You Cannot Always Be Torn in Two by Catherine C.
How
do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on when in your heart, you begin to understand there is no going back? This is what Frodo asks himself at the end of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy a?er he has returned from his great adventures. The last scenes of the Return of the King really show what an MK life is like. Four friends, who have just returned from a life changing adventure, sit down to have a drink at their hometown local pub. Things haven’t changed a bit since they le?, but it is obvious to see that these four friends have changed greatly. They aren’t the same as they used to be. This is just a movie, but the last scenes hold a lot of truth
in them. How many Emes do you go back to your home in America and expect to fit right back in where you le? off, and then are terribly disappointed, you realize that your friends have moved on and you both have changed at
at different paces? I know I have definitely done that before. I grew up in a small town of 3000 people. I lived there unEl I was seven, then my family moved to Europe. When I went back to visit two years later my group of best friends weren’t close anymore. They had all made new best
new best friends. I needed to remind myself that it had been two years, and that I had changed too. Every Eme I go back to visit there, I need to remind myself of that. I must ask myself how do I pick up the threads of an old life? How do I go on [being there for a short Eme] when in my heart I begin to understand there is no going back? The similariEes to an MK life don’t end there; they go though to the end of the movie, leaving you a biSersweet emoEon about your life. Leaving you feeling blessed and cursed at the same Eme. Praising God for the amazing experiences He has given you, while at the same Eme wishing you would never have to say another goodbye
ever again in your life. At one point Frodo tells Sam: “ There are some things that /me cannot mend, some hearts that go too deep, that have taken hold.” In an MK life, this is more than true. How many Emes have you had to say goodbye? If I had to count the Emes I think I would go into a serious depression. This is a thing in my life that Eme cannot mend, and hurt that goes too deep, that has taken hold. I need to let God take hold of this hurt, let Him comfort you. He is the only thing in life that will stay consistent forever. But, don’t become closed and miss out on some wonderful relaEonships God may have planned for you just because you know that one day you’ll have to say goodbye. Keep in mind while saying goodbyes, that if both of you love Jesus, that one day you will
“My dear Sam, you cannot always be torn in two, you will have to be one and whole for many years. You have so much to enjoy, and to be, and to do.”
be worshiping the awesome Creator together of eternity!! At the very end of the movie, when Frodo and Sam are saying goodbye, Frodo tells Sam, “My dear Sam, you cannot always be torn in two, you will have to be one and whole for many years. You have so much to enjoy, and to be, and to do.” We must learn to keep on living though the pain, though the hurt, though the goodbyes. We have God’s plan for our lives to fulfill. He will be with us though everything, for He promised in Joshua 1:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” We must keep on living for Him.
With His help and strength, we must not always be torn in two.
Reaching Others Through English by Courtney R.
Every
other week a
group of Italian teenage girls sit across from me, Emily, and Grace, waiting eagerly to hear what crazy American traditions and words weʼll teach them. It all started this past spring. After living in Italy for four years I knew that I wanted to build on my relationships
Iʼd made in Italian school and start spending more time with my friends which would hopefully lead to more spiritual discussion. For a while, though, I wasnʼt sure how to go about it. When I heard Emily and Grace were moving to Italy, I knew we had to do something. A few weeks after they got here, I mentioned my idea to Emily and Grace of starting an English Club for my Italian friends. They had already thought of doing
something similar and shortly afterward we had our first meeting. Since then weʼve been meeting twice a month. Sometimes a lot of girls show up and sometimes just a few. Sometimes our ideas work really well and sometimes we fail. But through it all weʼve seen Godʼs faithfulness to us and I canʼt wait to see how Heʼll use our little club!
Smart as a Whip...
Our "Club d'Inglese" (English Club in Italian) has been
such an awesome growing experience for everyone involved. The first week, only four girls came and awkwardness was constantly invading the room. Though our get-to-know-you game didn’t go quite as planned, it bonded us in a way we hadn't expected. We all learned a lot about each other, and the muffins we made were a huge hit. And, since we had about an hour left of unplanned club time, we had some good discussions.The next week we played “Never Have I Ever” and “Two Truths and a Lie”. There was a definite sense of improvement from everyone; the group had more than doubled in size, and they loved our next choice of American cuisine (chocolate chip cookies) even more than the last.This last week, was the best we've had so far! We taught them several American colloquialisms like “smart as a whip” and “the early bird gets the worm”. They loved it! We also explained some of the cultural differences between Italian and American high schools, full out with a slide show. The topic was homecoming, and the atmosphere changed from cold, uncomfortable silence, to attentive, awe filled silence. The prayer behind each meeting, the improvement in each meeting, and the growing relationships with us and the girls has demonstrated how great our God is and has given us hope for future success.
-Emily
Our Vision
Seeing
God work to get our English Club started has been amazing. Just knowing that God is working through the whole thing is cool. Itʼs giving me another way to trust Him because there is no way we could do it on our own. Not that it is a terribly difficult thing...but Italy is just a dark place and anything spiritual is hard. So I am thankful for an opportunity to serve Him and trust Him. We plan on doing more and more with these girls and we want to keep pouring into their lives. Hopefully weʼll form stronger relationships with them and then maybe theyʼll see Jesus through us and theyʼll have a chance to know Him personally. Thatʼs our prayer!
-Grace
Thinking of starting an English Club? Here are some tips to get you started: • Start small; just find a few girls youʼd feel comfortable talking to a few times a month in English. • Try to lead with at least one other person. Trying to do it all by yourself is hard. • Just have fun with it! Think of creative things to talk about and relax. If you mess up, you mess up. Itʼs not the end of the world. • Speak slowly and clearly to make sure they understand you when you speak in English. • Encourage them to teach you about their own culture so itʼs not just you doing all the talking. • Leave the rest up to God! Heʼll shine through you as long as you seek Him first!
