July

Table of Contents

July 2010

Unemployed? How You Can Live on Less

How can you simplify your life while you are out of work?

3 “We’re Letting You Go”

4 “Do Not Worry About Tomorrow”

6 How to Live on Less

14 Court in Spain Reaffirms a Mother’s Custody Rights

15 Meet Indonesia’s “Man of the Forest”

19 Danger at High Altitudes​—Treating Acute Mountain Sickness

21 God’s Name Being Made Known!

22 Watching the World

23 “The Grandest Living Flying Machine on Earth”

31 For Family Review

32 “A Treasure Chest of Practical Lessons”

Am I Ready to Leave Home? 10

Learn how you can determine when the time is right.

“Bible Study Benefits the Deaf” 26

A writer in the Czech Republic praised Jehovah’s Witnesses for aiding the deaf. Read why.

“We’re Letting You Go”

THE management called him Fantastic Fred.a His innovations had saved the company a fortune during the six years he was employed there. So when he was summoned to an executive’s office, Fred expected a raise or a promotion. Instead, the executive abruptly announced, “We’re letting you go.”

Fred could not believe his ears. “I was making good money and enjoying my work, but in one moment everything came tumbling down,” he says. Later, when Fred told his wife, Adele, about what had happened, she was equally stunned. “I felt as if my blood were draining out of me,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘What are we going to do now?’”

What happened to Fred has happened to millions of others, as is shown in the accompanying graph. Yet, numbers alone do not reveal the crushing emotional impact of unemployment. Consider Raúl, an immigrant from Peru who was laid off after 18 years of employment at a large hotel in New York City. Raúl searched for work, but in vain. “For nearly 30 years, I had provided for my family,” he says. “Now I felt like a failure as a man.”

Raúl’s experience illustrates a fact that is well-known among the unemployed​—that the loss of a job creates more than financial strain. Often, it cuts to the very core of your being. “I began to feel worthless,” says Renée, whose husband, Matthew, was out of work for more than three years. “If you have nothing, people treat you as nothing, and before long you begin to view yourself the way they view you.”

As if the emotional toll were not enough, each person who joins the ranks of the unemployed faces the additional challenge of living on less. “When we had the money, we never thought of cutting back,” Fred says. “But when the same expenses came​—and we still had no work—​we had no choice but to simplify.”

While looking for work, you need to cope with the mental and emotional anxiety caused by unemployment. You may also have to live on less. First, let us consider two practical steps you can take to deal with the emotional challenges.

[Footnote]

[Graph on page 3]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

The Number of People Unemployed in 2008 in Just Three Countries

Japan 2,650,000

Spain 2,590,000

United States 8,924,000

“Do Not Worry About Tomorrow”

Renée was at the breaking point. Her husband, Matthew, had been without steady employment for more than three years. “I was exploding inside,” Renée recalls. “Not knowing what to expect made me so discouraged!” Matthew tried to calm his wife’s anxieties by explaining that their needs had always been cared for. “But you still don’t have a job!” Renée replied. “We need income!”

LOSS of a job inevitably creates anxiety. ‘How long will I be without work?’ the unemployed person wonders. ‘How can we make ends meet in the meantime?’

While such concerns are normal, Jesus Christ gave realistic advice that can ease anxiety. He stated: “Do not worry about tomorrow . . . Each day has enough trouble of its own.”​—Matthew 6:34, The New Jerusalem Bible.

Identify Your Fears

Jesus was not saying that we should act as if our problem did not exist. However, worrying about what might happen tomorrow will only add to the emotional load of today. Frankly, we have little power over what may develop tomorrow, good or bad. But we can take measures to deal with the present.

Easier said than done? Absolutely! Rebekah, whose husband lost his job of 12 years, says: “When your emotions are so intense, it’s difficult to think about matters logically. But we had to. So I tried to keep myself under control. When the things I feared most never happened, I realized that it does no good to worry. By focusing on the present and its problems, we removed all kinds of stress.”

Ask yourself: ‘What do I fear most? How likely is it that this fear will become a reality? How much energy do I expend worrying about what may or may not happen?’

Cultivating Contentment

Our viewpoint can affect our emotions. Thus, the Bible urges this mental attitude: “Having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things.” (1 Timothy 6:8) Being content means limiting our wants and being satisfied when our daily needs are met. Striving to satisfy the desire for more will only undermine your efforts to simplify.​—Mark 4:19.

Renée was able to cultivate contentment after taking a realistic look at her situation. She says: “We have never been without lights or gas, nor have we been put out on the street. The real problem was that living like this was not what we were used to, and my unrealistic desire to maintain our former way of living intensified my distress.”

Renée soon realized that it was her viewpoint​—not her circumstances—​that made things seem unbearable. “I had to face the reality of our situation and not dwell on the way I wanted it to be,” she says. “Once I developed contentment with what God provided each day, I found that I was a lot happier.”

Ask yourself: ‘Have my needs for today been cared for? If so, can I take one day at a time, confident that my needs will be taken care of tomorrow as well?’

The right viewpoint is the first step in facing up to the challenge of living on less.a But what practical steps can you take when your income has been compromised by unemployment?

[Footnote]

[Box on page 5]

Persistence Pays Off!

After weeks of fruitless job hunting, Fred felt that all doors of opportunity had closed. “It was like waiting at a bus stop for someone to pick you up but nobody came,” he says. Fred decided to take control of the one thing he could control​—his own actions. He sent a job résumé to any company that even remotely seemed to need his skills. He followed up on all responses and prepared thoroughly for each interview, convinced that “the plans of the diligent one surely make for advantage.” (Proverbs 21:5) Fred says, “At one company, I sat through two interview sessions in which I was grilled by top managers.” But Fred’s persistence paid off. “I was hired!” he says.

[Box/​Picture on page 6]

Something More Important Than Income

What is more important​—your moral character or your income? Consider two Bible proverbs.

“Better is the one of little means who is walking in his integrity than anyone crooked in his ways, although he is rich.”​—Proverbs 28:6.

“Better is a dish of vegetables where there is love than a manger-fed bull and hatred along with it.”​—Proverbs 15:17.

