Now, before you get all upset wondering if I think Christmas shopping IS the real reason for the season, I don’t. (though I do love to shop! 😉 What I DO think is, more people should do their Christmas shopping with a purpose, and with the REAL reason for the season in mind!
Christmas is about CHRIST. Jesus came to bring HOPE to the world, and as His followers, we should be doing the same! The good news is; we can do that this holiday season by choosing gifts that GIVE BACK – gifts that support orphans, provide for the poor, and give HOPE to the ‘least of these’ around the world! (Who knew a t-shirt, scarf, ring, or purse could have that much
power?)
Below are some options for your Christmas shopping. There is a little bit of everything, from clothing to jewelry to coffee…and a link to another blog with about 15 more options! I encourage you to check it out this Christmas, and keep these options in mind when it comes time to buy other gifts around the year too!
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The Sound of Hope – click here to buy a T-shirt!
The proceeds from just one t-shirt is enough to feed an orphan in
Swaziland one meal a day for over a month!
The Sound of Hope is a campaign that raises money and
awareness for orphans in Swaziland, Kenya, and India. Find out more by
finding our fan page and group on Facebook, or add us as a friend on
myspace!
Corridor of Hope – click here to buy handmade jewelry and beautiful silk scarves from Thailand and India!
At Corridor Of Hope we are devoted to connecting orphans, poverty
stricken communities and YOU. We are the corridor, a passageway to help
people who can’t help themselves. We help bring them hope by bringing
you quality and affordable products from these countries. In turn,
Corridor Of Hope will donate these resources back into their
communities by supporting orphans, thereby empowering YOU to help in a
multifaceted way. We will bring you updates and newsletters regarding
the orphans and how your purchase made a difference in their lives.
Timbali Crafts – click here to buy a handmade African purse, coin purse, or table-runner from Swaziland!
TIMBALI CRAFTS are created by women who work as volunteer cooks at
feeding centers for orphans in Swaziland, Africa, where over 40% of the
population is HIV positive.
Many of the women have been widowed or abandoned, are single mothers,
or grandmothers raising grandchildren that have been orphaned. Craft
sales help provide an income for these hard working women and their
families who would otherwise have little or none. This year they have several new products available, as well as opportunities to BUY GIFTS for the women in Swaziland, such as a sewing machine, medicine pack, or food basket!
Land of 1000 Hills – DRINK COFFEE, DO GOOD! click here to buy coffee that supports orphans, widows, and entire farming communities in Rwanda!
In April 1994, Rwanda (an African country half the size of the state of
Maryland) experienced one of history’s most atrocious genocides. In 2001, the founder of Land of a Thousand Hills recognized a simple
and tangible opportunity to make a difference in the reconciliation of
the Rwandan people. The introduction of Specialty Coffee to the healing
fields of Rwanda proved to be an uncommon opportunity for once warring
countrymen to not only rebuild their homesteads, but to work together
toward lasting peace.
A commitment to excellence in coffee has brought dignity and hope to a
nation that history suggested would never recover. A message of
forgiveness is spreading through the hills of Rwanda, and by drinking
Rwandan coffee, you promote justice in a place where injustice once
reigned.
Land of 1000 Hills is also DOING GOOD in other ways, like supporting sustenance farms for orphans. To find out how you can get involved, click
HERE!
With This Ring– click HERE to buy a wedding ring, engagement ring, or other jewelry that helps provide clean water for villages in Africa!
Ali Eastburn, Executive Director of With This Ring, offers a challenge
to Christians who have accumulated more this Christmas than they’ll
ever need or use: Give It Away. In 2007, she sold her wedding ring after confronting herself
with how much it was worth and how much good could be done with that
money. With the proceeds from her wedding ring, Ali helped to fund a
clean water project in Africa and founded a new ministry called With
This Ring.
With This Ring exists to encourage Christians to offer their
possessions-even their most precious ones-to God in radical acts of
sacrificial giving. In the midst of a society gripped with materialism,
Executive Director Ali Eastburn loves to share her story of how God
broke that grip in her own life.
You can DONATE a wedding ring, engagement ring, class ring, or any other jewelry you’re willing to give up. You can also
BUY jewelry others have donated to support the cause!
Donate, Donate, DONATE! – choose one of these links to give to a great cause this Christmas!
If you’re just looking to donate this Christmas as a gift from your family, or in honor (or memory) of someone, you can always DONATE to Adventures in Missions!
Rusty and I are still in GREAT NEED of supporters,
so you can donate to support our mission work HERE.
If you’d like to choose another option, click
HERE. This page offers opportunities to donate to orphans, mission bases overseas, Mission Leadership Training schools, other staff, or general AIM needs. You can play a part in keeping our mission work going around the world!
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Don’t see what you want here? Then visit this blog for more options!
(seriously, check it out — there is some REALLY cute stuff for sale!)
Thanks for reading! Please FORWARD this blog to all your friends!
If
we all buy gifts that give back, we could really make a difference this
Christmas!
love the scarves at corridor of hope…absolutely adore the pic of the little one with the purse…TOO CUTE!