Posted: December 1, 2021

Eureka! A crane hoists a 2,500-pound chunk of a fossil into the air in southern Missouri. This lump of rock is what’s left of a duck-billed dinosaur!

The dino’s proper name is Parrosaurus missouriensis. Its remains were first discovered at the same site nearly 80 years ago. The newest dig confirmed the find as a new dinosaur species. Experts believe the plant-eating dinosaurs grew to around 35 feet long. That’s about as long as a utility pole is tall. Remains of four of the species have been found in the same area.

The fossils will go to Chicago’s Field Museum for further research.

University of Minnesota Paleontologist Peter Makovicky helped lead the dig. He guesses that many dinosaurs died and were buried in this same spot. He hopes to find more.

A family first found the dino remains in the 1940s while digging a well. But no one knew what kind of dinosaur they belonged to. The bones were shelved for a long time. A Missouri paleontologist bought the land in the 1980s. A second set of dinosaur bones was found then. Soon, more fossil enthusiasts started digging around.

They worked carefully. Fossils are usually found in hard rock. But these rested in wet clay.

“It’s a lot less power tools and a lot more clay sculpting tools you might get at an art store,” Dr. Makovicky says.

The teams have also found remains of massive turtles, extinct fish, and even crocodiles that may have been to up 50 feet long.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. — Matthew 13:44

Posted: November 30, 2021

An extra-large group of illegal gold miners floated on barges in Brazil’s Madeira River.

Miner Thiago Bitencourt Gomes says that one miner found gold there. He told others. About 3,000 people came to the area. They brought about 400 barges.  

The wood-walled rafts were tied together on the wide, muddy river. Miners, their families, and even some pets live, eat, and work on the barges.

Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourão said that police would be coming. So the miners left. They went to other places on the river.

“We know that in the law, we’re illegal. But we all need to provide for our families,” Mr. Gomes says. The miners have asked for the laws to be changed. But so far, the government has not granted their request.

Miners pump mud from the river bottom. They use mercury to separate gold from the mud.

But the mercury gives off toxic vapors. That can harm the miners and others. Some mercury may also spill into the river. That contaminates the water. Fish, shrimp, and turtles get contaminated too. People who eat them can get sick.

Miners say they try to save and reuse the mercury. It is expensive. They don’t put it into the water on purpose.

The miners are breaking the law. They are polluting the river. They need honest jobs. Paul wrote, “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” (Ephesians 4:28)

But some miners may have trouble finding other work. There may not be enough jobs. They need to feed their families. This is a hard problem. Ask God to provide for those people.

Posted: November 29, 2021

It’s time to pray for the Teenhatti neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan. This month, a fire erupted early in the morning in a slum there. No one was hurt in the blaze. But about 100 huts were destroyed. People from Teenhatti usually survive by working odd jobs and begging. Now many of them face a winter with nowhere to call home.

A fire official at the city’s central fire station says the fire erupted in the dwellings along the Lyari River under a bridge. About 10 firetrucks arrived at the scene quickly. They managed to extinguish the flames after several hours.

What started the fire? People aren’t sure. But such fires often happen when cold weather comes to Pakistan. The poor people living in the slums light fires to keep warm.

For many, this fire brings back memories of last year. A similar blaze gutted about a hundred of the burlap-and-plastic dwellings in the same neighborhood.

By daylight, men, women, and children of Teenhatti were seen searching for any belongings they could save from the ashes.

In Karachi, thousands live in open areas along the Lyari River. Some have tin roofs. But most of of the houses are made of cane (plant material), burlap, and plastic.

God listens when we pray. And He is eager to help the poor. Look at Psalm 12:5: “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

Posted: November 26, 2021

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to protect Pearl River map turtles. It is asking for “threatened status” for the species. That would give it special protections.

These turtles are found in Louisiana and Mississippi. The map turtle’s name comes from its shell markings. They look like the lines on topographic maps. (Those are maps that show what the surface of land looks like, including mountains, valleys, and lakes.)

Map turtles are also called sawbacks. That’s because their shells have a ridge down the middle. It sometimes forms saw-like points.

Why are the turtles in trouble? People catch and sell them. Their markings make them popular pets. They have also lost parts of their habitats. People built nearby. That gives the turtles less room to live.

“Endangered” means a species is in danger of becoming extinct. “Threatened” means a species is likely to become endangered.