Clearly, a person’s moral integrity and worth are not diminished by a loss of income. Thus, when Renée’s husband lost his job, she said to her children: “Many fathers have walked out on their families. But your father is still here for you. You know how much he loves you and has helped you through all your problems. You couldn’t have a better father!”

How to Live on Less

LIVING on less requires careful planning. Jesus emphasized the need for this. He asked: “Who of you that wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense, to see if he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28, 29) Applying that principle, you can “calculate the expense” of living within your means if you create a budget. How does it work? Try this:

When you bring home your earnings, designate specific amounts to be put in separate categories to care for present or future expenses. (See box on page 8.) When your expenses are organized, you can see where your money is going and how much is being spent on nonessentials. That, in turn, will help you to determine where you can cut back.

To develop a budget that works for you, put into practice the following suggestions.

Shop Wisely

When Raúl lost his job, his wife, Bertha, changed her method of shopping. “I looked for discount coupons and grocery store specials that offered two items for the price of one,” she says. Here are some other ideas:

● Plan your weekly menu around what is on sale.

● Buy basic ingredients instead of prepackaged foods, and cook from scratch.

● Stock up on items that are on sale or in season.

● Buy in bulk, but be careful not to overstock items that will eventually spoil.

● Slash clothing costs by purchasing quality used garments at resale stores.

● Travel to areas where prices are known to be lower, if this is cost-effective.

● Cut back on how often you shop.a

Put It on Paper

“We had to have a budget,” says Fred, “so I kept a record of what we needed to pay out immediately and what we needed to have on hand for the rest of the month.” Adele, his wife, adds: “I knew exactly how much I could spend when I went to the market. At times when I needed to buy something for the kids or the house, I would look at the budget and think, ‘I can’t afford it, so we’ll have to wait until next month.’ Having a written record was the key!”

Before Buying, Think

Get into the habit of asking yourself: ‘Do I really need this? Is the old item actually worn out, or do I just want something new?’ If you will rarely use an item, would renting one suffice? Or if you anticipate using it frequently, would buying a good used one work just as well?

While some of the above measures may seem insignificant, they can add up! The point is, by establishing a pattern of saving with little things, you will do the same when faced with large expenses.

Be Resourceful

To cut down on nonessentials, get creative. For example, Adele relates: “We had two cars but quickly got rid of one and carpooled. To save on gas, we planned as many errands as possible with each trip. We trimmed down to the essentials.” The following are some other ways you can be resourceful:

● Plant a garden and grow your own vegetables.

● Follow manufacturer’s maintenance instructions, which may prolong the life of your appliances.

● Change out of your good clothing as soon as you come home​—a practice that will keep them looking new longer.

Do Not Isolate Yourself!

Many who lose their job become withdrawn and isolate themselves. But not so with Fred! He found empathetic support from his family, including his grown children. “We learned to share a lot with one another, and this drew us closer,” he says. “All of us felt, ‘We’re in this together.’”

Fred also found strength from fellow Christians when he regularly met with them at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “At the end of our Christian meetings, I always felt encouraged,” he says. “Everyone was so kind and considerate. Because of their help and comfort, we realized that we were not alone.”​—John 13:35.

Benefits of Faith

Unemployment has generated millions of bitter victims who feel betrayed by their employers. Raúl, mentioned previously, was heartbroken by unexpected job losses twice​—once in his homeland of Peru and then in New York City. After being laid off for the second time, Raúl concluded, “In the world today, absolutely nothing is secure.” For months, he had no success in finding employment. What helped him to cope? Raúl stated, “I had developed a close friendship with God and realized that for real security I just needed to trust in him.”

Raúl is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and his study of the Bible helped him to develop strong faith in a caring heavenly Father, who promises: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Conditions were not easy. “We always prayed for our basic necessities, and we learned to be happy with what God provided,” he says. Raúl’s wife, Bertha, adds: “I felt very nervous at times, wondering if Raúl would find a job. But we saw that Jehovah answered our prayers by providing for us each day. In a sense, even though we didn’t have as much as before, our life was much simpler.”

Because Fred is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, his study of the Bible profoundly affected the way he dealt with his situation. “At times, we look for security in a job, a position, or a bank account,” he says. “But I learned that the only security we can have is from Jehovah God alone, and it is our friendship with him that provides the only genuine security.”b

[Footnotes]

[Blurb on page 9]

“We always prayed for our basic necessities, and we learned to be happy with what God provided”

[Box/​Chart on page 8]

How to Develop a Budget

(1) Write down your essential monthly expenses. Keep a record for one full month of all that you spend on food, housing (rent or mortgage), utility bills, car expenses, and the like. For bills that are paid annually, divide by 12 for the monthly amount.

(2) Organize expenses into categories. These include food, housing, automobile and travel costs, and so forth.

(3) Figure out how much of your savings must be applied monthly to each category. With bills paid annually, you must “calculate” how much needs to be put aside each month.

(4) Write down the combined net earnings of all in your household. Subtract deductions such as taxes. Compare this with the expenses.

(5) Set aside monthly the amount needed to satisfy each category. If using cash, a simple way is to mark envelopes for each category. Then periodically place cash in the appropriate envelope needed to cover the designated expense.

Caution: If you use a credit card, do so responsibly! Many a budget plan has been ruined by the temptation to ‘buy now, pay later.’

[Chart]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Net Monthly Income

NET MONTHLY WAGES $․․․․․ OTHER $․․․․․

$․․․․․

$․․․․․ Rent or Mortgage $․․․․․

$․․․․․ Insurance/​Taxes $․․․․․

$․․․․․ Utility Bills $․․․․․

$․․․․․ Automotive $․․․․․

$․․․․․ Entertainment/​Travel $․․․․․

$․․․․․ Phone $․․․․․

$․․․․․ Food $․․․․․

$․․․․․ Other $․․․․․

BUDGETED TOTAL ACTUAL TOTAL

$․․․․․ $․․․․․

Compare Income & Expenses

NET MONTHLY INCOME $․․․․․

MINUS− BALANCE

MONTHLY EXPENSES $․․․․․ $․․․․․

Young People Ask

Am I Ready to Leave Home?

