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

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!

by Courtney R.

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.

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!

-Emily

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

tired. I also had a cut that made walking very uncomfortable. It was the end of the day, my feet were tired, I

was sweaty and

thirsty and we still had about two and a half more miles to walk until we would

reach the metro 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.

After thinking it over I decided that this would

be a good test for me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it without some serious

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

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

made it I felt so relieved

and accomplished. There was a pool of water where we could soak our feet

and it was so

peaceful. I think this story mirrors many people’s

journeys in life as they walk along and become discouraged or hopeless. But when we decide to keep pushing and not give up, God

provides a goal, 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

weakness. If I had given up that day, I would never have

experienced that good feeling at the end. So - don’t give up. When you feel alone or you’re hurting or you’re discouraged remember that God is

your biggest fan 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  )lour1  1/2  teaspoons  cinnamon1  teaspoon  baking  soda

1  teaspoon  salt1  teaspoon  ground  ginger    (optional)

1/2  teaspoon  ground  nutmeg  (optional)1/4  teaspoon  baking  powder  

6  tablespoons  butter1  1/3  cups  sugar  or  1  cup  sugar  plus  1/3  

cup  packed  brown  sugar1/3  cup  water  or  milk1/2  teaspoon  vanilla

2  large  eggs  1  cup  pumpkin  

1/3  cup  of  raisins,  pecans,  or  walnuts  (optional)

The perfect fall treat to share

with friends and family!

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

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

“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

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” -Psalm 95:2

“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“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!

2“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.

3“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.

4“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.

5“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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“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.”

PSALM

1:3