Some years ago it was my privilege to express through one of our periodicals my gratitude for Christian Science, which brought about a complete change in my experience and in my outlook on life. Since then I have had many healings and proofs of God's protection, guidance, and care.

While on the China coast I was almost instantly healed of fever, and of what I think would have been termed pleurisy. The healing took place while I was pacing up and down in a quiet spot declaring the truth, and in a moment I found myself perfectly free. Quick healings of influenza, ptomaine poisoning, and other minor ills have been experienced. Difficulties in my work have often been quickly overcome.

I am especially grateful for the healing of a cyst in my throat. The ship's surgeon said it would have to be cut out and there were times of discouragement because the healing was so slow. But with the steadfast, loving help of practitioners, the difficulty began to yield. I never knew just when it completely disappeared. My confidence in and understanding of Christian Science were greatly increased as a result of this experience.

I also wish to relate some helpful war incidents, which occurred mostly during the early part of the war, while I was serving in the Allied merchant service.

Early in the war when on a homeward voyage, I had an apprehensive feeling about the trip ahead of us. A woman in a Christian Science Reading Room gave me the thought, "God fills all space, and where God is there is no destructive element." That helped me as did the ninety-first Psalm, Job 28:7, and Psalms 8:6,8.

Shortly after we left, a convoy well north of us was attacked by a raider, and a ship fairly near us was torpedoed. The following day a vessel north of us was bombed and sunk, and the day after we were suddenly attacked by a Heinkel bomber at low altitude with heavy caliber bombs. Although the plane made several attacks, using machine guns and cannon, no one was hurt. Serious damage was done by the near misses, but we were able to reach port under our own steam. We were informed that the damage was such that had another bomb struck reasonably near, the ship would have been rendered helpless.

Early in the morning of the day of our arrival I awakened with quite a sense of fear, so I declared the truth until I felt calm and fell asleep again. The following afternoon one of the mates told me that at four o'clock, just when I had awakened, an escort destroyer which had joined us detected the presence of a submarine, and ordered us to the side of the channel while she went in pursuit of it.

Later on we were sent to Singapore, and on the way there we were bombed by a Japanese patrol plane. It sounded as though cars were being driven into the ship's side. Actually the bombs fell clear of us and no harm was done.

On arrival we were told that there would be frequent air raids, averaging eight or nine a day. The following morning there was a very heavy raid on the docks. Two rows of bombs that started fires which threatened to destroy the wharves were dropped on either side of us, but we were not touched.

The captain said in my presence, "We shall never get out of here," but I refused to accept this as true. That afternoon we took aboard hundreds of refugee women and children, and during that time there was one alert but no raid. That evening seemed long with such a precious cargo aboard. I spent my time studying and pacing up and down thinking that if complete trust were placed in God we should be safe. There were no raids that night.

The next morning there were several alerts and raids, but we had moved out into the anchorage, and the bombs did not come near us. That afternoon, just as we were about to leave, a signal was flashed over to us saying that a submarine had been sighted just outside the entrance by which we were to leave. So we left by another entrance.

Everything went well until we neared Batavia, when the same patrol plane that sighted us on the way in, spotted us again and dropped four bombs. They fell harmlessly between our ship and a vessel behind us. The rest of the voyage home was peaceful.

Later on, when traveling in a convoy, we were informed of possible air attack with torpedoes. In connection with this, two passages from the Bible (Job 5:12). "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty," and (Isa. 54:17), "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper," and Mrs. Eddy's words from page 10 of her Poems, "His hand averts the blow," brought comfort and reassurance.

Twice when we were approaching port, mines in our path were tipped off by small vessels, thus saving us from going temporarily out of service.

In closing I should like to express my thanks to God for all the general protective work being done by practitioners and students of Christian Science everywhere on behalf of those engaged in war activities in the air, on land, on the sea, and under it.

I am grateful for membership in The Mother Church and in a branch church, and also for class instruction. Several very helpful visits to the Christian Science Benevolent Association at Chestnut Hill are treasured memories. —Walter F. Messiter, Burnaby, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.