“I sometimes feel that people are looking down on me because I’m 19 and still living at home, like I won’t be an adult until I live on my own.”​—Katie.a

“I’m nearly 20, and I hate it that I have very little say about how my life is run. I’ve considered leaving home because I’m tired of my parents’ ignoring my wishes and telling me that they know better.”​—Fiona.

LONG before you’re ready to leave home, you may begin to feel a desire for independence. That feeling is normal. After all, God’s original purpose was for youths to grow up and eventually leave their father and mother and establish their own family unit. (Genesis 2:23, 24; Mark 10:7, 8) But does the fact that you crave more freedom mean that it’s time to move out? Possibly. How, though, can you know when you’re truly ready to leave home? Consider three important questions you need to answer. The first is . . .

What Are My Motives?

To help you sort out your motives for wanting to move out, look at the following list. Number in order of importance the reasons why you want to leave.

․․․ Escape problems at home

․․․ Gain more freedom

․․․ Improve my status with my friends

․․․ Help out a friend who needs a roommate

․․․ Help with volunteer work in another location

․․․ Gain experience

․․․ Ease the financial burden on my parents

․․․ Other ․․․․․

The reasons listed above are not necessarily bad. However, your motive for leaving home can have a big influence on how happy you will be once you come out from under your parents’ roof. For example, if you leave just to escape problems at home or to gain more freedom, you are likely in for a shock!

Danielle, who left home for a while when she was 20, learned a lot from the experience. She says: “We all have to live with restrictions of some sort. When you’re on your own, your work schedule or lack of finances will restrict what you can do.” Carmen, who moved overseas for six months, says: “I enjoyed the experience, but I often felt that I had no free time! I had to keep up with the normal housework​—cleaning the apartment, fixing things, pulling weeds, washing clothes, scrubbing floors, and so on.”

True, moving out may give you some increased freedom, and it might improve your status with your friends. But you are the one who will have to pay the bills, prepare the food, clean the house, and fill the hours when friends and family aren’t around. So don’t allow others to rush you into a hasty decision. (Proverbs 29:20) Even if you have valid reasons to leave home, you need more than good intentions. You need survival skills​—which leads to the second question . . .

Am I Prepared?

Moving out on your own is like hiking in a wilderness. Would you trek into wild country without knowing how to set up a tent, light a fire, cook a meal, or read a map? Not likely! Yet, many young ones move away from home with few of the skills necessary to run a household.

Wise King Solomon said that “the shrewd one considers his steps.” (Proverbs 14:15) To help you consider whether you’re prepared to step out on your own, consider the following headings. Place a ✔ next to the skills you already have and an X next to those you need to work on.

◯ Money management “I’ve never had to make my own payment on anything,” says Serena, 19. “I’m afraid of leaving home and having to budget my money.” How can you learn to manage money?

A Bible proverb says: “A wise person will listen and take in more instruction.” (Proverbs 1:5) So why not ask your parents how much it’s likely to cost each month for one person to cover the rent or mortgage, buy food, and run a car or pay other transportation costs? Then have your parents help you learn how to budget your money and pay the bills. Why is it important to learn to live by a budget? Kevin, 20, says: “Once you get out on your own, there are a lot of surprise expenses. If you’re not careful, you can work yourself to death trying to pay off debts.”

Want a reality check? If you have a job, for a time give your parents the total amount of money it costs each month to cover your food, lodging, and other expenses. If you’re unable or unwilling to pay for your upkeep while at home, you will be poorly prepared to move out on your own.​—2 Thessalonians 3:10, 12.

◯ Domestic skills Brian, 17, says that what he fears most about leaving home is having to do his own laundry. How do you know if you’re ready to care for yourself? Aron, 20, offers this suggestion: “Try living for a week as if you were on your own. Eat only food that you prepare for yourself, that you buy for yourself at the store, and that you pay for with money you have. Wear clothes that you wash and iron. Do all your own housecleaning. And try to get where you need to go by yourself, with no one picking you up or dropping you off.” Following that suggestion will do two things for you: It will (1) give you valuable skills and (2) increase your appreciation for the work your parents do.

◯ Social skills Do you get along well with your parents and siblings? If not, you might assume that life will be easier when you move in with a friend. Maybe so. But consider what Eve, 18, says: “Two of my friends moved in together. They were best friends before they shared the apartment, but they just couldn’t live with each other. One was neat, the other messy. One was spiritually-minded, the other not so much. It just didn’t work!”

Erin, 18, wants to leave home. Still, she says: “You can learn a lot about how to get along with people while living at home. You learn how to solve problems and make compromises. I’ve noticed that those who leave home to avoid disagreements with their parents learn to run away from conflicts, not to resolve them.”

◯ Personal spiritual routine Some leave home with the specific intention of escaping their parents’ religious routine. Others fully intend to maintain a good personal program of Bible study and worship but soon drift into bad habits. How can you avoid ‘shipwreck of your faith’?​—1 Timothy 1:19.

Don’t just thoughtlessly adopt your parents’ religious beliefs. Jehovah God wants all of us to prove to ourselves the things we believe. (Romans 12:1, 2) So establish a good personal routine of Bible study and worship, and then stick to it. Why not write your spiritual routine on a calendar and see if you can maintain it for a month without your parents having to prod you to do so?

Finally, the third question you need to consider is . . .

Where Am I Headed?

Some who leave home are running away from problems or breaking free from parental authority. Their focus is on what they are leaving, not on where they are going. But that approach is as reasonable as trying to drive with one’s eyes fixed on the rearview mirror. When a driver is focused on what he is moving away from, he’s blind to what is ahead. The lesson? To be successful, don’t just concentrate on moving away from home​—have your eyes fixed on a worthwhile goal.

Some young adults among Jehovah’s Witnesses have moved in order to preach in isolated locations within their country or even overseas. Others move to help with the construction of places of worship or to work at a branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Still others feel that they should live by themselves for a time before they get married.b

Write here a goal that you would like to achieve by moving away from home. ․․․․․

It’s possible, in some cases, to stay at home too long and not develop the maturity and skills needed for living on your own. Even so, don’t be in a rush to make a decision. Think it through. “The plans of the diligent one surely make for advantage,” states a Bible proverb, “but everyone that is hasty surely heads for want.” (Proverbs 21:5) Listen to your parents’ advice. (Proverbs 23:22) Pray about the matter. And as you make up your mind, consider the Bible principles just discussed.

