Is Your Food Safe?

“Germany Shuts School Over E. Coli Scare.”​—REUTERS NEWS SERVICE, GERMANY.

“Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Sprouts in Five States.”​—USA TODAY.

“Meat of 6 Cows Fed Radioactive Straw Reaches 9 Prefectures.”​—THE MAINICHI DAILY NEWS, JAPAN.

THE above headlines appeared during a two-week period last year. Researchers estimate that each year about 30 percent of people in developed countries suffer from foodborne illness.

How do such reports affect you? “I get worried and even angry,” admits Hoi, a father in Hong Kong. “I have two children, and I am concerned about how and where their food is made.”

In poorer countries, foodborne and waterborne diseases kill millions​—mostly children—​every year. “In the markets here, food items are exposed to flies, rain, wind, and dust,” says Bola, who lives in Nigeria. “When I read or hear about food diseases, I feel scared. I want to protect my family.”

Is it possible to protect your family from unsafe food? The Canadian Food Inspection Agency states: “If unsafe food gets into our grocery stores, it makes headlines. And rightly so. But unsafe food, which could lead to foodborne illness, can also happen from what we do​—or don’t do—​in our own kitchens.”

What can you do to protect your family from foodborne illness? We will consider four ways to make your food safer.

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WHO ARE AT RISK?

Some groups of people are particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness, including:

● Children under the age of five

● Pregnant women

● People over the age of 70

● People with compromised immune systems

If you or anyone eating with you falls into one of these categories, you should be particularly cautious about the food you prepare, serve, and eat.

[Credit Line]

Source: New South Wales Food Authority, Australia.

1. Shop Wisely

UNLESS you grow your own food, your first contact with the food you eat will likely be at a market or supermarket. When you shop, how can you select and purchase healthful food?

● Plan your route.

“Shop for non-perishable food first,” advises the Food Safety Information Council in Australia. “Leave [items from] the fridges and freezers to the end of your shopping.” Also, if you are buying hot food, pick it up just before you return home.

● Favor fresh food.

Try to purchase fresh food when possible.a Ruth, a mother of two in Nigeria, says: “I usually go to the market very early in the morning when the food is fresher.” Elizabeth, from Mexico, also shops at an open market. “There I can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and I can pick them out myself,” she says. “I always buy fresh meat slaughtered that day. If necessary, I freeze what I don’t use.”

● Inspect your food.

Ask yourself: ‘Is the skin on my produce intact? Is the meat free of unusual odors?’ If the food is prewrapped, inspect the packaging. Damaged packages can allow poisonous bacteria to enter the food.

Chung Fai, who buys food at a supermarket in Hong Kong, says: “It is also necessary to check the expiration date printed on packaged food.” Why? Experts warn that even if “expired” food looks, smells, and tastes good, it can still make you sick.

● Pack safely.

If you use a reusable shopping bag or plastic bin, wash it out frequently with hot soapy water. Carry meat and fish in separate bins or bags so they do not contaminate other food.

Enrico and Loredana, a couple in Italy, shop locally. “That way,” they explain, “we don’t have to transport food very far and risk spoilage.” If it will take longer than 30 minutes to return home, put chilled or frozen foods into an insulated bag, or in some other way, make sure it is kept cool.

In the next article, learn how to keep your food safe after it enters your home.

[Footnote]

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TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “I teach my children to check the expiration date of any packaged food items, such as snacks, before they buy them.”​—Ruth, Nigeria

2. Keep It Clean

JUST as a surgeon protects his patients by washing his hands, sterilizing his instruments, and maintaining a clean operating room, you can protect your family by keeping yourself, your kitchen, and your food clean.

● Wash your hands.

The Public Health Agency of Canada states that “hands spread an estimated 80 percent of common infectious diseases like the common cold and flu.” So wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating, after using the toilet, and when you prepare a meal.

● Keep your kitchen clean.

One study revealed that while the bathroom tended to be the cleanest place in the home, “the sites in the households that were contaminated with the most fecal bacteria were the sponge/​dishcloths in the kitchen.”

Therefore, change dishcloths frequently, and use hot soapy water or disinfectant to clean kitchen surfaces. Granted, this is not always easy. A woman named Bola lives in a home without tap water. “It is a big challenge,” she says. “But we never skimp on soap and water, so they are always available to keep our kitchen and home clean.”

● Rinse produce.

Before produce is sold, it may have been contaminated by unclean water, animals, fecal matter, or other raw food items. Therefore, even if you plan to peel fruits or vegetables, rinse them thoroughly to remove harmful bacteria. This takes time. “When I prepare a salad,” says Daiane, a mother in Brazil, “I try not to rush, so that I am sure to wash the greens thoroughly.”

● Separate raw meat.

To prevent the spread of bacteria, seal or securely wrap all raw meat, poultry, and seafood, and separate them from other food. Use a separate cutting board and knife for those foods, or wash your cutting board and knife thoroughly with soap and hot water before and after raw meat or seafood touches it.

Now that you, your tools, and your ingredients are clean, how can you prepare meals safely?

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TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “We teach our children to wash their hands before eating and to wash or discard food that has fallen on the floor.”​—Hoi, Hong Kong

3. Prepare and Store Food Carefully

A CARELESS cook in ancient Israel gathered wild gourds, although he was “not acquainted with them.” He added the unfamiliar food to a stew. The eaters, who feared that the food may have been poisoned, cried out: “There is death in the pot.”​—2 Kings 4:38-41.

As the above example illustrates, food that is prepared carelessly warrants caution, as it can be harmful or even deadly. To prevent foodborne illness, therefore, learn to prepare and store food carefully. Consider the following four suggestions:

● Do not thaw meat at room temperature.

“Even though the center of the [meat] may still be frozen as it thaws on the counter,” says the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “the outer layer of the food could be in the ‘Danger Zone,’ between 40 [4°C] and 140°F [60°C]​—temperatures at which bacteria multiply rapidly.” Instead, thaw food in the refrigerator, in a microwave, or under cold water in a package that will not leak.

● Cook thoroughly.

According to the World Health Organization, “proper cooking kills almost all dangerous microorganisms.” When cooking food, especially soups and stews, make sure that it reaches a temperature of at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70°C).a Since it can be difficult to judge the internal temperature of some dishes, many cooks use a meat thermometer.

● Serve soon.

Cooked food should not be left at room temperature for too long, so serve it soon, even immediately, to prevent spoilage. Keep cold food cold and hot food hot. You can keep hot meat in an oven set at approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93°C).

● Handle extra food wisely.

