All I want for Christmas is a Water Buffalo

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By Trisha Wells, a dear friend and fellow writer. This is her story of Christmas giving and how her perspective grew.

My husband and I were hiking recently when he asked me what I wanted for Christmas. We walked in silence as I racked my brain. Absolutely nothing came to mind. Finally, I said. “You know what? I can’t think of anything. We’re out of room in our house. At this stage in life, I have everything I need, and if I want some little something, I just buy it.” He concurred, and we agreed to simply exchange gag gifts.

I have everything I need

It hasn’t always been that way. When my children were young, I was on food stamps and, for a long time, lived one paycheck away from disaster. Over the years, circumstances improved.

The more I thought about how we have so much abundance now that we lack nothing, and how so many others around the world, and even in the U.S., have so little, the more it haunted me. I know what it is like to struggle to get by.

Some have so little, the thought haunted me

Trying to figure out what we want for Christmas when we already have everything we want and need is definitely a first-world problem. Even so, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s report for 2022, published in September of 2023, 11.5%, or 37.9 million Americans, live below the poverty level of $29,678 USD for a family of four.¹San Antonio has an even higher rate of poverty – at 17.6%.^2. In 2021, the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area was an astounding 29.3%.³ According to the non-profit organization Action Against Hunger, worldwide, 783 million people go to bed hungry every night.⁴ Many millions more are food insecure.

Millions go to bed hungry or are food insecure

I’m very thankful for all we have, and I’m also grateful that we’re in a position now to give. The Bible frequently instructs believers to help the poor. While I tithe and donate token amounts to charities around the holidays, reading 1 John 3:17 convicted me to do more locally, domestically and internationally: “But whoever has the world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him?” (AMP)

Compassion for those in need

Which brings me to what I’ve decided I want for Christmas: I want a water buffalo! Numerous charities offer animal gifting programs where livestock and sustainable agricultural training are given to rural families who are struggling to survive, often in developing countries. I gravitated toward a water buffalo because my son and daughter-in-law saw them in fields when they were Bible translators overseas, but there are also many other creatures which can be donated. For as little as $10, one can buy or share in the purchase of ducks, chickens, goats, bees and more.

I want a water buffalo

Water buffaloes provide milk that is high in protein and nutrients. They enable farmers to plant four times as many crops and save time in the process. They till fields and provide fertilizer. People in the lowlands of India, southeastern Asia and parts of South America depend on water buffalo more than any other animal.

Water buffalos provide milk and plow fields

While food banks and relief organizations provide extremely critical survival provisions for those in crisis situations, I selected Heifer International’s program this year because I have lived near their headquarters in Arkansas and am familiar with their transparency and high standards of accountability. They and other similar non-profits empower people with the ability to support their families for a lifetime. I love how they particularly focus on helping women, who they know will reinvest their resources and knowledge to improve the lives of their children and will work hard to become self-sufficient.

boy with goat — courtesy of World Vision

girl holding a pig — courtesy of World Vision

You probably know of some great charitable organizations. If you need help, reach out to them. But, in case you are looking for different ones to which you’d like to contribute, I’ve included information on my favorites. I have vetted them to ensure they have low administrative costs, i.e., contributions truly go to help people.

I wish you a blessed Christmas. May you have the abundance to help others, however much or little, whether it is by giving to provide food and water for the needy, shelter for the homeless, relief for victims of disaster, rescue from human trafficking or, perhaps – a water buffalo!

The joy of the season may be in the giving

Merry Christmas

Charleen: I hope Trisha’s story inspired you to think differently about gift giving. In no way is this post an endorsement of any non-profit organization. Below this article are the resources Trisha researched.

Share your thoughts and comments. We would love to hear.

Grace Offers hope,

Heifer International – https://heifer.org – Heifer International’s goal is to end hunger and poverty by providing livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide.

San Antonio Food Bank https://SAfoodbank.org – You may have seen this group pictured in newspapers around the world and featured on national news during the pandemic shut-down on April 9, 2020, when approximately ten thousand cars lined up for food.

Salvation Army https://www.salvationarmyusa.org – Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination, offering a wide variety of services.

Joyce Meyer Ministries’ Hand of Hope https://joycemeyer.org/handofhope – Provides food, water wells, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, and rescue from human trafficking in the U.S. and around the world.

During COVID 19 the lines to receive food from the San Antonio Food Back