Life in Bloom

It’s hard for me to believe Christmas is right around the corner.  I haven’t bought a single present yet.

Slacker, I know.  I didn’t even wake up until 10am on Black Friday.  The thought of waiting in line at midnight or 3am just sounds atrocious to me.  I guess I’m just not a shopper.  Or maybe it was just because I didn’t see any cute boots on sale this year.

At any rate, the older I get, the more I realize this craziness of buying a gazillion presents that just take up space is simply…craziness.  Don’t get me wrong–I love me some Christmas presents.  I was the kid that always snuck downstairs to be the first one to see all of the presents under the tree.  And I still get excited every time I open a Christmas present.  Though these days, I’ve somehow become the queen of wrapping Christmas presents.  Those obnoxiously shaped kids toys?  I can magically make them look like a Martha Stewart masterpiece.  I blame it on a combination of my inner perfectionist and love of Christmas.  But when it’s all said and done, there’s nothing like sharing gifts with the ones you love.

This year, I was able to open a unique gift.  Three of my friends and I received the gift of toilet twinning. Never heard of it?  Well I hadn’t either until a few days ago.  But it’s one of those gifts that keeps on giving.  And I hope that’s what the spirit of Christmas can be about.

Photo courtesy of toilettwinning.org

Toilet Twinning is a UK based company that enables you to “twin” your toilet (or loo!) with one in a developing country.  They’re currently working in rural villages of Burundi and Cambodia, and I’m excited that my toilet’s twin is in rural Cambodia.  The money for the toilet twin builds a safe and clean latrine in a rural village, where the community members are both educated on domestic hygiene and given access to clean water.  We will even get the exact GPS coordinates so that we can find our latrine on Google Maps.  How cool is that?!?

This gift got me thinking of the global world that we’re in, and how we can really make a difference this holiday season.  In a time of stocking stuffers and white elephant (or dirty santa) gifts, I think it would be awesome if we instead looked at alternative gifts to give to friends and family this year.

Here are some awesome organizations that can not only help you wrap up some alternative presents for your friends and family but also help our neighbors around the globe:

 ZOE Ministry is an organization that works to break the cycle of poverty and give hope to orphaned children in Africa.  Through the ZOE Orphan Empowerment Program, African children are given training and access to farming, business education, and HIV/AIDS prevention.  Through partnership with local churches, orphans form communities in order to become self-sufficient.  Alternative Christmas presents through ZOE Ministry include cows, goats, pigs, rabbits, and chickens.  These animals provide income, fertilizer for fields, and nourishment as orphans journey through the Orphan Empowerment Program.  In turn, you receive an ornament to give to loved ones of each of the animals you ordered.  It’s a great way to impact the lives of orphans in Africa.  Bonus information:  You can give directly to ZOE Ministry through the United Methodist Church.  The GBGM Advance number is 982023, so you can make a direct donation in the offering plate this Sunday.  You can also give online, by mail, or over the phone.  For more information on giving through United Methodist Advance, click here.

Heifer International is a global non-profit organization working to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way.  Heifer teaches recipients around the world how to raise and care for livestock, seeds, or trees in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.  They then give these gifts to families as a means of food and income.  Alternative Christmas presents through Heifer International include llamas, goats, water buffaloes, chicks, trees, and honeybees.

And don’t forget your local campus ministry! Now is a great time to support collegiate ministries, as campus ministries across America are planning formation retreats, social justice programs, and mission teams.  I currently intern with Duke Wesley Fellowship, and we are sending mission teams to Haiti over spring break and to rural Armenia this summer.  These students will make a global impact as they bring donations to support the local community, learn from our neighbors in developing countries and form relations with people they otherwise may not know.

Do you know of any other alternative gifts this holiday season?  Share thoughts and suggestions in the comment section!