This blog is coming to you from an Airbus A320 somewhere between Costa Rica and Quito, Ecuador. And I have to tell you that in our 45-minute stopover in the San José airport in Costa Rica, flying from Mexico City to today’s destination of Quito, I saw neither a resplendent quetzal nor a three-toed sloth, must-sees in Costa Rica. But what I did see in the workshops on the public practice of Christian Science and Christian Science nursing that my friend, Alessandra and I conducted in Guadalajara and Mexico City was even better—a spiritual hunger to understand how to help others through prayer. (more…)

My friend, (Alessandra Colombini of São Paulo, Brazil) and I are just starting one…a two-and-a-half-month tour of ten Latin American countries, Portugal and Angola. We’re giving workshops on the public practice of Christian Science and on Christian Science nursing.

So, from the waiting area of the Havanna airport, having just finished a delightful week in Cuba, let me first make sure everybody understands what we’re talking about. The public practice of Christian Science is shorthand for praying for others by applying Christian Science. In particular it means having such an active practice of such prayer that your name is accepted for publication in The Christian Science Journal (and listed at http://www.spirituality.com/journal/directory.jhtml). (more…)

Last summer, I got the opportunity to work in the vast landscape of Alaska.

My uncle had offered two of my cousins and me a job constructing a cabin on a speck of land about two hours north of Anchorage. During my stay, there were many instances where I felt completely protected by God’s unrelenting care. We were able to complete several projects efficiently. Also, the support I felt from my entire extended family reflected the joy and love that radiate from God. (more…)

In one way or another, I’ve worked with Christian Science organizations (CSO) for a total of about 5 and a half years—not including the time I spent in my own CSO at the University of Maryland in College Park ( Go Terps!).  For the last year and a half, I’ve been working with the CSO Support team at TMC Youth.  It is a creative environment where I get to work with really interesting and highly motivated people.  I love it! (more…)

On from India to Indonesia. After leaving our extraordinary friends in India, we turned our sights to the next privilege of our trip: joining the team of young people organizing the Indonesian Spiritual Activist Summit. The idea for this event was born more than a year before after a group of young people from Indonesia banded together and made the journey (and substantial commitment) to attend the Australian Summit. This is no ordinary group of young adults. Their love for Christian Science, their community, and each other, has created a special bond among them and sparked a fresh fire in the whole community for how the Christ and Christian Science can bless everyone. Including the vast majority of this country practicing a variety of different faiths. (more…)

I have attended Sunday School since I was a small child, and what I’ve learned has helped me a lot in confronting difficulties that come up in my daily life.

About five years ago, when I was helping my aunt make pancakes, I carelessly picked up the pancake iron in the wrong place and burned five fingers. I started to cry, and ran home and told my mom what had happened. My hand was red and stung a lot, so I thought it would be a good idea to plunge it into water. But I didn’t feel the relief I expected. I got very worried because school finals were starting that week.
(more…)

Can the effort of one person really make a difference? Is that seemingly single, solitary effort worthwhile? Most of us would probably like to think so. But in practice, we might also be tempted to take a closer look at the costs before acting. And how many of us are really willing to take on the extra costs of our time and resources? Our recent TMC Youth trips to India, Indonesia, and the Philippines provided some powerful, living responses to the first questions. Seeing these examples made me think there may be more of this willingness and courage to reach out in each one of us than I thought. It also helped me realize the need to see and encourage this desire in ourselves and others. The genuine practice of Christian Science is so radiant with Truth that it cannot be hid, whether as a single candle or a hill-top city. (more…)

Indonesia is 87% Muslim. Christians are in the minority and a very small of that minority are young Christian Scientists. But they are so on fire about their religion! In July 2008, Christian Science churches in Indonesia sponsored about ten active, young Christian Scientists so they could attend the Spiritual Activist Summit in Australia. Afterwards, the TMC Youth contingent to that Summit had not even gotten back to Boston, when I got a call from Indonesia asking for photos and other materials for these young people to make a presentation to their churches. Right after this presentation, I got a follow up call saying that the churches were on board and Indonesia wanted its own Summit! (more…)

For a relatively small country, Uruguay has a strong Christian Science movement, which has been active for many decades. It has six churches and a society in the capital of Montevideo, plus two more in nearby states. Because of the similarities between Uruguay and Argentina, as well as the fact that Sunday School workshops and youth meetings were held in both countries, we’re covering both here. (more…)

Los siete eventos para la juventud en Argentina comenzaron en una iglesia cerca de una de las plazas más grandes de Buenos Aires. Luego fuimos en autobús por las interminables tierras planas de cría de ganado para visitar una iglesia en Rosario. Ya entrada la noche nosotros trasladamos en auto a Santa Fe, para visitar su iglesia en una antigua casa en una tranquila calle de la ciudad. Por último, en avión y auto, llegamos a la pequeña y vibrante sociedad en El Bolsón. Este paraíso para los amantes del trekking, los mochileros, y todo entusiasta del aire libre, anidada en las montañas nevadas de los Andes del sur Patagónico jaló de las cuerdas de nuestros corazones para que quisiéramos quedarnos más tiempo, tal como hicieron todos y cada uno de los destinos y el grupo de nuevos amigos que conocimos en cada etapa del camino. (more…)