Anita, a mother in Poland, serves most meals immediately after cooking. But if there is extra food, she says, “soon after preparation I freeze it in small portions to make it easy to defrost.” If you store leftovers in the refrigerator, eat them within three to four days.

At a restaurant, you have to trust someone else to prepare your food. So how can you protect your family when eating out?

[Footnote]

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TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “When my children cook food, I remind them to read and follow the instructions on the food package.”​—Yuk Ling, Hong Kong

4. Be Observant When Eating Out

Jeff, a healthy and energetic 38-year-old man, took his family out to eat at a restaurant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. A month later, Jeff died of acute liver failure. The culprit? Green onions in his meal​—contaminated with hepatitis A.

ALMOST half of all money spent on food in one Western land is spent in restaurants. Yet, in that same land, restaurant food is associated with about half the foodborne disease outbreaks.

True, if you choose to eat at a restaurant, someone else purchases the ingredients, cleans the kitchen, and cooks the food. Nevertheless, you can decide where you eat, what you eat, and how you pack any food that you take home.

● Look around you.

“As we walk into a restaurant for the first time,” says Daiane, who lives in Brazil, “I look around to see if the tables, tablecloths, utensils, and servers are clean and tidy. If not, we leave and look for another restaurant.” In some lands, health officials routinely inspect and grade restaurants for cleanliness, and they post their results for the public to read.

● Beware of doggie bags.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises: “If you won’t be arriving home within two hours of being served [sooner if temperatures are above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32°C)], don’t take the leftovers home with you.” If you have leftovers, go directly home after your meal and store them in the refrigerator.

If you take the four steps outlined in this series of articles, you can make your food safer.

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TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN: “We teach our children to avoid food that might be unsafe to eat.”​—Noemi, Philippines

Healthful Food for All​—Soon!

YOU can take practical steps to enjoy safer food. However, many factors are beyond your control. For example, you cannot personally inspect all food before you buy or prepare it. You may have to purchase food that has been processed and shipped from afar. And some of the food that you buy may be contaminated by dangerous chemicals in the air, water, or soil.

In a report entitled “Foodborne Disease Control: A Transnational Challenge,” officials from the World Health Organization state that some food safety problems “cannot be resolved by national governments alone; they require international cooperation.” Foodborne diseases are a global problem!

Understandably, many will question why we can confidently say that soon there will be healthful food for all. It is because “Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth,” promises a solution to man’s food problems. (Joshua 3:13) Some may claim that unsafe food proves that God cannot be trusted. But think: If a waiter carelessly allows fine food to spoil, would it be proper to blame the chef? Of course not.

Similarly, humans​—not the Creator—​are responsible for spoiling the earth’s supply of fine food. The prevalence of unsafe food is a man-made problem. God’s promise is that he will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”​—Revelation 11:18.

The fact is, God has already proved that he cares about the quality of our food. He is the One who formed the earth and made trees that were not only “desirable to one’s sight” but also “good for food.” (Genesis 2:9) Even after sickness infected the human family, Jehovah God gave his people specific guidelines that would protect their food and their bodies.​—See the box “A Code of Rules of Health.”

What kind of food does God want us to enjoy? The Bible tells us: “He is making green grass sprout for the beasts, and vegetation for the service of mankind, to cause food to go forth from the earth, and wine that makes the heart of mortal man rejoice, to make the face shine with oil, and bread that sustains the very heart of mortal man.” (Psalm 104:14, 15) The Bible also states that “every moving animal that is alive may serve as food.”​—Genesis 9:3.

Regarding our future, his Word promises: “He will certainly give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and as the produce of the ground bread, which must become fat and oily. Your livestock will graze in that day in a spacious pasture.” (Isaiah 30:23) Yes, today’s foreboding headlines will soon be replaced by the announcement: “Healthful food for all!”

[Blurb on page 9]

The Creator promises us a bright future with plenty of good food

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“A CODE OF RULES OF HEALTH”

About 3,500 years ago, Israel received the Mosaic Law. That Law protected the Israelites from many foodborne illnesses. Consider the following instructions:

● Avoid unclean utensils and dishes that touched a dead animal: “Any vessel of which some use is made will be put in water, and it must be unclean until the evening and then be clean.”​—Leviticus 11:31-34.

● Do not eat an animal that died of itself: “You must not eat any body already dead.”​—Deuteronomy 14:21.

● Eat leftovers within a short period: “On the next day what is left of it also may be eaten. But what is left of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day is to be burned with fire.”​—Leviticus 7:16-18.

A. Rendle Short, M.D., expressed surprise that the Mosaic Law​—compared with the contemporary laws of surrounding nations—​should contain “so wise and reasonable a code of rules of health.”

PEOPLE have long believed that the dead are capable of guiding the living. One ancient portrayal of this belief is found in a tale written by the Greek poet Homer about Odysseus, also known as Ulysses. Homer’s legendary hero, desperate to know how he could return to his home island of Ithaca, ventured into the underworld to consult a dead seer.

Hopeful of receiving answers from the dead to perplexing questions, many people have consulted spirit mediums, slept in their ancestors’ tombs, or performed spiritistic rites. Is it really possible to obtain supernatural guidance from the dead?

A Widespread Practice

Many of the world’s major religions teach that communication with the departed is possible. The Encyclopedia of Religion observes that “necromancy, the art or practice of magically conjuring up the souls of the dead, is primarily a form of divination.” It then adds that this practice is “widespread.” The New Catholic Encyclopedia confirms this by stating that “necromancy, in various forms, has had a worldwide distribution.” Little wonder, then, that some faithful in many religions have attempted to obtain knowledge from the spirit world!

Although this contact with the dead “was severely condemned by the Church,” says the New Catholic Encyclopedia, “repeated references are made to the practice in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.” What does the Bible say on those matters?

Should You Inquire of the Dead?

In ancient times, Jehovah God commanded his people: “There should not be found in you . . . anyone who inquires of the dead.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-13) Why would Jehovah make such a prohibition? If it were possible for the living to talk with the dead, it would be a loving thing on God’s part to allow such communication, would it not? But simply put, such communication is not possible. How do we know that?

The Scriptures repeatedly teach that the dead are unconscious. Consider Ecclesiastes 9:5: “The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.” Psalm 146:3, 4, says: “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs. His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground; in that day his thoughts do perish.” And the prophet Isaiah likewise spoke of the deceased as being “impotent in death.”​—Isaiah 26:14.

Numerous people believe, however, that through the use of spiritistic practices, they have been able to contact dead loved ones. Such experiences are common, so it is evident that many have spoken with someone from the spirit world. As the above scriptures show, however, they have not spoken with the dead. With whom, then, have they spoken?