The real question is not Am I ready to leave home? but Am I ready to manage my own household? If the answer to that latter question is yes, then it might be time for you to strike out on your own.

More articles from the “Young People Ask” series can be found at the Web site www.watchtower.org/​ype

[Footnotes]

TO THINK ABOUT

● Even if your family life is difficult, how can staying at home for a time benefit you?

● While at home, what can you do that will both benefit your family and help you prepare to manage your own household?

[Box/​Pictures on page 11]

WHAT YOUR PEERS SAY

“When your parents give you responsibilities​—the kind you would have if you were on your own—​then living at home becomes a safe way to learn how to live independently later on.”

“It’s normal to want independence. But if your motive in moving out is just to get away from rules, all that shows is that you’re not really ready to move out.”

[Pictures]

Sarah

Aron

[Box on page 13]

A NOTE TO PARENTS

Serena, quoted in the accompanying article, fears leaving home. What is one reason? She says: “Even when I want to buy something with my own money, Dad won’t let me. He says that’s his job. So the idea of having to pay my own bills is scary.” Serena’s father no doubt means well, but do you think that he is helping to prepare his daughter to manage her own household?​—Proverbs 31:10, 18, 27.

Are your children overprotected and thus underprepared to face living on their own? How can you know? Consider the same four skills mentioned in the article, but from a parent’s perspective.

Money management. Do your older children know how to fill out a tax return or what they need to do to comply with local tax laws? (Romans 13:7) Do they know how to use credit responsibly? (Proverbs 22:7) Can they budget their income and then live within their means? (Luke 14:28-30) Have they felt the pleasure that comes from acquiring an item that they bought with money they earned? Have they experienced the even greater pleasure that comes from giving of their time and resources to help others?​—Acts 20:35.

Domestic skills. Do your daughters and sons know how to cook meals? Have you taught them how to wash and iron clothes? If they drive a car, can your children safely carry out simple maintenance, such as changing a fuse, the oil, or a flat tire?

Social skills. When your older children have disagreements, do you always act as the referee, imposing the final solution to the problem? Or have you trained your children to negotiate a peaceful solution to the problem and then report back to you?​—Matthew 5:23-25.

Personal spiritual routine. Do you tell your children what they should believe, or do you persuade them? (2 Timothy 3:14, 15) Rather than always answering their religious and moral questions, are you teaching them to develop “thinking ability” and ‘train their perceptive powers to distinguish right and wrong’? (Proverbs 1:4; Hebrews 5:14) Would you want them to follow your pattern of personal Bible study, or would you want them to do something better?

Without a doubt, training your children in the above areas takes time and considerable effort. But the rewards are well worth it when the bittersweet day comes to hug them good-bye.

[Picture on page 12]

Moving away from home is like hiking in the wilderness​—you need to learn survival skills before you start the journey

Court in Spain Reaffirms a Mother’s Custody Rights

● How would you feel if your fitness as a parent were called into question? What if someone claimed that your children lacked basic social skills, could not distinguish between right and wrong, and were intellectually stunted​—all because of your influence?

Rosa López, the mother of two girls in Spain, found herself facing such charges when her ex-husband took action to obtain legal custody of their children. Rosa is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and her ex-husband asserted that her religious beliefs were adversely affecting the girls’ social life, academic performance, and moral judgment. When a local court rejected his arguments, Rosa’s ex-husband appealed to the provincial court.

In a custody case, a properly conducted judicial examination strives to remain impartial; it will not become embroiled in religious debates, in effect putting one’s faith on trial. Instead, it will simply address such issues as: What is in the best interests of the child? Is the influence of the custodial parent harmful in some way? Which parent is best suited to care for the child’s needs?

To address such questions in Rosa’s case, the court appointed a psychologist to interview the children and the parents. The result? The psychologist found that although the children had been in the custody of their mother for six years, they were developing positively in all areas​—academically, socially, and within the family unit. Based on the psychologist’s findings as well as testimony from the parents, the judge found no evidence to indicate that “the minors have been harmed in any way in their emotional or socio-cultural development because of their being raised among the religious community of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” He also ruled that the allegations made by Rosa’s ex-husband were “totally arbitrary and without foundation.”

As a result of religious bias or misinformation, some assume that children of Jehovah’s Witnesses are deprived of a “normal” upbringing. However, children who are raised according to Bible principles are not being mistreated. On the contrary, they are being helped to become balanced, caring, well-rounded individuals.​—Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

[Picture on page 14]

Rosa López retained legal custody of her two girls

Meet Indonesia’s “Man of the Forest”

CLINGING to a branch that seemed too flimsy to support his enormous body, the huge creature stared at us. Holding our breath, we stared back. He seemed indifferent, but we were spellbound. There we stood, eye-to-eye with an orangutan [Pongo pygmaeus], the largest tree-dwelling animal on the planet!

Orangutans belong to the order of great apes, as do gorillas and chimpanzees. These gentle, hermitlike creatures live in the dense jungles of Borneo and Sumatra, two of the largest islands in Southeast Asia. Their name is made up of two Indonesian words, orang and hutan, meaning “man of the forest.”

Would you like to learn more about these fascinating large red apes? Then join us as we travel deep into Borneo to visit them in their native habitat.

Meeting the Orangutan

To see orangutans, we traveled to Tanjung Puting National Park, home to an abundance of animal life. The thousands of orangutans that live there are the main attraction.

Our visit began at the tiny harbor of Kumai, where we boarded a motorized wooden boat called a klotok. Traveling up the river, we snaked deeper and deeper into a narrowing tunnel of jungle greenery. Dense thickets of nipa palms lined the riverbank, and deadly crocodiles lurked in the still, black water. Strange noises echoed through the surrounding jungle, stirring our excitement.

Once off the boat, we doused ourselves with insect repellent and plunged into the forest. Within minutes, we saw our first orangutan​—the large male mentioned earlier. His shaggy, red fur glowed like polished copper in the afternoon sun. Underneath the fur, his bulging muscles made him a truly awesome sight!

