Crux of the Mountain: Gifts That Keep Giving
There’s a point in every climb when the ground shifts beneath you and gravity demands everything you have left. Climbers call it the crux—the hardest move on the mountain. It’s the place that asks not only for strength but for heart, endurance, and faith that the next hold is worth reaching for.
At Hands & Feet Project, our word for the year has been Endeavor, a call to steady ascent and purpose. November’s word, Crux, finds us face-to-face with the hardest stretch of that climb. In Haiti, that stretch never seems to end. And yet, the people we serve—the families, children, and staff who face the climb daily—keep going.
Haiti’s Crux
Haiti knows difficulty like few places on earth. The president was assassinated. Gangs hold power in the capital. Fuel prices continue to rise beyond reach. Ports remain blocked, cutting off supplies and livelihoods. Hurricanes like Melissa tear through already fragile communities.
But hardship is not the whole story. There is another side of the mountain, one lined with grit, resilience, and grace. We have seen mothers sharing what little food they have with a neighbor, children singing songs under flickering light, and fathers laboring from dawn to dusk to keep their families intact. Haiti’s beauty, like a climber’s resolve, is revealed in the moments that should have broken it.
This is the crux, and still they climb.
The Gifts that Multiply
This Christmas, we aren’t simply asking you to give, we’re asking you to join the climb. Every gift offered this season doesn’t just meet a need, it plants a seed. These are gifts that keep on giving, building resilience in the hands of those determined to rise.
A House Gift Share creates joy and connection that lasts long past Christmas Day. It invites children to dream and play through toys and games that spark imagination and belonging. It helps caregivers feel supported with practical cooking and household essentials that make daily life and serving a little easier. It also strengthens young adults stepping toward independence by providing food, cooking tools, and financial support that build confidence and leadership. This gift keeps giving through deepened relationships, stability, and the steady forming of home.
A Goat becomes far more than food. It’s fresh milk, future income, and long-term stability. One goat can multiply into a sustainable source of provision, helping families plan beyond today. Through this single act of generosity, dignity is preserved and the local economy grows stronger. What begins as one goat becomes opportunity after opportunity. Truly, a gift that keeps giving.
A Food Basket relieves parents from the pressure of choosing between debt and dinner. Filled with staples that sustain households, it offers peace of mind and room to focus on building a future. Haitian families often share what they receive, expanding the impact. This meal keeps giving long after the basket is gone.
A Christmas Party Share creates time for celebration and rest for both children and the Haitian staff who serve them so faithfully. These gatherings remind everyone why we climb: to worship, to serve, and to rejoice in the birth of Christ. Through song, dance, food, and fellowship, weary hands and hopeful hearts are renewed. The unity formed in these moments strengthens the community for the year ahead.
A Water Bottle may seem simple, yet it carries deep meaning. To our more than 200 Haitian staff, it says: We see you. Keep going. They climb their own mountains daily, by foot, motorcycle, and faith—carrying hope into homes and mountainsides. This small token honors their endurance and fuels their calling to keep building what God began.
The Work Beyond the Summit
Every gift given this season becomes part of a longer story, one that doesn’t end when the wrapping comes off. It’s carried forward in a child’s laughter, a mother’s confidence, a pastor’s endurance; it gives hope room to grow.
The crux of the mountain is not meant to stop us but to shape us. When we climb together and give with purpose, our strength multiplies.
Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
The Call
The climb continues. This Christmas, your gift becomes more than charity—it becomes momentum. It strengthens families, empowers leaders, and restores hope to those still climbing.
Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Give a gift that renews.
Give a gift that strengthens.
Give a gift that keeps on giving—helping others find their footing, their faith, and their future.