Talking With Whom?

The Bible reveals that spirit sons of God rebelled against their Maker and became demons. (Genesis 6:1-5; Jude 6, 7) These promote the false idea that humans live on after death. To further this untruth, they pretend to be dead persons by speaking to the living from the spirit realm.

The Bible relates that King Saul of Israel, after being abandoned by Jehovah for disobedience, attempted to consult the dead prophet Samuel through a spirit medium. Saul did receive a message from the spirit world but not from Samuel. Samuel, in fact, had refused to see the king, and Samuel opposed spirit mediums. In reality, Saul received information from a demon who merely pretended to be Samuel.​—1 Samuel 28:3-20.

The demons are God’s enemies, and contact with them is dangerous. For this reason, the Scriptures command: “Do not turn yourselves to the spirit mediums, and do not consult professional foretellers of events, so as to become unclean by them.” (Leviticus 19:31) “Anyone who inquires of the dead,” warns Deuteronomy 18:11, 12, is doing “something detestable to Jehovah.” Indeed, among the other acts of unfaithfulness for which Jehovah put King Saul to death was Saul’s “asking of a spirit medium to make inquiry.”​—1 Chronicles 10:13, 14.

To whom, then, should you turn when you feel the need for superior guidance, when faced with perplexing questions or choices? The Scriptures describe Jehovah God as the “Grand Instructor.” If you and your loved ones consult his Word, the Bible, and actually practice what it teaches, it will be as if “your own ears will hear a word behind you saying: ‘This is the way. Walk in it, you people.’” (Isaiah 30:20, 21) Though Christians today do not expect to hear a literal voice from the true God, he can guide them by means of the Bible. Yes, Jehovah himself is, as it were, saying: ‘Let me be your guide.’

HAVE YOU WONDERED?

● How does God view attempts to contact the dead?​—Deuteronomy 18:9-13.

● Can the dead provide the living with knowledge? Why do you so answer?​—Ecclesiastes 9:5.

● To whom may we confidently turn for guidance?​—Isaiah 30:20, 21.

The Bible​—A Book of Accurate Prophecy, Part 2

Flee From Babylon!

This eight-part series in Awake! is examining an outstanding feature of the Bible​—its prophecies, or predictions. The articles will help you to answer these questions: Are Bible prophecies merely the work of clever humans? Do they bear the hallmark of divine inspiration? We invite you to weigh the evidence.

IN THE preceding article in this series, we considered three prophecies found in the Bible regarding the offspring of Abraham. The evidence shows that God fulfilled those promises through the ancient nation of Israel, who were descendants of Abraham.

Ancient Babylon was another nation that played an important role in Bible history, particularly during the seventh century B.C.E. Let us consider three Bible prophecies concerning this kingdom and see if they point to evidence of divine inspiration.

The prophet Moses warned the ancient people of Israel: “If you should at all forget Jehovah your God and . . . walk after other gods and serve them and bow down to them, . . . you people will absolutely perish.” (Deuteronomy 8:19; 11:8, 9) Still, the Israelites repeatedly rebelled against God by turning to idol worship.​—1 Kings 14:22-24.

In time, God’s patience ran out, and he allowed his wayward servants to fall into the hands of the Babylonians. Under King Nebuchadnezzar​—also spelled Nebuchadrezzar—​Babylon’s forces came against Israel, where they laid siege to Jerusalem. Was this siege significant? Let us consider what the prophet Jeremiah wrote nearly 20 years before the event occurred.​—Jeremiah 25:1.

Prophecy 1: “For the reason that you [the Israelites] did not obey my [God’s] words, here I am sending . . . to Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, . . . and I will bring them [the Babylonians] against this land and against its inhabitants . . . And all this land must become a devastated place, an object of astonishment, and these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”​—Jeremiah 25:8-11.

Fulfillment: After an extended siege, Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. He also conquered other Judean cities, including Lachish and Azekah. (Jeremiah 34:6, 7) He deported most of the survivors to Babylon, where they were held captive for 70 years.

What history reveals:

● The Bible identifies Nebuchadnezzar as being the king of Babylon about the time of Jerusalem’s destruction. Archaeological evidence supports the Bible’s testimony about his existence. A cameo made of onyx stone is on display in Florence, Italy. It bears an inscription that says in part: “In honour of Merodach, his lord, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in his life-time had this made.” Nebuchadnezzar ruled from 624 to 582 B.C.E.

● The book The Bible and Archaeology says that excavations and surveys in Lachish confirm the following: “The final destruction was violent, and so fierce was the fire which destroyed the city [Lachish] that the limestone of the buildings turned to lime.”

Prophecy 2: “In accord with the fulfilling of seventy years at Babylon I [Jehovah] shall turn my attention to you people [the Jewish exiles], and I will establish toward you my good word in bringing you back to this place [the land of Judah].”​—Jeremiah 29:10.

Fulfillment: After 70 years of exile, from 607 to 537 B.C.E., King Cyrus of Persia released the Jewish captives and allowed them to return to their homeland to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.​—Ezra 1:2-4.

What history reveals:

● Did the Israelites remain captive in Babylon for 70 years as the Bible foretold? Note the comments of a leading Israeli archaeologist, Ephraim Stern. “From 604 B.C.E. to 538 B.C.E.​—there is a complete gap in evidence suggesting occupation. In all that time, not a single town destroyed by the Babylonians was resettled.” The so-called gap in which there was no occupation or resettling of conquered territory corresponds closely to Israel’s exile in Babylon from 607 to 537 B.C.E.​—2 Chronicles 36:20, 21.

● Ancient nations throughout Mesopotamia wrote on tablets made of soft clay. One hardened clay tablet, known as the Cyrus Cylinder, dates back to about 539 B.C.E., the same year that King Cyrus of Persia overthrew the Babylonian Empire. One inscription reads: “I am Cyrus, . . . king of Babylon.” The same inscription goes on to report: “I returned to [certain previously named] sacred cities on the other side of the Tigris, the sanctuaries of which have been ruins for a long time, the images which (used) to live therein . . . I (also) gathered all their (former) inhabitants and returned (to them) their habitations.”

This secular source harmonizes with the Bible prophecy that states that the Jewish exiles would be repatriated to their homeland​—a prophecy recorded about 200 years in advance.

Prophecy 3: “Babylon, the decoration of kingdoms, the beauty of the pride of the Chaldeans, must become as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited.”​—Isaiah 13:19, 20.

Fulfillment: In a shocking turn of events, the mighty world power of Babylon fell before a combined army of Medes and Persians in 539 B.C.E.a The city never fully recovered. Rather, it slowly declined and eventually became a desolate waste “without an inhabitant.”​—Jeremiah 51:37.

