to show God’s love and provision. These Bible college students studying in the frigid Himalayas received winter clothing as part of a Christmas gift distribution. Rose, a first-year student, said, “I really did not have any warm clothes to wear in this winter season, but by God’s grace, I have received warm clothes. These warm clothes will surely help me in this cold season.”
I am grateful that we can give practical luxuries such as bicycles and winter clothing to those serving the Lord on the other side of the world. We can give simple gifts that do not cost much but that impact someone’s daily life as they reach out to those around them with the message of hope. We can enable missionaries and Bible college students to continue meeting with people in the cold months, instead of needing to stay indoors where it is warm. We can provide needed transportation for pastors to reach their congregations and minister to them.
Let’s thank God for the gifts He has blessed us with: the gifts of family, friends and Himself. Take a moment to remember simple, sweet gifts you have received from caring friends who knew just what you needed. And let us look to others and how we might bless them in tangible ways with the love of Christ this Christmas season.
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For more blogs on Patheos from Gospel for Asia, go here.
To see our Christmas catalog of gift for missionaries in Asia, go here.
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