The wildlife agency says it also wants protection for a few other types of turtles too. They all look like the Pearl River turtle. Without protecting the other species, it would be tough for agents to stop people from catching and selling Pearl River map turtles.

One is the closely related Pascagoula map turtle. It is found only in Mississippi. The others are the Alabama map turtle, Barbour’s map turtle, and the Escambia map turtle. Those species are found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

The five species are all very similar. Until 1992, they were all just called Alabama map turtles.

The other turtles could get “threatened due to similarity” status. That would make it illegal to take the reptiles out of the wild. But it doesn’t give all the protections the Pearl River turtles would get.

God has given animals and land for food and resources to humans. But He also gives us the responsibility to take care of His creatures. They belong to Him.

I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. — Psalm 50:10

Posted: November 25, 2021

Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
to God the Creator triumphantly raise! — Katherine Davis, 1939

From all of us at WORLDkids, we wish you a happy day of Thanksgiving!

We pray for you, that your needs are met and that you may have hearts filled with grateful praise to our God who sustains us in His great mercy, love, and grace.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever! — 1 Chronicles 16:34

Posted: November 24, 2021

Have you been following the John Deere strike? On October 17, more than 10,000 Deere employees stopped working. They stood in picket lines. Temperatures got colder and colder. Now they have finally struck a deal with “Big Deere.”

Deere & Co. workers accepted a new contract on November 17. Employees will make 10% more money right away.

Many Deere workers belong to a group called a labor union. Labor unions are organized groups of workers. Together, they are supposed to make sure employers treat workers fairly. During the strike, the union paid strikers $275 per week so they could live. Union members voted on the deal three times. By the last vote, 61% of them approved Deere & Co.’s offer. The new contract covers 12 plants in Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas.

Deere workers felt they deserved extra this year. They labored for long hours during the pandemic. As they did, the Deere company got richer. Lots richer.

Deere strikers aren’t alone. Another group of union workers went on strike earlier this year at a Volvo trucks plant in Virginia. Those workers secured better pay and lower-cost health benefits. Right now, about 1,400 Kellogg’s workers have been on strike since early last month at four U.S. cereal plants.

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. — Luke 6:31

Posted: November 23, 2021

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how. . .  expensive are thy branches? Christmas tree prices are higher this year. And there are fewer to choose from.

Here’s an example. Experts say that a live or artificial tree that cost $100 last year might cost between $110 and $130 this year.

Why? There are several reasons. It takes eight to 10 years for a tree to grow big enough to sell. That means most of the live trees for sale now were planted between 2010 and 2013. Back in 2009, farmers were struggling. There had been a recession. That means the economy was declining. People had less money to spend. So farmers planted fewer saplings for several years. Now in the last few years, lots of people want to buy trees.

Darts Christmas Tree Farm is in Southold, New York. It sold out of fully grown trees last year for the first time in 50 years. It also sold many that weren’t mature yet. That left the farm with fewer large trees this year, owner Ed Dart says.

There is a shortage of artificial trees too. That is due to a problem in the supply chain. The artificial trees exist. But there aren’t enough truck drivers to deliver them to stores.

Andy Pergament manages Costello’s Ace Hardware in Long Island, New York. He says the store normally has its Christmas goods set up by late October. But this year he is still waiting for some artificial trees from China.

The supply is smaller. But demand for trees is greater. Lots of people want a cheery evergreen in their home. That means that sellers can charge more.

The prophet Isaiah used a picture of a tree to tell of the coming of Jesus, who was descended from Jesse through his son David. “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1) When you see Christmas trees this year, remember Him!

Posted: November 22, 2021

A baby jaguar needed a home. It couldn’t live just anywhere. Jaguars are the third-biggest cat in the world (after lions and tigers). They can be ferocious. And with their sharp teeth, they can attack and eat almost anything. But officials at the New Orleans Audubon Zoo were ready for a big cat. They said, “We’ll take her!”

The seven-month-old cub was rescued from wildlife smugglers. The zoo received her on October 14.

The Audubon Zoo already has one male jaguar named Valerio. To prepare for a new cat, staff added more jumping and climbing platforms to Valerio’s habitat.

Visitors can see the new jaguar at the zoo now. Staff say she is adjusting well to her home.

Jaguar numbers are continuing to decrease in the wild. People guess about 15,000 remain. The species is considered “near threatened” because of poaching, human-wildlife contact, and habitat loss.

