I've got my class busy on their next undertaking - fillling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, which is a project of "Samaritan's Purse". Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered more than 24 million boxes to children in third world countries. The idea is to fill them with dollar store items (or better, if you can afford to) like personal hygiene items, school supplies, or small toys. The items might look small and not quite sufficient to North American eyes, but they're headed off to some child who may live in dire poverty, or in a war-zone, and those same items will be viewed as treasures when the box is opened. I've seen the video from Samaritan's Purse several times now because of showing it to my class each year to kick start the collection of items. It doesn't matter. Every year, it breaks my heart again to see the circumstances of some of the children receiving the boxes. Every year, I cry my way through the video, and every year, my school kids come through for their less fortunate counterparts. I suggest to the kids that they take the money out of their allowance, or make a deal with a parent to do some chore in exchange for cash - like vacuuming the whole home, or doing the dishes for a whole day. Today, I dismissed my kids at the usual time and less than half an hour later, two of the girls were back, with proud smiles and a bag each, filled with purchases that would be the first to go into a box. Yeah, I spend a lot of my time in that classroom being frustrated, or annoyed with those kids, but a time like this is so wonderful. I feel so proud of those kids! Whatever else there is to be said about the downside of teaching, it sure does have its up side, as well.