Introducing Billy
Heifer
By Delbert Blickenstaff 

Hey, I learned a new word today and it’s “heifer.” A heifer is a girl cow. And I learned this in church! Here’s how it happened. 

When we got to church Mom thought that something unusual was going on because there was a plastic sheet covering up the carpet at the front of the church. And the preacher was wearing his bib overalls. 

Soon after we sang a hymn and had a prayer (I didn’t fall down this time) we had a big surprise. Three of the preacher’s farmer friends each brought in a young heifer right up on the platform in front of everyone. The preacher explained that he wanted us to support Heifer Project by raising heifers and then giving them away. Then he invited us kids to come up and pet the heifers. Henry and I were the first ones up there. The little heifers are so cute. One of them even licked my finger. 

Henry and I asked Dad if we could take one home and he said that we don’t have a barn to keep it in. But he had already talked to his friend George and they decided to take two heifers. The heifers would live on George’s farm and Dad would pay for the feed. And we could go out there and see them anytime we wanted to. That will be fun. Now we have to pick names for them. 

A lot of people signed up for heifers but I don’t know how many. Grandpa is helping me write this and I asked him who are we giving the heifers to when they get big. He said that they go to many different countries and some would be shipped to a country in Europe. Grandpa told me that when he was about 20 years old he went on a cattle boat with a load of heifers to Spain. He helped feed them and keep them clean. He didn’t get to see the people who received the heifers, but he had a great time anyway. 

I wonder what will happen next Sunday. 

Billy