Doug and Deanna have a Christmas gift tradition with a difference — they help transform lives on the other side of the world.
Every Christmas for the past decade, they have given the gift of farm animals for impoverished families in Asia and Africa through GFA World’s annual Christmas Critter Campaign — personally helping empower hundreds of families to escape generational poverty.
The couple say “animal gifting” for Christmas has brought a whole new level of purpose and joy to their lives.
According to GFA World, they are part of a growing movement that “seeks to follow Christ’s example of sacrificial giving” by helping families in Africa and Asia. The couple are giving “the gift that keeps on giving,” said father-of-two Doug.
“In a lot of places, the people just don’t have a way to even begin to have hope that they’ll ever get out of poverty,” said Deanna, a part-time counselor and therapist. “To give them a cow, a pair of goats, or some chickens can be life-changing for their whole family.”
Owning even one or two farm animals — beyond the means of many families — gives them the opportunity to make a sustainable living, selling milk, cheese, butter, or eggs, and gradually increasing their herd or flock.
More Than Just Animals
For Doug and Deanna, it’s about more than just the animals. It’s about showing people “that God loves them and cares deeply about their lives.”
“It brings a lot of self-respect and the desire to get better and all those things,” said Doug, who is originally from Brazil. “You’re empowering them to get better, to grow, to have hope, to make a better life. I think that’s what the message of Jesus really is… that ‘I’m here with you in the lowest of times, and I’ll never leave you’.”
The Heart of Christmas
This year, Texas-based GFA World aims to help thousands of families through the Christmas Critter campaign.
“It’s also a way to reconnect with the very heart of Christmas — the Son of God, born among animals in a stable, reminding us of humility, hope, and sacrificial care for one another,” said Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, the organization’s president.
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