Not of this WorldNovember/December 2011

a note from theeditor

Dear Readers,

It’s finally started to cool down here in Texas and feel a

little bit more like Fall. Though a Texas Fall is much

different from the rest of the world’s Fall. Italy opened my eyes to that. I never knew trees could actually be so

vibrant and beautiful or the scent of the season could

actually hang in the air. That’s one thing that I love about other cultures, getting to see how others experience and celebrate

seasons. Hopefully, this issue will inspire you to slow down and enjoy the seasons of Fall and

Winter this year and learn more about your culture.

Even though it’s a ways away, I specifically wanted to include something about Christmas. Every

year I get caught up in the rush of the holiday season and even though I try hard, I can never seem to focus on the real reason for the holiday: Christ’s birth. Every year I aspire to try harder, but I always fail. So this year, I started thinking about it in advance and I’ve come up with a

challenge and I hope you’ll join me.

To really dig into the Christmas story and find applicable truths, I looked in each Gospel to read

the different accounts of Jesus’s birth. I specifically looked at how people reacted to His birth. I came up with five different reactions that were each expressed by more than one person. My

goal this year is to dedicate the five weeks leading up to Christmas to really apply those

reactions to my own life. I hope you’ll join me in challenging your heart this Christmas and

reacting appropriately to the greatest event in history.

To read the devotional for week one, go to page 20. If you’d like to sign up to receive the rest of them through e-mail, click here.

Thanks for reading! Courtney R.

Send notes to the editor at notofthisworld.r2@gmail.com

Table of Contents

On TCKsThird Culture Pet of the Month... 26From the Blog: Thankful...26On GodBible Verses on Sin... 25Heart of Worship: Proclaim His Awesome Works... 16-17On YouChristmas Devotional... 20-22On OthersWhat are you thankful for?...18-19A Note from the Editor... 2I’m Glad I’m Not an Adult Quite Yet... 4-5On CultureTravel Craft... 23-24On Everything Happy 2nd Birthday Not of this World...6Thanksgiving Evangelism...8-14Thanksgiving Poll...15

5

8

by Danica K.

i’m glad i’m not an adult quite yet.

Because...There are so many things I

love about working at a coffee shop.

First, I love the coffee. I love the art of making a beautiful drink that will satisfy an unknown person’s craving for something sweet, bold, and delicious. I love steaming the milk and topping with foam. I love drizzling the cup and perfecting it with whipped cream.

Second, I love the atmosphere. I love when it feels calm and there’s a peace that fills the shop. This peace is brought by friends that have come to enjoy each others company over coffee & a chocolate croissant, or the lonely student plugging away at their biology homework. I also love when it feels crazy, when each table is occupied with the locals or the visitors that just happened upon this happy corner coffee shop.

Lastly, and, most of all, I love the people. I love the people behind the counter and the ones in front, the ones I work with and work for. I love how making and serving coffee with others creates a special bond and makes special friendships. I love interacting with people I don’t know and making friends with strangers.

I’ve learned a lot about people in just this short time of working here. I’ve learned that people are lonely and longing for depth in relationships. I’ve learned that people want to be cared for and valued and will receive that through a latte and a genuine smile. I’ve learned that people are WEIRD [I don’t exclude myself in this] and have lots of crazy quirks and differences. I’ve learned that everyone has a story, and one simple tiny interaction with them gives not even the slightest insight into who they are or what they have been through.

Happy Birthday Not of

this World!

Not of this World is two years old this December! It has grown so much since I first started it in 2009 and I can not wait to see what God will do with it in the future. A few birthday fun facts...

Number of Subscribers: 84

Number of Facebook Fans: 108

Most Viewed Issue: October 2010

Most Voted on Article: Beauty Redefined by Natalie Lloyd from the October 2010

issue

Number of Countries Represented by

Readers: 18

Number of Blog Posts: 124

Total Blog Views: 4,511

I truly appreciate all of your

support; thanks for reading!

Here’s to year 3!

by Courtney R.

What to doThanksgiving is an easy, fun way to share the truth of Jesus with your community, while getting to know them better as well. My last year of living in Italy, I did a monthly English Club with two other American friends and it was one of my favorite experiences from living overseas. Sometimes it can be intimidating to reach out to the girls who live around you, especially if you donʼt interact with your countryʼs native people or speak their language, but I really encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and start getting to know your countryʼs people. If you already have, keep reaching out! Like I just said, I do know it is hard, which is why I decided to write this article. On the following pages youʼll find recipes, games, conversation topics, and more. Holidays really are great and easy times to evangelize since your community will be interested in your traditions and learning to speak English. I hope you find these tips helpful and challenge yourself to try using some of them for your own Thanksgiving party!

