Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
Psalm 127:3
Almost every Wednesday night, from September through May, I teach a class of children ranging in age from Kindergarten through 5th grade, in a program called Music & Missions. The evening starts with choir, followed by a mission lesson. This year, we have been studying Heifer International, a charity that provides animals to poor families around the world. Each week since September, we have talked about one of the animals that is regularly given by Heifer, and then we make a craft representing that animal. Each week, the children bring their pennies, dimes and quarters to put in our piggy bank, and once a month we make a presentation to the congregation, asking them to help us purchase a specific animal for a needy family. To date, we have raised the funds to buy a pig, a llama, two sheep, 14 flocks of chickens, some honey bees, and a trio of rabbits.
Finding a craft for the children to make for these various animals has been both a challenge and a great deal of fun. Craft stores and online outlets have some animal craft kits, but for others (such as the llama), I had to come up with an idea from another source. Never was this more true than this week, when we are studying guinea pigs and their distant relative, the grasscutter (pictured below). I don't know about you, but I have rarely seen a guinea pig craft in a retail store. What to do? Get on the Internet, of course.
I don't know how I would have ever done this Heifer series without the blessing of Internet research. All I had to do was Google "guinea pig craft," and up popped several really cute ideas of projects to make - complete with photos and patterns. Tomorrow night, the kids will be making their own stuffed felt guinea pig out of materials that we already had in our craft closet - a second blessing to be thankful for.
For the endless ideas available
on the Internet -
I am grateful!
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