The little jaguar does not yet have a name. Staff will choose one for her once they get to know her personality better. What would you call her?

Do you know your jaguars from your leopards? The two big cat species get mixed up often. Use this rule to tell the difference: Jaguars have dots in the middle of some of their black-circle markings. Leopards don’t have any.

Posted: November 19, 2021

A Russian weapons test created more than 1,500 pieces of space junk. That put the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in danger.

Four Americans, one German, and two Russians were on board. They took shelter in their docked capsules. (Those are the spacecraft that brought them to the ISS.) They spent two hours there. When they finally came out, they had to close and reopen parts of the station on every orbit. They passed near or through the debris field every one-and-a-half hours.

Space junk can orbit Earth at very high speeds. Pieces zip by at up to 17,500 miles per hour! Even a fleck of paint could do major damage at that speed. Imagine a satellite or manned craft hitting a piece of junk. That could be disastrous. And it’s not easy to clean up the bits and pieces floating around space.

Russia destroyed one of its own old satellites. It was testing a missile. It insists that the pieces are not a threat to space stations and space craft.

But U.S. officials called the strike “irresponsible” and “reckless.” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says, “It’s unbelievable that the Russian government would do this test and threaten not only international astronauts, but their own cosmonauts that are on board the station.”

Astronauts always face risk from space junk. But now that risk is four times greater, Mr. Nelson says.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is midway through a yearlong ISS mission. Four of the seven crew members had arrived only a few days before the strike. “It was certainly a great way to bond as a crew, starting off with our very first work day in space,” he says.

The U.S. Space Command was already tracking around 20,000 bits of space junk. Researchers will count the latest pieces of wreckage. And they will figure out their orbits. Knowing where the pieces are helps astronauts stay safe.

One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. — Proverbs 14:16

Posted: November 18, 2021

Do you live in the Northern Hemisphere? If so, you probably feel winter approaching. Keepers at the Liberec Zoo in northern Czech Republic feel it too. They know: It’s time to move the pelicans.

Pelicans are excellent swimmers. They fly well too, with a little help from the wind. In the wild, the big water birds would migrate thousands of miles south to warmer spots every autumn. That’s not an option for these captive birds. So zoo workers gave the zoo’s 10 great white pelicans a helping hand.

More than a dozen keepers worked together. They chased pelicans in two kayaks and a boat on a lake. To avoid injuring the birds, they handled them only with their bare hands. That’s not easy. Pelicans can weigh up to 33 pounds, and their wingspans pass 10 feet!

Once the pelicans were on land, keepers were able to gather them up. They carried them to their winter quarters. This heated enclosure within the zoo will keep the birds toasty warm all winter.

When winter ends, the birds will go back to their open-air enclosure.

And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” — Genesis 1:20

Posted: November 17, 2021

It wasn’t hard to hear. Hundreds of violins, violas, and basses sounded at Venezuela’s military academy. Woodwinds, brass, and percussion joined in. Thousands of musicians made music together. Most were children and teens. The group hoped to set a record as the world’s largest orchestra.

The musicians ranged in age from 12 to 77. They performed a 10-minute piece of music by the famous composer Tchaikovsky (chi-kof-skee). They played outdoors, under the watchful eyes of more than 250 independent supervisors. It was the supervisors’ job to make sure that more than 8,097 instruments were playing at the same time. That many instruments making music together would break the current world record. A Russian group that played that country’s national anthem was the record holder before this event.

All the musicians belong to Venezuela’s network of youth orchestras called “The System.” The network had hoped to gather 12,000 musicians. Not quite that many turned out for the event. But those who did show up took part in something historic.

“This means that all these years that I’ve been with the orchestra were worth it,” says Angele Barraoeta. The 15-year-old viola player has been part of The System since she was four. “It’s an incredible feeling to be part of something historic. We hope to break the record,” she adds.

Organization was key in this record-setting attempt. Each musician wore a numbered bracelet. They sat in assigned seats. The musicians began practicing the piece in smaller, regional groups, two months ago.

Andrés David Ascanio Abreu directed the musicians. They watched his directions from big screens.

The Guinness World Records will decide in 10 days whether the group set a new record. For that to happen, supervisors had to tally more than 8,097 musicians playing at the exact same time for five minutes. 

When they finished playing, the musicians erupted in cheers. They lifted their instruments and waved Venezuelan flags. “The largest orchestra in the world,” they exclaimed.