What history reveals:

● Babylon’s disappearance was so complete that scholar Tom Boiy speaks about “Western historians and travellers from the sixteenth until eighteenth century” who were familiar with the city’s symbolic value but had problems identifying “the exact location.”

● In 1919, H. R. Hall, the keeper of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities at the British Museum, described Babylon in this way: “It is a chaos of tumbled walls . . . overwhelmed with sand.”

What can we conclude from our examination of the fulfillment of these prophecies? It should be clear that time and again the Bible has proved to be a book of accurate prophecy. The prophetic messages regarding Judah and Babylon were fulfilled exactly as foretold!

Jerusalem suffered destruction because the people did not heed the divine warnings to reject ungodly conduct. After the foretold 70 years of captivity in Babylon, the Israelites were allowed to return home to Jerusalem. The ancient city of Babylon was destroyed in the manner that was described, and it remains uninhabited down to this day. But these are only a few of the many prophecies found in the Bible.

Our next issue will discuss how events in the first century C.E. were foretold long in advance. Those fulfilled prophecies also build our confidence in the accuracy of the Bible.

[Footnote]

[Chart on pages 12, 13]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

TIME LINE OF BABYLON

c. 732 B.C.E.: Isaiah foretells fall of Babylon

(B.C.E.)

647 Jeremiah commissioned as prophet

632 Babylon overthrows Assyria

625 Nebuchadnezzar begins ruling

617 Daniel and Ezekiel taken to Babylon

607 Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem

582 Nebuchadnezzar’s rule ends

539 Babylon falls to the Medes and the Persians

537 Jewish captives allowed to return to Jerusalem

Jews held captive in Babylon for 70 years

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The Lachish Letters support Jeremiah’s description of the Babylonian conquest of Judah

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The Cyrus Cylinder records Cyrus’ policy of returning captives to their homelands

[Picture Credit Lines on page 13]

Page 12, Lachish Letter: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum; page 13, Cyrus Cylinder: © The Trustees of the British Museum

DID A PARTICULAR PERSON COME TO MIND WHEN YOU READ THE ABOVE TITLE?

YES → READ THIS ARTICLE IMMEDIATELY. YOU MAY NEED IT MORE THAN YOU REALIZE.

NO → READ THIS ARTICLE ANYWAY. IT WILL HELP YOU TO KEEP YOUR FRIENDSHIPS WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX ABOVEBOARD AND PROBLEM FREE.

Mark the following statement true or false:

I shouldn’t have friends of the opposite sex until I’m ready for a serious relationship that could lead to marriage.

․․․․․ TRUE ․․․․․ FALSE

Consider: Although he wasn’t looking to get married, Jesus had friends of the opposite sex. (Matthew 12:46-50; Luke 8:1-3) Evidently, so did the single man Timothy, for the apostle Paul told him to treat “younger women as sisters with all chasteness.”​—1 Timothy 5:1, 2.

Paul must have realized that as Timothy served in various congregations, he would meet a number of young women. (Mark 10:29, 30) Would it be wrong for Timothy to socialize with them? No. But since he wasn’t pursuing marriage yet, Timothy would need to set boundaries so that he wouldn’t get romantically involved, certainly not flirting with those young women or otherwise toying with their feelings.​—Luke 6:31.

What about you? Are you in a position to pursue marriage?

If YES ⇨ Your friendships with members of the opposite sex may well lead to finding a lifelong mate.​—Proverbs 18:22; 31:10.

If NO ⇨ You need to set boundaries. (Jeremiah 17:9) Easier said than done? Absolutely! “It’s difficult to maintain a just-friends relationship,” says 18-year-old Nia.a “It’s not easy to know where to draw the line.”

Why do you need to draw a line at all? Because if you don’t, you’re bound to get hurt or hurt others. Consider why.

FACT OF LIFE: When you get emotionally involved before you’re ready for a serious relationship, someone will get hurt. “It happened to me twice,” says 19-year-old Kelli. “One time I developed feelings for a boy, and the other time a boy started having feelings for me. Both times someone got hurt, and it has left me with scars that I carry to this day.”

To think about:

● In what settings would it be proper for you to socialize with members of the opposite sex? What settings would you do well to avoid?

● Why is it unwise to pair off with the same person repeatedly? What might the other person assume? What might you assume?

“At times, I have lied to myself, saying, ‘Oh, we’re just friends. He’s like a brother to me.’ But then when he moves on, I feel hurt​—as if he owed me something.”​—Denise.

The Bible says: “Sensible people will see trouble coming and avoid it, but an unthinking person will walk right into it and regret it later.”​—Proverbs 22:3, Good News Translation.

FACT OF LIFE: When you get emotionally involved before you’re ready for a serious relationship, you can lose a good friendship. “A boy and I would text each other,” recalls 16-year-old Kati, “but soon he began flirting and we were texting each other almost every day. Then one day he told me how much he liked me and that he wanted to be more than just friends. The problem was, I didn’t like him in a romantic way at all. After I told him that, we seldom talked, and our friendship ended.”

To think about:

● Who got hurt in Kati’s case, and why? Could Kati or the boy have prevented a negative outcome? If so, how?

● When texting, in what ways could a person unwittingly give the impression that he or she would like to be more than just a friend?

“Sometimes I’ve had to pull myself back. Boys can be great friends, but I didn’t want to mess up the friendship by being more than that.”​—Laura.

The Bible says: “Smart people watch their step.”​—Proverbs 14:15, Good News Translation.

The bottom line: Socializing with members of the opposite sex isn’t wrong in itself. But if you’re not ready for a serious relationship that could lead to marriage, you need to set boundaries.

IN THE NEXT “YOUNG PEOPLE ASK” . . .

Getting emotionally involved before you’re ready for a serious relationship can damage your reputation​—find out how.

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

[Footnote]

[Box/​Picture on page 16]

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

TRUE STORY: “I texted a friend of mine who lives about a thousand miles (over 1,500 km) away. We texted each other perhaps once a week. I wasn’t interested in him romantically, and I didn’t think he was interested in me either. Then, one day he sent me a text that read: ‘Hey, beautiful! I miss you. What have you been up to?’ I was stunned! I told him that I viewed our relationship as just friends and that I wasn’t interested in him romantically. He texted back, ‘Whatever.’ And then he never texted me again.”​—Janette.

● If you’re not in a position to be in a serious relationship or are not inclined to be in one, how would you respond if you received a text message similar to the ones Janette received?

● If you are a boy, do you think the text messages sent to Janette were appropriate? Why, or why not?

