First Church of Christ, Scientist, War Relief Committee

“ In loving gratitude to God, and to Mrs. Eddy, the interpreter of the beautiful teachings of Christ Jesus, I wish to tell of the many benefits which I have received through Christian Science since entering the army. Almost every day for the past eighteen months it has required the conscientious study of our textbook and the Bible to meet the seeming problems which have presented themselves. ”

“ I wish to express my gratitude for the blessings I enjoy because Christian Science has entered into my experience. For the past twelve years, I have relied entirely upon Christian Science as my physician. ”

“ I am very appreciative of the broad thought and kindliness of the Christian Science Board of Directors and all who supported the Christian Science Camp Welfare Committee and made this work possible. It has helped the army at the front. It has helped those in the rear. It has helped in the camps at home. It has helped the men in the hospitals. It has shown Christian Science to the world.
“The welfare work in this country was carried on in the most efficient way in order to prepare those seeking help for the great trials and corresponding demonstrations of Truth overseas. ”

“ This proved to be a great blessing at the front, where no Science help was available. It allowed us to consult one another, to assist one another, and to lend and borrow Christian Science publications. After three months at the front, when I was finally stationed where there were Welfare Rooms, it was a great happiness to enjoy the regular Christian Science services. It was like arriving at home again. The generous help of the Workers cannot be adequately described. Many have told me of assistance given. I myself was helped to find my right activity and the proper attitude towards my work. ”

“ I shall never forget the beautiful way our Welfare Worker stood with me during this trial.
“It was my privilege to be one of the readers in the Christian Science meetings held in camp. This position awakened me to see what it is to be a real Christian Scientist, and I am rejoicing daily in increased understanding.
“Christian Science is such a simple, demonstrable, practical religion. As each day passes and I know more of God who is Love and of man's relation to Him, my gratitude increases. ”

“ It became known to our Camp Welfare Worker that I had been somewhat interested in Christian Science so he at once came to the hospital and asked if I wanted help. I answered, ‘Yes.’
“The third night after the Worker had first seen me, the doctor in charge made the assertion that I could not possibly live till morning, but the healing Truth triumphed and four days later the doctors declared me absolutely out of danger. The doctor in charge of my case made the statement to me that in all his practice, he had never seen so sick a man as I had been, become absolutely well. ”

“ Your Workers here have been devoted and untiring, and in the time they have been here they have accomplished wonders. They are cheery people, whom to meet is a pleasure and to know a privilege, and many there are in camp who know them. Your little building is without exception the most homelike place I have seen in camp. You can little guess what a fireplace and ‘real’ furniture, a rug on the floor and a picture on the wall, mean to a soldier. ”

“ I at once received a message that our son was well enough to be leaving with his company for a flying field in the South.
“There is no Christian Science organization in the little frontier town where we are living at present and I had not known of the work before this experience. I am enclosing a check to help further this work of love.”
“I wish to express my gratitude for Christian Science especially during the time I was in the army. During a year's service I had many proofs of the protection of divine Mind. “One healing I wish to tell about was during the so-called influenza epidemic. ”

“ I had long been friendly to Christian Science, as my wife has been a student for years and I had been impressed with the air of progressiveness and success of the average Scientist, but there had never seemed to be a sufficiently urgent reason for me to study Christian Science until the army physicians in France told me that they could not heal me and advised me to put my affairs in as good shape as possible, as they did not expect me to survive the trip home. ”

“ First in interest, perhaps, to Christian Scientists is the great mass of evidence accumulated to show the physical healings resulting from the application of Christian Science to the treatment of disease. Some of these healings were brought about by the ministrations of War Relief Workers, some by the efforts of soldier Scientists in their own behalf or in behalf of comrades. ”

“ As one church writes: ‘The oneness of purpose in this work has developed a unity and friendliness between our neighbors and ourselves, which is one of the blessings not to be overlooked. The War Relief work has been a great blessing not only for the present but for the future. We are grateful for the channels provided by The Mother Church, through which our branch church has been able to express its love and gratitude and to demonstrate a better understanding of substance ”