Wild adult males, which stand about five and a half feet [1.7 m] tall and weigh approximately 200 pounds [90 kg], are twice as heavy as the females. Fully grown males develop large cheek pads, giving their face a disklike shape. They also have a dangling throat sac, which they use for rumbling and roaring. Sometimes they emit a booming sequence of sounds that can last up to five minutes and be heard more than a mile away. No wonder it is termed a “long call”! Males typically roar to attract receptive females and scare off rival males.

Treetop Dwellers

As we made our way along the trail, we spotted orangutans swinging through the trees. Their feet and hands are strong, flexible, and hooklike​—with long fingers, short thumbs, and big toes. They grasp branches with ease and move around gracefully and deliberately but never seem to be in a hurry.

Orangutans are experts at camouflage, melting like shadows into the forest canopy. On the ground they move slowly; humans can easily outpace them.

These animals spend almost their entire life in the treetops, and they are the only great apes to do so. Most evenings, around sunset, they select a strong forked bough, gather small branches and twigs, and build a cozy new bed​—as high as 65 feet [20 m] above the ground. To gain shelter from the rain, they sometimes add a protective “roof,” something that chimpanzees and gorillas never do. All of this work takes them only about five minutes!

Trees also provide orangutans with their favorite food​—fruit. They have an excellent memory and know exactly when and where to find ripe fruit. Also on their menu are leaves, bark, shoots, honey, and insects. Orangutans sometimes use a stick to extract honey or insects from holes in trees. All in all, orangutans eat more than 400 different types of food!

Further down the trail, we witnessed another spectacle​—orangutans feeding on piles of bananas. These animals were raised in captivity and then released into the wild. Lacking the survival skills of wild orangutans, they are given food to supplement what they find on their own.

Orangutan Family Life

We looked on as cute babies clung to their mothers and mischievous little ones frolicked on the ground or in the trees. Female orangutans live up to 45 years. After reaching maturity at age 15 or 16, they give birth once every seven or eight years. The average female orangutan has no more than three infants in a lifetime. This makes them one of the slowest breeding mammals on our planet.

The bond between mother and newborn is remarkably strong. Female orangutans nurse and train their young for eight years or more. The first year of its life, an infant is almost glued to its mother’s body. After that, it will never stray far from her until the next infant is born. Adolescent females may linger and observe how their mothers care for the newborn baby.

Young males, however, are pushed away by their mother shortly after a new sibling is born. They will then wander through the forest alone, covering an area of some six square miles [15 sq km] or more. They tend to avoid other males and will meet with females only to mate.

Females usually stay in a much smaller tract of forest throughout their life. Occasionally, they feed with other females in the same tree, but even then, there is little or no socializing. The solitary life of orangutans makes them unique among apes. But to learn more about the “man of the forest,” there was one more place we needed to visit.

Apes on the Edge

Within the national park is Camp Leakey​—an orangutan rehabilitation, research, and conservation center named after anthropologist Louis Leakey. Here, orangutans are never far away. Some came up close to us and posed or performed gymnastic feats. One adult female even grabbed for my friend’s jacket! We were thrilled to be so close to these beautiful animals.

Camp Leakey provides a sobering warning, however. Orangutans are slipping into extinction. Some environmentalists believe that the prospects for their survival in the wild are dim​—ten years or less. Consider three main threats.

Logging. About 80 percent of suitable orangutan habitat has been lost over the past 20 years. Indonesia loses an average of 20 square miles [51 sq km] of forest a day, the equivalent of five soccer fields every minute.

Poaching. As humans encroach on the forest, orangutans become more vulnerable to hunters. An orangutan skull is worth up to $70 (U.S.) on the illegal souvenir market. Some view the orangutan as a threat to crops. Others kill them for food.

Pet trade. On the black market, a cute baby orangutan sells at prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. It is estimated that about a thousand baby orangutans are sold each year.

Both government and private agencies are endeavoring to rescue the orangutan from extinction. Their efforts include setting up rehabilitation centers, raising awareness through educational programs, establishing national parks and reserves, and controlling illegal logging.

The Bible reveals that God will soon “bring to ruin those ruining the earth” and establish an earth-wide paradise. (Revelation 11:18; Isaiah 11:4-9; Matthew 6:10) At that time, the words of the psalmist will be fulfilled: “Let all the trees of the forest break out joyfully.” (Psalm 96:12) Animals​—such as the orangutan, Indonesia’s “man of the forest”—​will thrive, unimpeded by human threats to its survival.

[Map on page 15]

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MALAYSIA

Borneo

INDONESIA

Sumatra

AUSTRALIA

[Picture on page 16]

The face of the adult male has distinctive cheek pads

[Credit Line]

© imagebroker/​Alamy

[Pictures on page 17]

Orangutans move through the trees with ease but are much slower on the ground

[Credit Lines]

Top: © moodboard/​Alamy; bottom: Orangutan in the Camp Leakey of Tanjung Puting National Park, managed by BTNTP, UPT Ditjen PHKA Dephut

[Picture Credit Line on page 15]

Orangutan in the Camp Leakey of Tanjung Puting National Park, managed by BTNTP, UPT Ditjen PHKA Dephut

[Picture Credit Line on page 18]

Orangutan in the Camp Leakey of Tanjung Puting National Park, managed by BTNTP, UPT Ditjen PHKA Dephut

Danger at High Altitudes​—Treating Acute Mountain Sickness

“In Peru there is a very lofty mountain range that is called Pariacaca . . . When I climbed the Staircases, as they are called, the highest part of that range, almost in an instant I felt such mortal anguish that I thought I would have to throw myself off my mount onto the ground. . . . This was soon followed by convulsive retching and vomiting that made me think I would [die]. I will say that if it had continued I would have been certain of dying, but it lasted only a matter of three or four hours until we had gone a good way down the mountain and reached a more tolerable altitude.”​—José de Acosta, from the book Natural and Moral History of the Indies.

NEAR the end of the 16th century, Spanish Jesuit José de Acosta suffered the disagreeable experience described above while climbing the Pariacaca in the Peruvian Andes. At the time, such symptoms were commonly attributed either to toxic emanations from the minerals in the mountains or to the exhalations of mischievous gods. From what we know now, Acosta had the trademark symptoms of soroche​—acute mountain sickness (AMS).