Posted: November 16, 2021

Naomi Pascal thought she had lost her beloved teddy bear forever. But friends and a sharp-eyed, soft-hearted park ranger found it for her.

Naomi’s family adopted her from an Ethiopian orphanage in 2016. Teddy was the first gift her parents, Ben and Addie Pascal, sent to her.

The Pascals went to Glacier National Park in Montana in October 2020. Teddy was along for the adventure. Family friend Terri Hayden helped watch the kids in the park. Later, they realized they didn’t have Teddy.

It snowed overnight. That closed part of the park for the season. Ms. Hayden couldn’t go back to search for Teddy.

Meanwhile, Ranger Tom Mazzarisi spotted the stuffed bear. Teddy was soaking wet and sitting in melting snow.

Usually, lost items that aren’t worth much get thrown out, Mr. Mazzarisi says. But for some reason, he didn’t want to dump the bear in the trash.

Mr. Mazzarisi put the bear on the dashboard of his truck. During spring and summer, Teddy watched wolves howl at each other and saw “bear jams.” Those are traffic jams caused by bears being near the road.

When Ms. Hayden and some family members went to Glacier in late September, they looked for Teddy.

 “And that morning I said, ‘OK Lord, if this bear is around, please put that bear in my path and let me come home with that bear today,’” Ms. Hayden says.

That’s exactly what happened. Ms. Hayden and her niece spotted Teddy in a ranger’s truck. Rangers soon returned Teddy to Ms. Hayden.

Naomi was really excited when Teddy arrived back in the mail.

Ms. Hayden bought another stuffed bear for Mr. Mazzarisi. Next spring, Clover the bear will take Teddy’s place in the truck.

Ms. Hayden searched hard for Teddy. Naomi rejoiced over getting Teddy back. This story can remind us of how much more Jesus did to rescue us. And God rejoices over us even more than Naomi did over Teddy. Read Jesus’ parable about the lost sheep in Luke 15:4-7.

Posted: November 15, 2021

What’s coating India’s Yamuna River? It looks like snow. Except it isn’t.

It’s white toxic foam from pollution. YUCK! All that poisonous muck would make people want to stay away from the Yamuna, right?

Wrong. Last week, hundreds of Hindus stood knee-deep in its frothy, toxic waters. Some even went all the way under. They were celebrating a religious festival called Chhath Puja.

Hinduism is the main religion in India. There are more than 40 festivals on the Hindu calendar. Hindus celebrate harvest times, Moon phases, and the lives of almost countless made-up gods and goddesses.

Hindus say the 855-mile Yamuna River is holy. It is also among the most polluted in the world.

That’s a big problem. The river provides more than half the water for the city of New Delhi. And no one should be drinking water full of toxic foam.

As years pass, the Yamuna grows dirtier. Sewage, farm pesticides, and factory waste flow into the waterway.

Still, Hindus flock to the river every year during the festival.

Rajesh Kumar Verma was among those who offered prayers on Yamuna’s banks. He knows the water is harmful. But he stood in it anyway.

“What fear?” he says. “If we are scared, then how can we pray?”

Authorities put up walls of bamboo sticks to keep the foam away from the river banks.

“Delhi is full of pollution, but still people’s lives are going on,” says another Hindu, Rajendra Mahto.

Hindus also wash in the Ganges River. They believe the river is a god called “Mother Ganga.” They think a person’s soul will become pure if he or she touches the river’s water. Will that work?

No. A dirty river can’t make a dirty soul clean. But Jesus can do that.

Pray for the people of India:

1. Pray that they will know Jesus. Jesus says in John 4:14, “But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
2. Pray that good leaders will find solutions for India’s pollution problems.

Posted: November 12, 2021

Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” That proved true for a woman who faked test results on steel for U.S. Navy submarines.

Elaine Marie Thomas was a metallurgist. That is someone who works with metals and metal mixtures. She worked at a foundry in Tacoma, Washington. It made steel pieces for submarine hulls (the bodies of submarines).

Those pieces need to be strong. Submarines must keep water out. If the steel broke, that would be dangerous for sailors on board.

But Ms. Thomas falsified (gave false information about) the results of strength and toughness tests for at least 240 productions of steel. That’s about half the steel that the Navy bought from the foundry. And she did this for about 32 years.

