Even when he did find work, the wages Gideon made were simply not enough to sustain his family. And sometimes, his employers paid him in food instead of cash, further exacerbating his need for income. Without money, Gideon couldn’t get new school uniforms for his boys, or warm clothes and blankets for the Nepali winters, or the nutritious food the family needed to thrive.
Gideon’s wife, Leia, helped as much as she could, taking on seasonal work in their village whenever it was available. But in the end, the couple faced a harsh reality: With no animals and no land, their options for stable, regular income were limited.
An Overwhelming Struggle
Somehow, Gideon and Leia scraped by. They subsisted on the cheapest foods—millet and maize—and got rice only when they could afford it. They sent their boys to school in the same uniforms every day, making the tattered garments last as long as possible. And together, the family suffered through the Nepali winters with the few warm clothes they had.
Sadly, this struggle to make ends meet is not unique to Gideon and his family. Approximately 8 percent of the world’s population—around 600 million people—survive on less than $2.15 a day, while an additional 50 percent—around 4 billion people—subsist on less than $10 a day. 1 This means that for many families, something as simple as a warm blanket is unattainable. And larger assets that could lift them from poverty, such as livestock, are completely out of the question. These families know the value of such items, perhaps better than anyone. But what good is a blanket if you must starve to buy it? And how can you save money for a goat when your family needs that money today to stay alive?
As bad as that is, it’s only the beginning of the suffering that this cycle of poverty can cause. Families like Gideon’s often suffer ill health because they lack enough food, necessary vitamins and minerals, or access to medical care. Children’s education suffers when their families can’t afford to send them to school or provide the supplies and study help they need to succeed—a problem that perpetuates the cycle of poverty for the next generation. And entire families suffer emotionally—stressed, anxious and discouraged by the overwhelming task of surviving. 2
Gideon was no stranger to that discouragement. As poverty pushed him down again and again, he was often disheartened by his financial situation and frustrated when he compared his life to the lives of the more well-off people in his village. And then, in 2019, things got worse.
Sickness Leads to Salvation
Gideon’s youngest son, Jacob, was sick. At age 3, Jacob had started getting ill more and more often, and nothing—and no one—had been able to restore him to health. Gideon tried hospitals and witch doctors, but his money only went so far. One of the witch doctors Gideon visited suggested he take Jacob to church. Perhaps there the little boy would find healing.
With nothing else left to try, Gideon followed the witch doctor’s advice and took Jacob to the church in their village. GFA pastor Oisin was there to welcome them and talk with them. That first visit turned into many more, and Gideon and his wife started following Jesus. They trusted Him and prayed constantly for Jacob’s healing. And God answered with a “yes”! Soon, little Jacob was healthy and strong again. The entire church rejoiced, and Gideon and Leia came away with a new truth held tightly in their hearts—God provides.
Praying for Provision
Even after Jacob’s healing, though, Gideon and his family continued to scrape by on the bare necessities. Warm clothes, regular meals of rice, even school supplies were unaffordable. The school supplies, especially, were a source of pain for the family. The boys’ friends had bags to carry their textbooks and real shoes to wear to school, but Gideon’s sons had to make do with flimsy footwear and carrying their books in their arms. The boys longed for something better, and Gideon’s heart hurt when he had to tell them no.
Faced with overwhelming need, Gideon turned to the Lord. He had seen God provide for them when Jacob had been sick and they’d had nowhere else to turn. And he was confident God would provide for their needs again. So, as he continued to work hard at any labour job he could find, Gideon prayed that God would provide a better income for him and his family.
Goats = Answer to Prayer
Unbeknownst to Gideon, his church had seen his need and was planning to do something about it. In 2022, Pastor Oisin and the church presented Gideon with a gift: two pregnant goats. Gideon was astounded. He had never expected his church to be the avenue through which God provided. He knew the church loved him and that they prayed for him and his family. But for them to see and provide for his physical needs in such a tangible way? What a gift! Truly, God had noticed his struggle and answered his prayers.
“[Owning no land], it is very difficult to survive in this generation,” Gideon said, after receiving the goats. “… I am so happy and thankful to the church and its leaders. My goats are about to give birth. I have decided that I will breed my goats very well and help others, too, by giving kids just like [the church] helped me.”
Breaking the Cycle
Gideon soon proved true to his word. The goats thrived under his care, and his herd grew quickly. There was a healthy market for goats in his village, and each one Gideon sold increased his income. Goat meat sold well, too—and it also supplied an occasional source of protein for Gideon’s family. At last, Gideon had a way to provide additional income and sustenance for his wife and boys.
As surely as the cycle of poverty had pulled him down, the cycle of provision afforded by his goats lifted Gideon higher and higher. His boys started doing better in school, thanks to Gideon’s new ability to provide them with proper supplies. The family could eat more often. And because of the proper winter gear they were able to purchase, they stayed warm, even as temperatures dropped.
But that was only the beginning. With the money he earned from his goats, Gideon bought more goats—something he never could have imagined on his day labourer’s income. In fact, goat husbandry was so profitable that Gideon was able to stop his daily wage labouring altogether! Now, he focuses on his herd, making enough income to provide for his family—and even enough to share. Knowing how big a difference a goat can make, Gideon generously gave one of his goat kids to another church member in need so that they, too, could be blessed the way he had been.
You Can Help Break the Cycle in Even More Lives!
Every year, more than 100,000 families like Gideon’s receive income–generating or life–improving gifts through the generosity of partners like you. GFA missionaries offer these gifts in the name of Jesus, proclaiming hope for tomorrow—and for all eternity—through the love of the God who provides.
This year, you can help send Christ’s love and provision to even more families in Africa and Asia. When you give a pair of goats, chickens or even pigs, you offer a family like Gideon’s the chance to break free from the cycle of poverty.
For Gideon, two goats were the boost he needed to lift himself and his family out of the pit that poverty had trapped them in. As he put it, “If [Pastor Oisin] had not initiated to help me with goats, my family condition would have remained the same as before. [The pastor and the church’s] help and support has changed my family’s condition, and I am also able to add more goats from the income of two goats.” As of December 2023, Gideon had grown his herd to 10—four goats and six kids!
You can be part of a story like this and enable another family to say with Gideon, “I thank the church family, as well as those who have helped me.”
Lift a family from poverty today!