AMS is the body’s response to the scant oxygen supply at high elevations. There, the barometric pressure decreases and the lungs absorb less oxygen.a

Symptoms of AMS frequently appear about four hours after a person reaches a high elevation and may last from one to four days. During this period, the limited oxygen in the blood will stimulate the production of more red blood cells, which in time will help the circulatory system supply more oxygen.

However, if a person ascends to a high elevation too quickly or overexerts himself before acclimatizing, fluids may accumulate in the lungs or around the brain. If not cared for, this condition can be fatal.

How to Prevent AMS

Travelers and climbers have tried many methods to prevent or treat AMS. Some steps include the following:

● Avoid traveling to high altitudes if you have a respiratory ailment or anemia.

● Medications such as diuretics, anti-inflammatories, or other drugs are often recommended for treating or preventing symptoms of AMS. Consult your physician.

● The best remedy for AMS is to return to a lower altitude. If possible, keep warm during the descent and rest upon arrival.

Some of the most awe-inspiring scenery is found in the highlands and mountain ranges of the world. (Psalm 148:9, 13) If you travel with care, you will be able to maintain good health as you enjoy the beauty of creation.

[Footnote]

[Blurb on page 20]

Symptoms of AMS frequently appear about four hours after a person reaches a high elevation and may last from one to four days

[Blurb on page 20]

The best remedy for AMS is to return to a lower altitude

God’s Name Being Made Known!

● Walk through picturesque Island of Orleans, near Quebec City, Canada, and the religious nature of its early settlers becomes apparent. Historic roadside chapels, reminders of a bygone era, are still seen along the road that encircles the island, and each parish has its own church.

In the town of Saint-Pierre stands the oldest rural church in Quebec, dating back to 1717. Now an art gallery, the building contains a remarkable feature. Above the altar is the Tetragrammaton​—the four Hebrew letters that make up the personal name of the God of the Bible, Jehovah.

Today, it is rare even to hear God’s name uttered in a Catholic church, much less see it. Indeed, a document issued by the Vatican in 2008 stated that at the direction of the pope, God’s name is “neither to be used or pronounced” in Catholic religious services, hymns, or prayers. Yet, the Bible makes clear that Jehovah God wants his name to be “declared in all the earth.”​—Exodus 9:16.

Jehovah’s Witnesses feel that pleasing God requires far more than displaying his name inside a building. Each year, worldwide, they spend well over 1.5 billion hours teaching people about God’s name and purposes. They have even restored God’s name, Jehovah, to its rightful place. The Bible that they have published​—The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—​is faithful to the original-language texts, where the name Jehovah appears some 7,000 times. To date, more than 165,000,000 copies of the New World Translation have been printed, in whole or in part, in 83 languages. Really, when it comes to God’s name, Jehovah, the question is not What basis do we have for using it? but What basis do we have for not using it?

[Picture on page 21]

The New World Translation, where the name Jehovah appears some 7,000 times, is printed, in whole or in part, in 83 languages

Watching the World

“It’s an astonishing fact that year after year, the Bible is the best-selling book in America​—even though 90% of households already have at least one copy. . . . An estimated 25 million copies [are] sold each year.”​—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, UNITED STATES.

“Globally, snake bite affects the lives of some 4.5 million people every year, and conservative estimates suggest that at least 100,000 people die from snake bite, and another 250,000 are permanently disabled.”​—UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.

Some “210 billion emails per day were sent in 2008.”​—NEW SCIENTIST, BRITAIN.

Highway Noise Hampers Memory

“People with a bedroom near a highway, railroad, or airport are likely to find it harder to remember old information and learn new things, even if they just sleep through the noise.” So says Ysbrand van der Werf of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience. Memory performance and learning ability are affected when a person is deprived of sleep, but the same is true when a person is subject to “mild disruption of deep sleep without . . . waking up,” says the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. In order to work properly, the hippocampus, an area of the brain crucial to memory, needs deep sleep, undisturbed by “external stress factors, such as noise and light.”

Fireworks and Respiratory Conditions

Fireworks displays may be spectacular, but the particles shot into the atmosphere can be dangerous to your health. To produce different-colored flashes, many fireworks contain metal salts​—for example, strontium for red and barium for green. Austrian researchers who tested samples of fallen snow before and after a New Year’s fireworks display found that the snow’s barium content increased some 500-fold. Since barium poisoning causes constriction of the airways, researchers say that inhaling the smoke from fireworks could aggravate respiratory problems, such as asthma.

Wind Turbines Kill Bats

In Alberta, Canada, bats are being found dead at the foot of wind turbines, reports the magazine Scientific American. This has left investigators perplexed, given the bats’ remarkable sonar and flying abilities. However, researchers have discovered internal hemorrhaging in 92 percent of the victims examined, leading to the conclusion that the bats’ delicate respiratory system cannot cope with the sudden drop in air pressure created by the turbine blades. These blades can move at a speed of 125 miles [200 km] an hour at their extremities. Insect-eating migratory bats are principally affected, and it is feared that wind turbines could have a destabilizing effect on ecosystems.

“The Grandest Living Flying Machine on Earth”

THE albatross has been described as “the grandest living flying machine on Earth,” and for good reason. With a wingspan of ten feet [3 m], this largest of all seabirds can reach a flying speed of more than 70 miles [115 km] an hour. The albatross may appear ungainly on land, but in the sky it is simply magnificent to behold.

Of the approximately 20 recognized species of albatross, some 15 species can be found in the ocean waters surrounding New Zealand. The sole mainland breeding colony in the Southern Hemisphere is Taiaroa Head, at the tip of the Otago Peninsula, on New Zealand’s South Island.

There, the northern royal albatross begins breeding between the ages of six and ten years. Breeding continues throughout its life, which can be quite long. Some of these birds have been known to live well over half a century! The albatross lays one egg every second year, spending the interim year at sea. Customarily, the bird stays with one partner for life.