Good news: No submarine hulls failed. But the Navy says it had to pay more and do more maintenance to make sure the hulls stayed seaworthy.

Ms. Thomas was caught in 2017. Another metallurgist was training to replace her. That metallurgist noticed suspicious test results and alerted the company.

The Navy required tests to be done at 100 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit. (That’s really, really cold.) Ms. Thomas admits that in some cases she changed the tests to passing grades because she thought that extreme level was “stupid.”

Ms. Thomas’ attorney, John Carpenter, wrote in a statement that she “took shortcuts.” He says she didn’t intend to weaken the steel. He also says that she didn’t do it to make money.

“She regrets that she failed to follow her moral compass,” Mr. Carpenter wrote.

The company fired Ms. Thomas. She pled guilty to fraud in court. She could go to prison and pay a big fine. And the foundry company agreed to pay $10.9 million for the wrong.

Every human sins. God calls us to confess our sin to Him for forgiveness. He also calls us to do what we can to make things right with those we sinned against. Read 1 John 1:8-9.

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. — Luke 12:2

Posted: November 11, 2021

Forty minutes. That’s how long it took Gary Freedman to fly across the body of water that separates New Zealand’s two main islands. He flew alone in a small two-seat electric plane. The flight made history! Mr. Freedman was the first person to fly an electric plane across the Cook Strait. 

Mr. Freedman’s flight came 101 years after the first person flew a conventional aircraft over the same body of water. (Fuel powers a conventional airplane. An electric airplane usually runs on battery power.)

The pilot was thrilled when he landed. He said the plane worked better than he’d hoped. “We still had 40 percent left in the battery,” he said. “We could have almost flown back again.”

Mr. Freedman founded the company ElectricAir. He offers rides in the electric plane.

The pilot first took a trip to Slovenia. He bought the Pipistrel Alpha Electro plane there. His next step was to get New Zealand flight regulators to approve his new electric plane. When they did, Mr. Freedman was ready to fly.

The plane weighs less than 880 pounds. It’s much quieter than a traditional aircraft. It takes only one hour to fully charge the electric plane.

For his flight across water, Mr. Freedman flew low and slow. That helped save the battery’s charge. He flew at just 1,000 feet above sea level. His speed stayed around 81 miles per hour.

“It’s a very exciting day for the airport. A world-record-setting day,” says Jenna Raeburn. She is the spokesperson for Wellington International Airport. Airport officials believe it may have been the longest distance flown in an electric plane across any body of water.

Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? — Isaiah 60:8

Posted: November 10, 2021

An 83-year-old from Alabama started walking when he retired more than 25 years ago . . . and never stopped.

M.J. “Sunny” Eberhart strode into the record books Sunday. He’s now the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail.

Mr. Eberhart goes by the nickname Nimblewill Nomad. He says the trail was tough going at his age. He took quite a few spills on slippery rocks.

“I’ve a got a couple of skid marks on me, but I’m OK,” he says. “You’ve got to have an incredible resolve to do this.” (Resolve is determination.)

The Appalachian Trail stretches 2,193 miles from Georgia to Maine. Mr. Eberhart hiked the trail out of order, in sections. He completed his final section in the town of Dalton, Massachusetts.

A friend joined Mr. Eberhart for the finish. Dale “Greybeard” Sanders used to hold the Oldest Hiker record. He completed the hike at age 82 in 2017. He’s not sad to see the record fall.

“My dear friend Nimblewill is taking my record away from me, and I’m happy for him. Records are made to be broken,” Mr. Sanders says.

Mr. Eberhart is a retired eye doctor. He actually hiked farther than most who complete the trail. He started his hike in February at his home in Flagg Mountain, Alabama. That added hundreds of extra miles to his route.

But for Mr. Eberhart, even this wasn’t a big trip. He once trekked 4,400 miles from the Florida Keys to northern Quebec, Canada. He later hiked from Newfoundland to Florida, an even greater distance. He also walked from Chicago to California on Route 66.

He said he was feeling his age on this hike. He tried to limit himself to eight hours of hiking a day.

Did you know some little kids have been making history on the trail too? A four-year-old named Juniper Netteburg finished her journey with her missionary parents last year. A five-year-old, Harvey Sutton, from Lynchburg, Virginia, completed the trail with his parents in August. (See Kid Conquers Trail.)

Mr. Eberhart and Harvey actually met each other on the trail.

Endurance produces character. — Romans 5:4