Tamarai and several other families received goats as Christmas gifts.

Mahesh's new BioSand Water Filter provides clean drinking water.

Many other families in the village are also enjoying Mahesh's new BioSand Water Filter.

In one village in India, many people experienced the love of Christ when they received gifts donated through Gospel for Asia's Christmas Gift Catalog. From rickshaws to goats to BioSand Water Filters, these gifts showed the villagers how much God cares about their well-being.

Tamarai Shah received a pair of goats. She began taking good care of her new animals, making sure they had adequate water and taking them to graze two or three times a day, in hopes they would bear kids. Then she started selling the goats' milk to earn income."Now I understand that people, those who have given me this gift, are basically followers of Jesus Christ. And they love Jesus Christ, and that's why they have expressed their love."

Tahir Kadam received a rickshaw. Before the gift distribution, he had to rent a rickshaw every day before he could start working. Not only did that take time from his day when he could have been working, but rental fees also swallowed up a sizeable portion of his income. Sometimes he didn't earn enough to pay the rent on top of feeding his family and paying their medical expenses.

Now that Tahir has his own rickshaw, he starts work earlier and gets to bring home more of his earnings to take care of his family.

Grateful to the GFA-supported congregation that distributed the gifts, he said, "Because we are basically poor and they have helped us by giving us this rickshaw, they have so much love…Now I understand that people, those who have given me this gift, are basically followers of Jesus Christ. And they love Jesus Christ, and that's why they have expressed their love." Another gift ended up blessing many families—a BioSand Water Filter given to Mahesh Mehta. His village doesn't have a good water source, and for 15 years, Mahesh suffered gastrointestinal problems due to the poor quality of water.

"I kept praying for this sickness, and God has answered my prayer by specifically providing this BioSand Water Filter," he said. "After getting this BioSand Water Filter, now I am getting purified water. And now it is helping me to improve my health, and this has been a great help from the Lord."

The BioSand Water Filter touched other people in the community too. According to Mahesh, many families in the village take water from his filter because the only well near them contains too much iron. These families use the water from Mahesh's BioSand Water Filter not only for drinking but also for cooking.

Overflowing with faith and thankfulness, Mahesh said, "I want to thank the Lord for those who have sponsored us to get this BioSand Water Filter. I really thank them from the bottom of my heart. And I always keep praying for them, that God will be continuously blessing them abundantly, so that the way that they are contributing to the Lord's kingdom, they'll keep on doing this, and that God's name will be extended throughout the world."

Through these simple Christmas gifts, Mahesh, Tahir, Tamarai and their fellow villagers have brighter futures for themselves and their families, and—best of all—they can glimpse the Savior's love for them.