Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." These verses from Psalm 139 have not only comforted me, but also brought very practical guidance.

Over two years ago my husband, daughter, and I were on a riverboat trip in the rain forests of the upper Amazon. One evening around five thirty the tour director decided to take us for an evening walk in the jungle. I was with my daughter and two couples; my husband had stayed on the boat. The director, carrying only a machete, marched us straight into the jungle, hacking a trail before us.

We had walked about a half an hour when I noticed the director was quite agitated. It was getting so dark we could hardly see. Finally he said, "I've lost the trail."

We found a little clearing among the tall trees and vines, where a little light still filtered through. We then discussed how we could be rescued. We had no way to let anyone on the boat know where we were. The director, who turned out to be very inexperienced, had no compass or flashlight. The only sounds we heard were the ominous noises of the jungle at night.

Surely, some reasoned, my husband would realize we should have returned and ask the captain to send out a search party.

I stayed apart from the rest and began to pray. I found comfort in thoughtfully repeating Bible verses, statements of Truth from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and hymns I had memorized through a lifetime as a Christian Scientist. I knew Christian Science teaches that experience is primarily mental. I recognized the need to obey this command from science and Health: "Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts" (p. 261).

It was difficult to control my thoughts as time stretched on into hours—I had to keep turning back to God in prayer. I found I had to repeat out loud to myself the words of Truth that came to me. I knew that my only responsibility at this time was to let God control my thoughts.

Finally, after about two hours in that clearing, we heard voices and saw flickering lights through the trees. A native party of Indians had found us. We joined hands and followed them in the dark, with the aid of flashlights they had brought. No one fell into the many holes, or tripped over the tree roots in our path, although it was so dark.

When we reached the boat, we found the captain and his crew had been very poorly prepared for emergencies. They'd had only run-down flashlights, and no idea how to search in the jungle. Only after setting out four times, the last time with local help, had they found us. My husband had felt helpless, as he could not speak Spanish and the crew spoke no English.

I feel it was only through the power of prayer that we were found unharmed. We rejoice in the healing power of Christian Science.

Barbara Lord Cato
Pasadena, California

When my wife returned to the boat, her calm demeanor showed that her thoughts had indeed yielded to God's control. While some of her companions were extremely upset, she was under the control of divine Spirit.

Glenn A. Cato