● In your opinion, does texting make it easier to get emotionally involved than face-to-face discussions do? Why, or why not?

[Box on page 17]

WHY NOT ASK YOUR PARENTS?

Ask your parents for their thoughts on the bulleted questions in this article. Do their opinions differ from yours? If so, how? What merit can you see in their point of view?​—Proverbs 11:14.

[Box/​Pictures on page 17]

WHAT YOUR PEERS SAY

Joshua​—The more time you spend with the same person, the more likely you are to become attached.

Natasha​—If you intend to be just friends but you regularly hang out with just one particular person, romantic feelings will get stirred up in one or both of you.

Kelsey​—Even if you start out as just friends, it’s easy for feelings to change if you spend a lot of time together. It’s not impossible to be just friends, but it takes maturity and discernment.

[Picture on page 16]

Getting emotionally involved when you’re not ready for a serious relationship will lead to disaster

● Many sea creatures are bioluminescent​—that is, able to produce light. The clusterwink snail uses this ability in a unique way. When threatened by a predator crab, the clusterwink retreats into its shell and “flashes,” producing flickers of light that scare off the crab. But how does light shine through the snail’s shell?

Consider: Far from being a barrier, the shell of the clusterwink snail diffuses light. Dimitri Deheyn and Nerida Wilson, scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California, U.S.A., found that the light produced by the snail is uniformly spread throughout the entire shell, and the shell diffuses the light ten times more efficiently than a commercial diffuser of the same thickness (.02 inch; 0.5 mm). At the same time, the shell’s ability to transmit this light to its surroundings is eight times more efficient than man-made diffusers. Surprisingly, this extraordinary capability to diffuse or transmit light is not found in the shells of closely related nonbioluminescent marine snails. Not coincidentally, this light happens to be the color that travels the farthest in seawater.

Dr. Deheyn says that learning about the clusterwink snail “could be important for building materials with better optical performance.” The field of biophotonics, which uses light for medical analysis and treatment, also stands to benefit from such research. And in this era of light-emitting diodes, diffusers capable of more efficiently amplifying small light sources will doubtless contribute to energy savings.

What do you think? Did the shell of the clusterwink snail come about by evolution? Or was it designed?

[Picture on page 18]

Magnified view of the shell in normal light

[Picture on page 18]

Magnified view of the shell flashing diffused light

[Picture Credit Lines on page 18]

Left: www.robastra.com; center and right: Courtesy of Dr. D. Deheyn, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego

I Found True Love and Peace

As told by Egidio Nahakbria

I grew up feeling abandoned and unloved. Yet, now I feel loved and have genuine inner peace. How did this transformation take place? Let me explain.

I ENTERED the world in 1976 in a dirt-floor hut in the mountains of East Timor, then a part of Indonesia. I was the eighth of ten children born to poverty-stricken parents. Because my parents could not feed us all, they kept my identical twin brother and asked my cousin to raise me.

In December 1975, just before I was born, Indonesia invaded East Timor, and that triggered a guerrilla war that lasted over two decades. Thus, my earliest memories are of violence and suffering. I vividly remember soldiers attacking our village and forcing all to flee for their lives. My cousin and I trekked to a lonely mountainside where thousands of Timorese had sought refuge.

The soldiers, however, discovered our hideout, and soon enemy bombs rained down on us. I have horrible memories of the terror, death, and destruction that followed. When we finally returned to our village, I lived in constant dread. Many of our neighbors disappeared or were killed, and I feared I might be next.

When I was ten, my cousin fell sick and died, so my parents sent me to live with my grandmother. She was a widow, who was embittered with life and viewed me as a burden. She worked me like a slave. One day, when I was too sick to work, she beat me and left me to die. Fortunately, one of my uncles took me to live with his family.

At age 12, I finally started school. Soon afterward, my uncle’s wife fell ill and my uncle became severely depressed. Not wanting to burden them further, I ran away and attached myself to a group of Indonesian soldiers based in the jungle. I became their helper​—washing clothes, cooking food, and cleaning camp. They treated me well, and I felt needed. But after several months, my relatives found me and pressured the soldiers to return me to my village.

Political Activist

After finishing high school, I moved to the capital of East Timor, Dili, and entered a university. There I met many youths with backgrounds similar to mine. We concluded that the only way to achieve national independence and social change would be through political action. Our student group organized many political demonstrations, most of which ended up in riots. Many of my friends were injured. Some were even killed.

When East Timor gained independence in 2002, the country lay in ruins, tens of thousands of people had died, and hundreds of thousands had been displaced. I hoped that conditions would improve. But widespread unemployment, poverty, and ongoing political upheaval continued.

A New Direction

At that time, I was living with some relatives, including a distant younger relative named Andre, who was studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. As a devout Roman Catholic, I was not happy that my relative was involved with another religion. Still, I was curious about the Bible and occasionally read the copy Andre kept in his bedroom. What I read stirred my interest further.

When, in 2004, Andre gave me a printed invitation to the Memorial of Jesus’ death, I decided to attend. Misreading the invitation, I arrived at the meeting place two hours early. When the Witnesses arrived, including locals as well as foreigners, they warmly shook my hand and made me feel welcome. I was impressed. During the Memorial discourse, I noted each cited scripture in a notebook and later checked them in my Catholic Bible to see if what the speaker said was true. It was!

The following week, I attended Mass at my church. Because some others and I arrived late, the priest grabbed a piece of wood and angrily drove us out of the church. As we stood outside, the priest ended the service by saying to the congregation, “May the peace of Jesus go with you.” One brave woman called out, “How can you talk of peace when you just drove those people out of the church?” The priest ignored her. I left the church and never returned.

Soon afterward, I began studying the Bible and attending Witness meetings along with Andre. Our relatives were alarmed and began to oppose us. Andre’s grandmother warned us: “I will dig a hole to bury you boys in if you continue to study with that new religion.” Her threats, however, did not deter us. We were determined to make spiritual progress.

Making Changes

As I studied the Bible, I began to feel that I had never really known love. I was tough and defensive and found it hard to trust people. The Witnesses, though, took a genuine interest in me. When I fell very sick and my relatives ignored me, the Witnesses visited me and helped me. Their love was not “just words and talk” but “true love, which shows itself in action.”​—1 John 3:18, Today’s English Version.

Despite my rough appearance and disposition, the Witnesses treated me with “fellow feeling” and “brotherly affection.” (1 Peter 3:8) For the first time in my life, I began to feel loved. My personality softened, and I began to develop love for God and my fellow man. Consequently, in December 2004, I symbolized my dedication to Jehovah by water baptism. Andre was baptized soon afterward.