“ About two months later a Christian Science Welfare Worker was stationed at my camp and one day he and his wife called at my barracks for me. I was given a copy of Science and Health, a Quarterly, a Song Book and several pamphlets. The Workers assured me of their desire to help any one interested, to a fuller understanding and realization of the benefits to be derived from Christian Science. ”

“ The Christian Science movement in our state has experienced immeasurable benefits, as a result of the War Relief activity. Not the least of these is the cordial cooperation and closer Christian fellowship that has been brought about through its agency. The churches and societies have responded generously and cheerfully to the call for funds and help of various kinds. ”

“ At a camp in Colorado our Worker, upon volunteering the services of himself and his car, was told that everything was well organized in the hospital except in the diet kitchen, where he might be useful. Upon visiting the kitchen he was told that the patients craved ice cream and as the result of an appeal to the women of the near-by Christian Science churches our Worker was able to deliver a daily supply of ice cream and fruit to the hospital during the period of need. ”

“ I am unable to express all the gratitude I feel for the many blessings I have received and also for the wonderful work the Christian Science War Relief Committee has done in our camp. In the reading room maintained by them, we have a nice, quiet place to study, write letters and read all authorized literature, which has been a great help. ”

“ Here again the demonstrations of the power of Christian Science were almost hourly in occurrence. I was constantly led aright. My duties at one time required me to find the positions of some machine gun emplacements in the front lines in the dark, without a guide. This was accomplished without great difficulty, by knowing that the problem was a purely mental one, and that man is controlled by divine intelligence.
“When the orders came for the assault of the German lines, I was enabled to work continuously for several days and nights with little or no sleep. ”

“ The attendance has increased noticeably and there has been a great demand for work.”
In an Oregon report we read:
“As a direct result of the Spruce Camp work one new Christian Science Society has been formed and reported to us. Undoubtedly there are others formed as neighborhood groups that conduct a regular service in the way that so many societies start, but which we have no means of knowing about. We cannot help feeling very sure that growth along this line will be externalized in the future out in the smaller places in our thinly peopled state.” ”

“ Upon several occasions during my service of over a year in the army I found it necessary to call upon a Christian Science War Relief Worker for help and it is my desire to relate a couple of incidents wherein I did receive help and to express my sincere gratitude both to the Worker and to the organization. ”

“ I am happy to tell you that on last evening the Christian Scientists of Port Townsend voted to continue the War Relief Rooms as Christian Science Reading Rooms, and to organize a Christian Science church. The meeting was a very helpful one, a spirit of love and unity pervading all. We feel that the real church has appeared in consciousness and that we are building on Principle. I have promised to stay here two or three months and help get established ”

“ However, while in the service of the government, though I was inoculated and vaccinated a number of times, because this was compulsory under medical regulations, I was never affected by these operations as I knew no harm could result to God's idea, since man in His image and likeness, needed no serums of any sort to sustain perfect health, because perfection is the natural order of man's being. ”

“ The Christian Science services were of the greatest benefit, also the Camp Welfare Rooms with their wealth of literature. All who were interested in the study of Christian Science at the camps became acquainted through the meetings and met at the homes of the Workers. ”

“ The first duty of the Welfare Workers was naturally to Christian Scientists although they by no means limited their attention to these men. The group of testimonials which follow are expressions from Christian Scientists in the service to whom our Workers were able to be of assistance. ”

“ This was brought about largely by the fact that the passing of our car with the name of the Committee painted on the side caused those interested in Science to stop the Worker, and in a short time he was able to make these people acquainted with others in their town who were also interested but who had not known of the presence of other Christian Scientists there. ”

“ I have also observed your readiness to assist any soldier in any way, both in your building and throughout the camp. I have heard it said that when there was an important service to be rendered or quick transportation needed about camp the Christian Science car was always at everyone's service. And I would like to thank you on behalf of my men and myself for what you are doing for the morale of the army, or in other words—‘for the good of the service.’
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“ Our Camp Workers themselves at this time were working day and night and in many places, being unable to care for all the cases presented to them, they were obliged to ask for assistance from other practitioners who gladly volunteered their services. ”