Both the male and the female albatross take part in nest building, which begins in September. Then, in November, the female lays an egg that may weigh up to 18 ounces [500 g]. For some 80 days, the parents share in incubation until the egg hatches in early February. Then, the parents take turns guarding and feeding the chick, whose diet consists of a regurgitated mush of fish and squid. At six months of age, the chick can weigh up to 26 pounds [12 kg]​—considerably more than an adult albatross!

After nearly a year, the parents leave Taiaroa Head to spend a year at sea before returning to repeat the breeding process. In the meantime, their slimmer and fully feathered offspring has learned, through trial and error, to extend its wings and take off into the wind. Its destination? The ocean, where the young albatross will live for the next few years. As an adolescent, the albatross will return to Taiaroa Head. There, while older birds are busy with nesting and breeding, the young albatross will pass the time preening, frolicking, and showing off its finely tuned flying skills.

[Box on page 25]

A VISIT TO THE ROYAL ALBATROSS COLONY

Since childhood, I have been fascinated by stories of the albatross, so I eagerly anticipated my visit to the royal albatross colony. It was a windy day, and as my companion and I got near, we scanned the skies for a glimpse of the aerial display we came to see. We were not disappointed. As the birds came into view, we could only marvel at these legendary specialists of flight!

Upon arrival, we joined a contingent of fellow visitors for a one-hour guided tour. With the aid of models, displays, and videos, we learned that the northern royal albatross can live entirely at sea, even sleeping on the water! Whether on water or in the air, this fascinating bird is truly a marvel​—yet another reason to give praise to the one who “created all things,” Jehovah God!​—Revelation 4:11.

[Picture on page 24]

Both parents take turns guarding and feeding the chick, which at six months of age can weigh up to 26 pounds [12 kg]

[Picture on page 24, 25]

Taiaroa Head, home of the northern royal albatross

[Picture on page 24]

The northern royal albatross can live entirely at sea​—even sleeping on the water

[Picture Credit Lines on page 23]

Top: © David Wall/​Alamy; bottom: © Kim Westerskov/​Alamy

[Picture Credit Lines on page 25]

Background: © davidwallphoto.com; page 24, top: Tui De Roy/​Roving Tortoise Photos; page 24, bottom: Courtesy Diarmuid Toman; page 25, albatross in flight: © Naturfoto-Online/​Wolfgang Bittmann

“Bible Study Benefits the Deaf”

AN ARTICLE with this title was published in a magazine for the deaf in the Czech Republic. The writer, Zdeněk Straka, praised Jehovah’s Witnesses who have learned sign language to reach out to the deaf.

What prompted Mr. Straka to write such an article? In the summer of 2006, he attended a convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Prague, where the program was interpreted into sign language for the benefit of some 70 in attendance who were deaf. Each year, Jehovah’s Witnesses arrange conventions worldwide to provide Bible education and upbuilding fellowship. The deaf are not excluded. During one recent year, 96 of these conventions were presented exclusively in sign language around the globe and at another 95 locations, the program was interpreted for the deaf.

At the time of the convention in Prague, the sign-language congregation in that city was conducting Bible studies with some 30 deaf individuals. Those who study the Bible benefit from what they learn, as shown by the following experience.

Markéta travels more than 60 miles [100 km] each week to conduct a Bible study with a deaf woman from Mongolia. The Czech and Mongolian sign languages are quite different, so Markéta needs to be resourceful to make the material understandable to her student. Yet, Markéta’s efforts have proved worthwhile. Pregnant with her second child, Markéta’s student had considered having an abortion, but then she changed her mind. Markéta says, “When I asked her about it, she signed in reply, ‘Jehovah does not approve of abortions.’ I was happy to see that she understood God’s view of life!”a

Worldwide, many deaf people are coming to an accurate knowledge of God through study of his Word. As they draw closer to their God and find increased joy in life, their lives are affected for the better.​—Isaiah 48:17, 18.

[Footnote]

[Box on page 26, 27]

DID YOU KNOW?

● Jehovah’s Witnesses publish DVD programs in 43 sign languages. Downloadable material for the deaf can also be found at the Web site www.jw.org.

● To make more publications available to the deaf, Jehovah’s Witnesses have organized 59 sign-language translation teams earth wide.

● There are over 1,200 sign-language congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world.

[Diagram on page 26]

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www.jw.org

The Bible’s Viewpoint

Should Women Be Ministers?

“I HAVE been amazed and angered by the fact that nothing has changed for women, in terms of being ordained,” wrote a Catholic woman to the newspaper USA Today. Many people share her view. After all, in other religions women serve as ministers, priests, bishops, and rabbis.

Religions on both sides of the controversy​—those forbidding women to be ministers and those allowing them to preach from the pulpit—​claim to adhere to the Scriptures. However, the Bible does not support either view. How can that be? To answer, we must first consider how the Bible uses the word “minister.”

First-Century Ministers

What does the word “minister” mean to you? Many would immediately think of a religious leader, male or female, who presides over a congregation for worship. But the Bible uses the word in a broader sense. Consider the Christian woman Phoebe, whom the apostle Paul introduced as “our sister, who is a minister of the congregation that is in Cenchreae.”​—Romans 16:1.

Do you imagine Phoebe standing before the congregation in Cenchreae, presiding over a religious service? Really, what ministry did Phoebe perform? In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes that certain women “worked together with me . . . in spreading the good news.”​—Italics ours; Philippians 4:2, 3, Contemporary English Version.

The primary way in which first-century Christians spread the good news was “publicly and from house to house.” (Acts 20:20) Those who engaged in that work were ministers. That included women such as Priscilla. She, along with her husband, “expounded the way of God more correctly” to a God-fearing man who had not yet been baptized as a Christian. (Acts 18:25, 26) Like Phoebe, Priscilla evidently was an effective minister​—as were many women.

A Dignified Role

Was the public ministry a menial assignment, a secondary task to be relegated to women while the men did the important work of presiding over the congregation? Not at all, and for two reasons. First, the Bible makes clear that all Christians​—including men with weighty congregation responsibilities—​were to share in the public ministry. (Luke 9:1, 2) Second, the public ministry was and still is the primary means by which Christians of both genders fulfill Jesus’ command to “make disciples of people of all the nations, . . . teaching them.”​—Matthew 28:19, 20.