Write, Draw, and Pass

Iʼve played this game several times with girls who werenʼt very comfortable in English and it has always had great results.

Give each person a stack of small pieces of paper depending on the size of the group (5 pieces if there are 5 people, 6 for 6, etc.) and a pen. If your group is comfortable in English, tell them to write down something theyʼre thankful for. Next, tell everyone to pass their piece of paper to the next person. Instead of writing, draw what you see written. Keep passing and switching back and forth between writing and drawing until you get your own back. Itʼs hilarious to see how skewed the original message can get!

If your group does not speak English well, teach them a list of Thanksgiving words and let them use those.

Bingo

BINGO is a great game to teach English. Make BINGO cards wi th var ious Thanksgiving and Fall words and use pictures from Google to make it easier for your group to understand. Also, be sure to explain each word before starting the game to make sure they understand. Use candy corn or Fall-colored m&ms to make the game more fun.

Some words you could use: turkey, pilgrim, Mayflower, football, acorn, pumpkin, parade, Native American, Thanksgiving, candy corn, leaves, scarves, coats, mittens, Fall, etc.

As long as youʼre enthusiastic and very clear with your instructions, everyone will have fun!

Who to invite

When making your guest list, choose people who are similar in age to you. Also, decide whether to have only girls, or boys too. Itʼs also important to invite people who know each other. Your guests might feel nervous if they donʼt know you too well and not recognizing anyone there will only increase their anxiety.

Donʼt be afraid to ask people to come! Most people aren ʼ t comfortable ini t iat ing friendships, so while your neighbors might not seem to notice you, chances are they probably would like to get to know you better. And it always feels nice to be included in something.

To help you “lead” your party, choose a few of your friends. Donʼt invite too many of your own friends because you donʼt want to cause a separation between nationalities or make your guests feel uncomfortable. If youʼre not very outgoing, consider inviting someone you know who converses easily with others. If no one is willing to talk, no one will have fun. If you donʼt know anyone willing to come, just be yourself and step outside of your comfort zone.

To download an invitation, click here.

What to MakePumpkin Pie in a Jar

You’ll need...half-pint wide-mouth mason jars, 3 to 9 inch pie crusts (double that if youʼre making a pie that needs crust on top), a fifteen ounce can of pumpkin, one fourteen ounce can of condensed milk, two eggs, one tsp of cinnamon, one tsp of pumpkin pie spice.

You will need to...Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the pie crust into quarters . Youʼll use 1/4 of each pie crust for each jar. Press the piece of pie crust into the jar, completely covering the sides and reapplying excess crust as needed. Fill the jar with your pie filling and top with crust if needed. Bake for fifteen minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake thirty-five to forty-five minutes.

Make sure you use canning jars as they wonʼt break while baking in the oven. If you want to be extra cautious, remove lids from jars and place jars on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in oven and then turn on the oven. This will give the jars a chance to warm up slowly as the oven preheats.

Taken from ourbestbites.com and cooking.thenerdswife.com

What you make really depends on what type of get-together you want to host. You could serve some smal le r more “party-ish” items like the pumpkin pies featured on the right, or you could treat your guests to a full-blown Thanksgiving meal. Here are some more ideas of what to make:

Rolls - Mashed Potatoes - Apple

Cider - Chocolate Pie - Apple Pie - Corn - Baked Potatoes -

Cake Pops - Caramel Apples - Small Pieces

of Turkey on Toothpicks and Gravy - Cinnamon Apples - Cornbread - Spinach Dip - Pumpkin bread

“...do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”

-Matthew 10:19

What to say

Use your Thanksgiving party not just as a way to meet girls in your community and to help them learn English, but also as a way to share your faith. At some point during your party, explain what Thanksgiving is really all about: giving thanks. Explain what you are thankful for in your own life and include your thanks for Jesus saving you from a life of sin. It doesnʼt have to be long or elaborate and you donʼt have to share that way. There are many ways to incorporate your testimony into a get-together like this.

