Amanda Stewart of Emerald Christian Academy, Pleasant Hill, Ore., took her fourth- and fifth-graders for a jaunt around the neighborhood delivering colorfully wrapped packages of their homemade hot-cross buns. “It was really cool to play with the dough to make the crossed buns,” offers Amanda Bauer. The gift-wrapping, designed in the shape of the cross, blended with the message inside. Printed thoughts from different students shared Jesus’ love about the life gift He gave. Laminated construction paper, a picture of the cross and a magnet added a “keeper” to the surprise.

Neighborhood reaction was awesome. One neighbor asked that “the Lord bless all of you with many blessings for your thoughtfulness.” This outreach has led to a friendship with a brand new baby boy who was born three months premature. The ninth grade class continues to visit Baby Preston and was honored by a visit from him and his mother during their health class. The ninth grade also gets monthly visits to the “Happy Field” farm where they hold one-day-old to four-month-old baby Pygora goats specially bred by another neighbor.