Article June 1, 2009 Issue

a new beginning

BY DONNA DEMARTINIS

I thought that taking Christian Science class instruction would be just like taking one of my many college courses. But what a surprise!

In the mid 1960s I was living in an Eskimo village in a rural part of Alaska, teaching students ranging from first grade through high school. I seemed to have all the building blocks necessary for a happy life—wonderful children to teach, a fulfilling job, and constant adventures in the wilds. But something was missing. I was very fearful and didn't feel close to God. And I felt what was missing couldn't be changed. I did want to be happy, but there were times when I slipped into depression.

I'd prayed the best I knew how, to find an answer to my problems. When I was a girl, my family took me to a Christian Science Sunday School from time to time. So I knew a little about Christian Science and how prayer could bring healing. But to me, Christian Science seemed just too good to be true. How could I actually put the ideas from Science and Health to practical use?