There is another vital role that certain women have in the congregation. Paul wrote: “Let the aged women be . . . teachers of what is good; that they may recall the young women to their senses to love their husbands, to love their children.” (Titus 2:3, 4) Thus, mature women with experience in Christian living have the privilege of helping younger and less experienced women to gain maturity. That too is a dignified, weighty role.

Teaching in the Congregation

Nowhere in the Bible, however, are women told to stand before the congregation to teach. Rather, the apostle Paul instructed them to “keep quiet in the meetings.” Why? One reason, he wrote, is so that things would be done “in a proper and orderly way.” (1 Corinthians 14:34, 40, Today’s English Version) For the congregation to run smoothly, God has assigned the role of teaching to one group. Note, though, that a person is not granted the privilege of oversight in the congregation simply because he is a male; it is granted only to those men who truly qualify.a​—1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9.

Is the role that God has assigned to women demeaning? No. Remember, Jehovah God ordains them to a high calling​—that of publicly bearing witness about him. (Psalm 68:11) Among Jehovah’s Witnesses today, men and women who are public ministers have helped millions to attain to repentance and gain salvation. (Acts 2:21; 2 Peter 3:9) That is no small accomplishment!

The arrangement for men and women promotes peace while showing honor to both genders. To illustrate: The eyes and ears perform complementary tasks to help a pedestrian cross a busy street. Similarly, when men and women accomplish God’s will according to the roles they have each been assigned, God blesses the congregation with peace.​—1 Corinthians 14:33; Philippians 4:9.b

[Footnotes]

HAVE YOU WONDERED?

● How did women in the early Christian congregation teach?​—Acts 18:26.

● Who are appointed to oversee the congregation?​—1 Timothy 3:1, 2.

● How does God view the ministry of Christian women today?​—Psalm 68:11.

[Blurb on page 29]

“Jehovah himself gives the saying; the women telling the good news are a large army.”​—PSALM 68:11

Was It Designed?

The Eye of the Moth

● Most moths fly chiefly at night. Whereas some nighttime creatures reveal their presence when a beam of light causes their eyes to glow, the moth has a stealth feature of sorts​—its cornea is considerably less reflective.

Consider: The moth’s eye has an unusual cornea​—it is composed of arrays of microscopic bumps, arranged in hexagonal patterns. The bumps “are smaller than the wavelength of visible light,” states Peng Jiang, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Florida, U.S.A. The pattern and size of those arrays enable a moth’s eye to trap light from several wavelengths and angles. The tiny bumps are only 200 to 300 nanometers in height. By way of comparison, the width of an average human hair is about 80,000 nanometers!

Engineers hope that a deeper understanding of the moth’s cornea will help them improve their design of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and liquid crystal displays (LCDs), commonly used in electronic devices. The design of the moth’s eye might also be applied to solar power. Silicon solar panels may reflect as much as 35 percent of light​—a significant waste of potential energy. However, by imitating the orderly bumps of the moth’s eye, Jiang and his collaborators fabricated a silicon that reflected less than 3 percent of light. “We can learn a great deal from these natural structures,” Jiang concludes.

What do you think? Did the tiny antireflective structure of the moth’s eye come about by chance? Or was it designed?

[Picture on page 30]

The moth’s eye has a cornea composed of arrays of microscopic bumps arranged in hexagonal patterns

[Pictures on page 30]

A silicon wafer with an antireflection array used for solar panels

[Picture Credit Lines on page 30]

Moth eye close-up: Courtesy of Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility; silicon close-up: Courtesy Peng Jiang

For Family Review

What Is Missing From This Picture?

Read Mark 1:9-11. Now look at the picture. What features are missing? Write your answers on the lines below, and complete the picture by coloring it and drawing the missing elements.

1. ․․․․․

2. ․․․․․

FOR DISCUSSION:

What are some reasons why Christians get baptized?

CLUE: Read Mark 8:34; 1 Peter 2:21; 3:21.

How old do you think you should be before you get baptized? Why do you give that answer?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE APOSTLE JUDAS ISCARIOT?

3. What special privilege did Judas have that none of the other apostles are reported as having?

CLUE: Read John 13:29.

․․․․․

4. What temptation did Judas give in to?

CLUE: Read John 12:6.

․․․․․

FOR DISCUSSION:

What do you think caused Judas to commit his crimes? When might you face a similar temptation? How can thinking about Judas’ example help you make good decisions?

CHILDREN’S PICTURE SEARCH

Can you find these pictures in this issue? In your own words, describe what is happening in each picture.

FROM THIS ISSUE

Answer these questions, and provide the missing Bible verse(s).

PAGE 4 What does each day have enough of? Matthew 6:․․․

PAGE 9 Our heavenly Father promises that he will by no means do what? Hebrews 13:․․․

PAGE 10 God’s original purpose was for a man to do what? Mark 10:․․․

PAGE 29 Older women can help young women to do what? Titus 2:․․․

● Answers on page 17

ANSWERS TO PAGE 31

1. John the Baptizer.

2. The dove.

3. He looked after the money box.

4. He wanted the money and stole it.

“A Treasure Chest of Practical Lessons”

● “We want to express deep appreciation for the many articles you write for those of us who are raising children,” wrote a couple in New Hampshire, U.S.A. “We have a four-year-old daughter named Sophia, and we feel as though we’re getting personal coaching that helps us to imprint vital truths in her mind and heart during her formative years.”

Their letter continues: “The book Learn From the Great Teacher is a treasure chest of practical lessons for our daughter, not to mention for us. The pictures in the last chapter are the most exquisite illustrations of Paradise that we’ve ever seen! Our little girl just pores over them time and again, absorbing the Bible’s promises.”

The last chapter of Learn From the Great Teacher, entitled “God’s Peaceful New World​—You Can Live There,” beautifully illustrates God’s promises as found in his Word, the Bible.

You may request a copy of this 256-page book, which has the same page size as this magazine. Simply fill in the accompanying coupon, and mail it to the address provided or to an appropriate address listed on page 5 of this magazine.

□ Without obligation, I request a copy of the book shown here.

□ Please contact me concerning a free home Bible study.

[Picture on page 32]

Picture found on page 254 of the book