Sometimes itʼs awkward to share your faith. Itʼs so difficult to look past what others may think of you and share the truth. Itʼs easy to want to make the Gospel seem less “preachy” or “change” it to adapt to your countryʼs culture. The beautiful about the Gospel, though, is that it transcends all cultures. Donʼt worry about what others think of you. You can never tell whatʼs happening to a personʼs heart, so even if it seems like people donʼt care about what you have to say, you are still planting a seed. After that, you just have to leave it to God.

We asked......You Voted

Rolls

17%I love

it all! 17%

Stuffing 17%

Pie 50 %

Whatʼs your favorite

Thanksgiving Day treat?

Heart of Worship by Michaela F.

Proclaim His Awesome

WorksThis kind of goes along with last monthʼs

Heart of Worship about Godʼs faithfulness to fulfill his plans for my family during our transition to life in the US. I have been trying to read a Psalm every day and lately I have been noticing how many times the phrase “Proclaim His glorious works” (or something to that effect) is repeated. I never really thought about it before but it is really important to tell others about the things God does in our lives. Here are some verses which give this command:

• Psalm 9:11 “Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nat ions what he has done” (NIV)

• Psalm 64:9 “All people will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done.” (NIV)

• Psalm 71:16 “I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD; I will

proclaim your r ighteous deeds, yours alone.” (NIV)

• Psalm 105:1 “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” (NIV)

There are many more and they

all tell us to declare the things that the Lord has done for us. Fulfilling these verses is a great testimony to Godʼs faithfulness and it will attract others to faith in Christ. It also just gives God the praise He deserves. God has been doing some amazing things in my life, including providing a wonderful house, two reliable cars, all the furniture we need, great relationships, a genuine church, and lots of time with family. God has been so incredibly good and gracious to me and my family and I donʼt understand why it isnʼt my first instinct just to tell every person I meet all about it. I really want God to get the praise and thanks for what He has blessed me with. Who knows, maybe it will give someone else hope that God will give them what they need. Join me in following Davidʼs example to turn back to praise every blessing God gives us, proclaiming to the nations His gracious goodness.

Give praise to the Lord, proclaim

His name; make known among the

nations what He has done.

-Psalm 105:1

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.-Psalm 118:1

What are you thankful

for?

Pumpkins. Even if they taste differently

in Asia and America.

-Liz G.

I'm really thankful to God

for friendships ! This year

has been a year of making

many new friends and

reconnecting with old ones!

-Rebecca M.

Thankful for family, a new

bathroom, good health, and still

having mine and my husband’s

parents.-Ann C

I’m thankful for God’s

faithfulness and His new mercies every morning!-Lillian F.

I am thankful for fall colors. They make me come alive.-Nicole L.

Close your eyes and think of

someone you know who is a social outcast. Picture that person in your head. Even though, hopefully, you donʼt exclude him or her, you probably still donʼt want to be associated with that person because, if people see the two of you together, you will most likely become an outcast too.

Now that you have this person in your head, imagine this: youʼre sound asleep. Youʼve had a tiring day. You had multiple tests in school, your parents got mad at you for forgetting your chores, you fought with your siblings, and you had too much homework to go to your weekly Bible-study. To top it off, that outcast - the one who everyone looks down upon and avoids like the plague - sat with you at lunch, in front of all of your friends. A few months ago, you had befriended her. But now, after she had been caught in being involved in multiple questionable activities, you couldnʼt keep being seeing with her. So youʼve decided to quietly tell her to quit talking to you.

So back to sleep. Youʼre snuggled up under layers of blankets and your head is resting on a soft, fluffy pillow. Darkness settles in your room and the house is absolutely still. Suddenly, a

blinding light fills your room and a voice speaks to you. Youʼre startled and wonder if youʼre still dreaming. The voice says, “Do not fear to be friends with the girl at your school.” Now youʼre really confused, why is this angelic figure talking to you about the girl at your school? But before you can question anything, the light is gone and your room is quiet again. You drift back to sleep. The next morning you wake up and do your devotional. Itʼs starts off with, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me (Matthew 25:45).” You feel funny and remember the dream you had last night. You canʼt hide from Godʼs voice any longer. So now youʼre left with two decisions: to obey or not to obey?