It was one of the
hottest days of the summer and my family was touring Washington D.C. for the day. Because of a temporary health problem, my stomach hurt and I felt
help and encouragement. I stood up from the bench I was sitting on and got moving, focusing on the monument that marked our destination. As it got closer and closer, I got more and
tired. I also had a cut that made walking very uncomfortable. It was the end of the day, my feet were tired, I
still had about two and a half more miles to walk until we would
test
journeys in life as they walk along and become discouraged or hopeless. But when we decide to keep pushing and not give up, God
weakness. If I had given up that day, I would never have
metro
be a good for me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it without some serious
think this story mirrors many people’s
goal
sweaty and thirsty and we
After thinking it over I decided that this would
peaceful. I
provides a ,a finish line and once we finally reach it, we will know all that hard work did indeed pay off because we let God work through our
was
reach the station. I told my mom that I wasn’t sure I could make it and my parents offered to let me ride in a taxi and meet them there.
and it was so
experienced that
good feeling and closer, I got more and more
excited that we were almost done. I think I would’ve quit if I hadn’t had that goal to look forward to. When I finally
relieved and accomplished. made it I felt so
There was a pool of water where we could soak our feet
at the end. So - don’t give up. When you feel alone or you’re hurting or you’re discouraged remember that God is
fan
your biggest and He’s cheering you on. He will make it
all worth it in the end.
Written by Michaela F.
Pumpkin Bread by Carrie R.
Ingredients 1 1/2 cups )lour 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional) 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional) 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 6 tablespoons butter 1 1/3 cups sugar or 1 cup sugar plus 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup water or milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 large eggs 1 cup pumpkin 1/3 cup of raisins, pecans, or walnuts (optional)
Instructions Preheat oven to 350 (or 180 degrees in Celsius) degrees Fahrenheit. Grease loaf pan. Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, ground ginger, nutmeg, and baking powder. Combine the vanilla and the water (or milk) in another bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually
The perfect fall treat to share with friends and family!
add the sugar and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in each egg one at a time. Add the pumpkin puree and beat on low speed until blended. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk mixture, a little at a time on low speed or stirring with a spatula until smooth. If you wish, you can add raisins, walnuts, or pecans. Bake about 1 hour until knife comes out clean.
Bon Appetit!
Prayer’s Results by Sarah A.
I
was born in
Italy, near Milan. When my sister and I were old enough our family moved to America because of my father’s job. We stayed in America for five years but around the beginning of the fifth year my parents thought God was calling us back to Italy. At the end of June I had a dream that showed our family packing to go to Italy; my sister had a dream that same night that showed us at the airport. In August we left for Italy and now we have been there for 2 years.
When we moved into our into our new house in Italy our parents let us get some gymnastics training. In our gymnastics room many other girls practiced with us; we made friends with all of them and they asked us why we were here in Italy. We answered that God had told us through dreams and His and Word to return to Italy. They were surprised that God had talked to us because they thought that God only talked to people in Bible times. One girl, named Sofia, didn’t
know who God was. She asked a lot of questions and a couple weeks later that I gave her my Bible. She promised to read it and so far (for seven months) she has. She is almost finished with the Old Testament and she says that though she doesn’t enjoy reading she likes reading the Bible. I have been praying that one weekend she will be able to visit our church. She is learning to pray with me and soon she will be able to by herself. Please keep praying with
me.
Bible Verses on... Thanksgiving “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” -Psalm 107:1
“Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!” -1Chronicles 16:8 “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” -Psalm 95:2
“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks to God the Father through him.” -Colossians 3:1 “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” -2 Corinthians 2:14
5 Biblical Truths on Friendship
1 2 3 4 5
“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” -Proverbs 16:28 Gossip hurts. A lot. Don’t hurt your friends by spreading rumors about them or going behind their back. Think of their feelings as our own. I know you wouldn’t want someone doing that to you, so don’t do it to them!
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” -Romans 12:15 Sometimes the best thing you
can do for a friend is to just be there for them. When they’re happy be happy for them, don’t brush it aside. If it’s important to them, it should be important to you too. If they’re upset, cry with them. Walk with them in their grief. Don’t leave them alone or shy away because you don’t know how to comfort them. Just being there can make a big difference.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” -Proverbs 17:17 This one is a little tough to swallow. A friend loves at all time. Not just sometimes, or when you feel like it, but ALL times. Even if your friend is being mean to you or hurts you, you’re still called to love him or her. “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” -Proverbs 12:26 Seek to help your friend. Give her/him Godly advice. Think of her in your best interest and help lead her along the right path. There’s nothing wrong with giving advice or correcting, as long as do it kindly.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” -John 13:15 You may not ever have to actually die for one of your friends. But what if you were in that situation, would you do it? Philippians 2:3b says “…but in humility count others more significant than yourself.” Sometimes you’ll have to make sacrifices for your friendship; do so gladly. Count your friend more significant than yourself, even if it means taking some of her burdens.
Article by Courtney R. -- photograph by Jessica B.
Everyone struggles… That’s why Broken Beauty is there. It’s a resource to help find other resources that deal with very common yet tough issues that girls go through. My prayer is that this website provides hope and a way to find healing. If you or someone you know needs help in the areas of dealing with abuse, addiction or other issues that will be added later please visit :
brokenbeauty.yolasite.com
Designed by Michaela F.
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I’d love to hear from you! Writers Wanted To make this e-zine possible I need help! So, if you have a poem, a recipe, a story, or a funny cultural moment...send it to me!
P S A L M 1:3
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.