Blessings Amid Troubles

Following my baptism, I felt a burning desire to help other people who had never known true love or justice. Therefore, I took up the full-time Christian ministry, or pioneering, as Jehovah’s Witnesses call it. Sharing the Bible’s upbuilding message was far more refreshing than sharing in political demonstrations and riots. At last, I was truly helping people!

In 2006, political and regional tensions in East Timor erupted again. Factional groups battled over long-standing grievances. The city of Dili came under siege, and many easterners fled for their lives. Along with other Witnesses, I escaped to Baucau, a large town about 70 miles (120 km) east of Dili. There our ordeal turned into a blessing, since we were able to establish a new congregation​—the first one outside Dili.

Three years later, in 2009, I received an invitation to attend a special school for full-time Christian ministers in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Witnesses in Jakarta took me into their homes and their hearts. Their genuine love deeply impressed me. I sensed I was part of a global “association of brothers,” an international “family,” who truly cared for me.​—1 Peter 2:17.

Peace at Last!

After the school, I returned to Baucau, where I still live. Here I delight in helping people spiritually, just as others once helped me. For example, in one isolated village outside Baucau, I and others teach the Bible to about 20 people, including many older ones who cannot read or write. The entire group attends weekly meetings, and three individuals have joined our spiritual “family” as baptized members of the Christian congregation.

Several years ago, I met Felizarda, a warmhearted girl who accepted Bible truth and rapidly progressed to baptism. We married in 2011. I am happy to say that Andre, my relative, serves at the East Timor office of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even most of my relatives, including Andre’s grandmother, who once wanted to bury us, now respect my faith.

In the past, I felt angry, unloved, and unlovable. But thanks to Jehovah, at last I have found true love and peace!

[Picture on page 19]

Egidio as a political activist

[Picture on page 21]

Egidio and Felizarda along with members of the Baucau Congregation, East Timor

Batik​—Indonesia’s Fabulous Fabric

BATIK has been around for ages, yet it is not old-fashioned. Royalty wear it at fancy receptions, as do traders at local marketplaces. It is beautiful, colorful, and incredibly varied. But what is batik? How is it made? Where did it originate? And how is it used today?

Batik is a fabric with an ancient history. The Batik design is made by using a special dye-resistant technique and has become an integral part of Indonesian life and culture. Similar fabrics are popular the world over.

A Marriage of Dye and Wax

A craftsperson produces a piece of batik cloth by using a small copper tool filled with liquid wax to draw by hand an intricate design on a piece of fabric. When the wax is dry, the fabric is dyed. Waxed parts keep their natural color, unaffected by the dye. The process is often repeated using various colored dyes to create vivid designs.

In the mid-19th century, Batik artisans used copper stamps to apply the wax. This method was faster than using the handheld tool and could be used to produce identical pieces of fabric. During the 20th century, commercial factories started to screen print the design on the fabric. Handmade batik can still be purchased. However, the industrially printed batik now dominates the market.

Cotton or silk is usually used to make batik. Dyes are made from locally grown leaves, wood, bark, and spices, although synthetic dyes are also used. Before wax was introduced, vegetable pastes, animal fats, and even mud were used to create patterns. Nowadays, the wax is often synthetic. Yet, a mixture of paraffin and beeswax is still used.

Long History​—Bright Future

No one knows exactly when and where batik was made for the first time. In China, some fragments of batik date back to the sixth century C.E. It is still unclear when the technique became known in Indonesia, but by the 17th century, there was evidence of a batik trade to and from Indonesia.

In recent decades, batik has gained greater popularity and has become a symbol of Indonesian national identity. In 2009, in recognition of batik’s long history in Indonesia and its impact on local culture, UNESCO listed batik as part of the country’s “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Batik Attire

There are traditional ways of wearing, folding, and making batik that are influenced by local beliefs and superstitions. Many of Indonesia’s provinces have their own typical batik colors and motifs. Batik from the north coast of Java, for example, is brightly colored, often having motifs of flowers, birds, and other animals. However, batik from central Java usually has a narrower color range, and the motifs are often geometric designs. There are some 3,000 recorded batik patterns.

A traditional batik garment is the selendang, which is a shawl or carrying cloth hung over the shoulder and worn by women. Women often carry a baby or items bought at the market in it. But the shawl is also used to cover the head on a hot day.

Men use a traditional head covering called iket kepala. The square batik cloth is tied around the head to form a turban. It is often considered as formal dress for ceremonies.

Another popular garment made of batik is a rectangular cloth wrapped around the body, called a sarong. Sometimes the two ends of this cloth are sewn together to form a tube. A typical sarong is worn around the legs and tucked in at the waist, resembling a loose skirt. The sarong is worn by both men and women.

Batik fabric is used for almost any style of clothing, from casual trousers to glamorous gowns. But the fabric is also used for paintings, wall hangings, tablecloths, bedspreads, and so forth. Tourists strolling through an Indonesian market may find batik-style bags, sandals, lampshades, and even laptop covers. The variety is almost endless​—a fabulous fabric indeed!

[Picture on page 23]

A small copper tool filled with liquid wax is used to draw an intricate design by hand

[Picture on page 23]

The fabric with the wax design is repeatedly dipped into the dye

[Pictures on page 23]

Batik Attire

1. Selendang

2. Iket kepala

3. Sarong

EURO 2012​—A Historic Event

DO YOU enjoy watching a good soccer match​—or perhaps even participating in one? If so, likely you are aware of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) EURO 2012 games, which are scheduled to kick off in Warsaw, Poland, on June 8, with the concluding match to be held on July 1, in Kiev, Ukraine. What is EURO 2012, and what preparations have gone into it? What makes it a historic event?

“Creating History Together”

European football (soccer) championships have been held in Europe every four years since 1960. Among the diverse countries that have hosted these matches are Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia.

This year, the final tournament will be jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine. In Poland, the cities of Gdańsk, Poznan, Warsaw, and Wroclaw will host the games. In Ukraine, matches will play out in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kiev, and L’viv.

According to UEFA, this “will be the third time that the final tournament is jointly hosted by two countries (after Belgium/​Netherlands in 2000 [and] Austria/​Switzerland in 2008).” Even so, the EURO 2012 is historic. In what sense? This year’s final tournament is not only the culmination of much collaboration between the two host countries and the match’s organizers but also the first to be held in Central and Eastern Europe. Thus, the official slogan selected for this year’s event is “Creating History Together.”

Preparations

Of course, one of the most important preparations for any match is obtaining adequate playing facilities. To that end, the host cities of Poznan and Kharkiv have renovated existing stadiums, while the stadiums in the other six cities are completely new. These facilities will hold an estimated 358,000 spectators.