This is the same situation we find Joseph in in Matthew one. His situation is a tad more serious, however. His fiancee, Mary, is pregnant and itʼs not his child. In Biblical days, adulterers were put to death. It was no light matter. And if Joseph chose to stay with Mary, he would most certainly be an outcast and looked down upon. So he decides to quietly divorce her, saving b o t h o f t h e m f r o m o u t r i g h t humiliation. Matthew recounts that while Joseph was still considering this, an angel appeared to him, commanding him to marry Mary. Now

he, too, was faced with the decisions: to obey or not to obey?

I think itʼs interesting that this is how Jesusʼs birth is first told. Matthew is the first of the four Gospels and the only one to begin the story with Joseph. He doesnʼt start with Mary or John the Baptist (like Luke) or the actual birth, but Josephʼs choice of obedience. The Bible is full of stories like Josephʼs. God called Abraham to kill his one and only son. Abraham had a choice of whether to obey or not, even though the results would be heartbreaking. Jonah had to choose whether to obey Godʼs voice calling him to Ninevah. In Acts, Ananias had to choose whether or not to obey God when he was told to help Saul, who would later become Paul. These stories arenʼt for the light-hearted, nor is Godʼs voice. God told Abraham to kill his son, he told Jonah to travel to one of the most evil cities, and he commanded Ananias to approach the most known Christian persecutor. These men had faith to hear Godʼs voice and chose to obey, even if it meant giving up everything that was dear and precious to them.

God calls us to obey on a daily basis. He may not ask you to go to the most evil city on earth, but He calls you to befriend people at your school, to respect your parents, to

live in this world, but not of it. Are you l i s ten ing to H im? And, more importantly, are you obeying?

Joseph heard Godʼs voice and, thankfully, he chose to obey. He may not have understood, He most certainly must have been afraid, but He chose to obey. He chose to marry Mary, even though it meant his social demise, and accepted her son into the line of David, the royal lineage.

What is God calling you to do? Maybe itʼs something drastic, maybe itʼs something minor, but Iʼm sure Heʼs calling you to do something and you have a decision to make. The Christmas story starts with obedience and if you want to prepare your heart for celebrating the birth of your savior, your story need to start with obedience as well.

The Christmas story starts with

obedience

Putting it into Action

Start a Christmas journal or a folder on your c o m p u t e r o f photographs, however you l ike to express yourself. Write down (or take pictures of) some things that God is calling you to do. Give yourself goals everyday and find someone to keep you accountable. Start by taking small steps. Begin your day by thinking about how you can obey God in everything you do, not how close can

you get to sinning. Think of Bible stories revolving around obedience and see how they play out. Find applicable truths and jot them down. Remember, all things are possible in Christ Jesus who gives you strength.

Click here to sign up to receive more Christmas devotionals by e-mail.

“The world is a book and those who do not travel

read only one page.” - St. Augustine

1

234

5

Find some maps of your favorite places that you don’t mind cutting up. If you don’t have any, print them off the internet

or go to the entrance of a museum or tourist information center.

Cut our hearts from the maps. You can just cut randomly or

choose a certain city or landmark to be in your heart.

To give your maps a more aged look, use a paint brush to coat them with a thin layer of tea. If you really

want a unique effect, glue your hearts to dictionary pages then soak them in tea so that the words slightly bleed through. (This step is optional)

Carefully glue your hearts onto long wooden poles (to make it more rustic, use some sticks from your backyard). Remember, the less glue the better!

Place your bouquet of map hearts into a vase or old bottle. Use some twine or ribbon to decorate.

Bible Verses on...Sin

Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive

him.

Luke 17:3-4

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin...If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.

1 John 1:7 and 9

For we have all sinned

and fall short of the glory of God...

Romans 3:23

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Proverbs 28:13

...from the blogAre you thankful for your Christian brothers and sisters? It can be hard to be thank fu l f o r t hem sometimes, especially the ones in your home country because they're often so different from you. If you struggle to appreciate the Christians you meet when you're home on furlough in the States (or wherever your home country is), consider the following...

Read the rest here!

...TCP of the MonthHi! My name is Abbie and I am a golden retriever from Germany. I am an MP and I love it! Right now I am still in the middle of a transition because my family put me on this weird loud flying thing and now I’m in a place where I have a huge backyard and I get to play with my cousin. I don’t know where we are but I’m not complaining. My favorite activities are playing Frisbee, chasing squirrels and geese and sleeping on the laps of my

family. If you ever need a snuggle, you know where to find me!

What did you think? Vote on your favorite

article here.

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See you in January!

Romans 12:2Not of this Worldfor MK girls by MK girls