With so many spectators anticipated, the host cities have put much thought and effort into safety precautions. Thousands of security staff have been training for the event. According to Science & Scholarship in Poland, their training included “practicing safety tactics on 140 projects covering . . . crowd control, creating safety zones and cooperation with foreign security teams.”

Why are such measures necessary? For one thing, authorities recognize that large sporting events are potential targets for terrorist activity. They also know that rowdy spectators often pose a threat to one another, as past incidents of violence and hooliganism have revealed.

A Balanced Viewpoint

Sadly, many spectators take their interest in sports to an extreme. “My life is less happy and less fulfilled if my [soccer] team is doing badly,” states one fan. “I honestly believe that if nuclear war [were] a distinct possibility, my biggest worry would be if the next weekend’s matches would be affected.”

By contrast, consider the balanced view of recreation that we find in an ancient book of wisdom​—the Bible. It acknowledges the value of wholesome diversion in life, stating that there is “a time to laugh . . . and a time to skip about.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4) The Bible also encourages moderation. (1 Timothy 3:2, 11) Thus, when deciding what to center our lives on, we are wise to follow the Bible’s advice to “see the difference between what is important and what is not” and then to “choose what is important.”​—Philippians 1:10, Easy-to-Read Version.

[Box/​Picture on page 25]

NO TOBACCO AT EURO 2012

On October 20, 2011, UEFA announced that it will “enforce a complete ban on the use, sale or promotion of tobacco in all stadia involved in UEFA EURO 2012.” The reason for the ban? “A tobacco-free EURO 2012 is about respecting the health of our spectators and everyone else involved in the tournament,” stated Michel Platini, president of UEFA. Among supporters of the ban are European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, who urged host cities to extend the smoke-free zone to include additional areas, such as restaurants and public transportation. “Football and sport are about health and performance,” states Vassiliou, “and tobacco is about the opposite: they just don’t mix.”

[Map on page 24]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

POLAND

WARSAW

Gdańsk

Poznan

Wroclaw

UKRAINE

KIEV

L’viv

Kharkiv

Donetsk

[Picture on page 24]

EURO 2008 final match between Germany and Spain, held at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, Austria

[Picture on page 25]

Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine

[Picture Credit Line on page 25]

Pages 24 and 25, both photos: Getty Images

Edible Insects​—A Meal We Will Not Forget

SEVERAL friends have invited my wife and me to share a meal in a quiet neighborhood in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

“Come in! I hope you’re hungry!” they say to us as we arrive. Even before we enter, we smell enticing aromas of onions, garlic, and spices and hear the noisy chatter of our friends. Our host, Ella, entertains us with talk of the meal to come.

“Insects are an important source of protein for many in Central Africa,” Ella says. “But we don’t eat them because we have to; we eat them because they taste so good.” She adds, “Today we will be eating makongo​—caterpillars.”

We should not have been surprised. Though insects on the dinner plate may not appeal to all tastes, in well over a hundred countries, some insects are considered a delicacy.

A Feast in the Forest

A variety of insects are eaten in the Central African Republic. During the rainy season, termites called bobo swarm around termite mounds or, in urban areas, around electric lights. After an evening storm, children run to collect them by the basketful​—often, tossing them in their mouth with shrieks of delight. Termites are eaten sun dried, roasted with salt, and spiced with hot pepper, or they may be boiled in stews or dumplings.

Kindagozo refers to green grasshoppers that arrive in the area in the dry season. Central Africans roast grasshoppers or simmer them in water after the insects’ legs and wings have been removed.

Several species of caterpillar are also eaten throughout the country. We were invited to enjoy the larvae of the Imbrasia. A large brown moth lays its eggs in sapelli trees. After the caterpillars are hatched, villagers collect and wash them. The caterpillars are then simmered with tomatoes, onions, and other ingredients according to a family’s recipe. Some may be dried or smoked for preservation. They can also be kept for up to three months for later use.

Safe and Good for People

Although not all insects are edible, many are safe when harvested from areas free of pesticides and fertilizers and prepared properly. Of course, as a precaution, they should be avoided by those allergic to the insects’ marine counterparts, crustaceans, which are also arthropods. In contrast to most shellfish, which scavenge for decaying matter, most edible insects eat only clean leaves and consume plants that humans might otherwise be unable to digest.

Caterpillars have an amazing amount of nutrition concentrated in a deceptively small package. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, dried caterpillars contain more than double the protein of beef. Food experts are rediscovering insects as a source of nourishment in developing lands.

Depending on the species of caterpillar eaten, just 3.5 ounces (100 g) can provide a large part of the daily requirements of such important minerals as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, as well as many vitamins. Additionally, flour made from ground caterpillars can be mixed into a pulp to supplement the diet of undernourished children.

Besides their nutritional value, there are other benefits to entomophagy​—the practice of eating insects. Using insects for food is environmentally friendly. Doing so requires little water and produces few greenhouse gas emissions. Added to that, collecting insects for food is a natural means of pest control.

The Main Course

As we anticipated this special meal, we remembered that the Law covenant given to the ancient nation of Israel declared locusts to be clean. Servants of the true God, such as John the Baptist, ate them. (Leviticus 11:22; Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6) Still, we may initially hesitate to eat something that we are not accustomed to eating.

Ella returned from the kitchen with a steaming entrée that grabbed everyone’s attention. With us were eight Central Africans with beaming smiles, and before us were two large bowls of caterpillars. As visitors, we received the honor of being served first, and generously so.

We can say: “If you are privileged to enjoy such an inexpensive, delicious, and nutritious meal, do not hesitate! It is a meal you will never forget.”

[Picture on page 27]

Uncooked makongo​—caterpillars

[Picture on page 27]

Prepared kindagozo​—grasshoppers

Watching the World

The world’s population surpassed 7 billion in late 2011, “up from 6 billion in 1999.”​—HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, U.S.A.

“Overall, 58.8% of people in the [United Kingdom] said they felt that their family would benefit from having technology-free time where all communications are switched off. . . . One in three people has felt overwhelmed to the point of needing to escape from communications technologies.”​—UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, BRITAIN.

“Since 1976, the conference of America’s Catholic bishops has issued statements . . . before each presidential election year to help Catholics apply their faith to their political choices.”​—FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, U.S.A.

“If sufficient numbers of criminals want to create havoc on the streets, they can. . . . A moral malaise has gripped a minority of young Britons, a subgroup that is nevertheless big enough to terrorise and humiliate the country.”​—THE ECONOMIST, BRITAIN.

How Many Species on Earth?

“We are still remarkably uncertain as to how many species exist, highlighting a significant gap in our basic knowledge of life on Earth,” say scientists whose research appears in the journal PLoS Biology. Although their estimate is 8.7 million species of living things, give or take a million or so, other experts put the figure anywhere between 3 million and 100 million. So far, only about 1.2 million of those species have been classified, and it is believed that at the present rate, it could take over 1,000 years to catalog the remainder. “This slow advance in the description of species will lead to species becoming extinct before we know they even existed,” say the researchers.

Archaeology by Satellite

Archaeologists are using a new method to locate sites of interest to them. They are employing analytic tools to interpret pictures taken by high-resolution and infrared satellite photography. Images taken from 440 miles (700 km) above Egypt, for example, are reported to have revealed the locations of 17 previously unknown pyramids, 1,000 ancient tombs, and some 3,000 lost settlements. Because infrared photography is capable of penetrating the earth’s surface, the technology is revealing outlines of long-forgotten and buried structures, which are invisible on the ground.

From Our Readers

Hospice Care​—What Is the Goal? (July 2011) As a social welfare assistant, I trained at a hospice, and I can personally verify that what you say in the July 2011 Awake! is true. Facilities that are fully prepared to care for the terminally ill are necessary in the world in which we live. I eagerly await God’s government to come, when no one will say, “I am sick,” and God will dry the tears from our eyes.​—Isaiah 33:24; Revelation 21:3, 4.

M. R., Italy

I was a little disappointed and dismayed to see “adult diapers” mentioned in the article. The term is very demeaning to anyone who is in the situation of having to wear protective underwear. Not one of the commercial packages containing “protective helps” uses the word diaper.

Name withheld, United States

“Awake!” responds: Thank you for bringing this point to our attention. Our heart goes out to anyone who is dealing with serious health problems, and we certainly do not want to add to a person’s suffering by using terms that some may consider to be demeaning. We apologize for any distress this may have caused our readers.

Young People Ask . . . What Should I Know About Social Networking? (July 2011) Thank you for this article. I am 26 years old. I had been planning to open a [social networking] account, not because I wanted to have more friends, but because many were encouraging me to do so. This article helped me a lot. You can gain friends without belonging to a social networking site.

M. P., Philippines

I expected the article to present a negative view of social networking. But the article was balanced. It looked at the positive and negative aspects and provided advice on how we can protect ourselves from the potential dangers of social networks. It impressed on my mind the need to use caution when posting personal information on the Internet.

C. W., United States

Secrets of Family Success (October 2009) This special issue has been a great help to our family. I especially enjoyed the boxes “Try this exercise” that were provided with each of the seven secrets. The specific suggestions that were offered have already been put to use in my family.

H. H., Korea

For Family Review Thank you very much for this regular feature. Our six-year-old daughter enjoys the Children’s Picture Search and especially likes coloring the pictures. These articles accentuate the parents’ role in training their children from a very early age. The work that you are doing for the little ones is invaluable.

M. P., Poland

For Family Review

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM . . . Adam and Eve?

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TEMPTED TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT DID NOT BELONG TO YOU?

• Color the pictures. • Read the Bible verses, and explain them as you fill in the missing dialogue. • Find the hidden items​—(1) a turtle and (2) a frog.

GENESIS 2:16

GENESIS 2:17

GENESIS 3:4 ․․․․․

GENESIS 3:6

LATER, GOD ASKED IF THEY HAD EATEN FROM THE TREE.​—GENESIS 3:11

GENESIS 3:12 ․․․․․

GENESIS 3:13 ․․․․․

BECAUSE ADAM AND EVE STOLE FROM HIM, GOD CAST THEM OUT OF THE GARDEN AND THEY BEGAN TO DIE.​—GENESIS 3:14-24

Why should Adam and Eve have honored God by obeying him?

CLUE: Revelation 4:11.

What resulted from their stealing?

CLUE: Romans 5:12.

What do you learn from this account?

What do you think?

Who caused the snake to talk?

CLUE: Revelation 12:9.

Collect and Learn

Cut out, fold in half, and save

BIBLE CARD 18 JOSIAH

QUESTIONS

A. Josiah became king at age ․․․․․ and ruled for ․․․․․ years.

B. Which two prophets had a good influence on Josiah?

C. What did the priest find inside the temple when Josiah had workers repair “the house of Jehovah”?

[Chart]

4026 B.C.E. Adam created

Lived about 650 B.C.E.

1 C.E.

98 C.E. Last Bible book written

[Map]

Destroyed graven images in the cities of these tribes.​—2 Chronicles 34:6, 7.

Naphtali

Manasseh

Ephraim

Simeon

JOSIAH

PROFILE

Though his father, Amon, was bad, Josiah did “what was right in Jehovah’s eyes.” (2 Chronicles 34:2) He chose to listen to those who loved God rather than to those who were bad association. His humility and appreciation for true worship brought him God’s favor.​—2 Kings 22:19; 23:24, 25.

ANSWERS

A. 8, 31.​—2 Chronicles 34:1.

B. Jeremiah and Zephaniah.​—Jeremiah 1:1, 2; Zephaniah 1:1.

C. “The book of Jehovah’s law,” written by Moses.​—2 Chronicles 34:14-18.

Peoples and Lands

3. Our names are Sash, aged 9, and Rosette, aged 8. We live in Rwanda. About how many of Jehovah’s Witnesses live in Rwanda? Is it 19,000, 47,500, or 77,500?

4. Which dot shows where we live? Circle it, draw a dot where you live, and see how close you are to Rwanda.

A

B

C

D

Children’s Picture Search

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

To print out additional copies of “For Family Review,” go to www.jw.org

● “FOR FAMILY REVIEW” answers on page 10

ANSWERS TO PAGES 30 AND 31

1. Turtle in scene 6.

2. Frog in scene 1.

3. 19,000.

4. B.

It Helped Me Conquer a Bad Habit

● Last year the book Questions Young People Ask​—Answers That Work, Volume I, was released. On page 180, it explains Proverbs 24:16, which says that a righteous one may fall seven times and get up. This was a great help to a young person who said: “The illustration on that page showed me that my progress is noticed by God. . . . This book made me realize that I can make my prayers more specific and ask God to help me with my feelings of worthlessness. In turn, I will be able to pray to him before giving in to temptation and thereby conquer my bad habit.

“I have confidence that even though I have fallen more than 77 times over the years, I will overcome my problem. I no longer feel that I’m the worst sinner to walk the planet.”

You may request a copy of this book by filling in the accompanying coupon and mailing it 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.