Posts Tagged ‘trip’

A Visit to Argentina, Jan 2010

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Stella and Carlos are thanked by some of the grateful attendants of the talk in Buenos Aires.

With humble gratitude Fern Lodge accepted an invitation to share information about Christian Science nursing education opportunities with Christian Scientists in South America.  Two years ago Carlos Ley, a Journal-listed Christian Science nurse on our staff, traveled through South America to speak about Christian Science nursing.  He gave talks and conducted individual interviews in Peru, Argentina and Brazil.  This year we were invited back to Argentina and Brazil to provide information and resources to groups of Christian Scientists there who are working to found Christian Science nursing facilities and education programs.  Sharon and George Strong, the Fern Lodge  Director of Christian Science Nursing and Administrator went, accompanied by Carlos, whose translating skills were essential for this work.

Several years ago Christian Scientists in Buenos Aires formed El Arca for the purpose of providing Christian Science nursing services in their community.  Recently they purchased

Sharon with some of our new friends in the back yard of El Arca.

and renovated a building, pictured in the center below, that will be used both for nursing and teaching.  We are grateful to have had the opportunity to stay at the facility, El Arca, where Stella Ibarra, CS, who is their board president, took delightful care of us.  We conducted interviews there with several Christian Scientists who are immediately interested in helping their fellow man through the Christian Science nursing ministry.  During the visit to Buenos Aires, George gave a talk in Second Church of Christ, Scientist on the healing influence of Christian Science nursing and its importance to individual salvation.  The talk was attended by over 40 people, and it was followed by questions and answers and a lively discussion.

To see more pictures from the trip, click here.

Trip to Brazil, Jan 2010

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

We all—Carlos, Sharon and George—were grateful for the hospitality shown to us everywhere we visited in Argentina and Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro we had the special opportunity to visit a mountain top just at the end of Copacabana beach. The view in all directions was spectacular.

From Buenos Aires, we travelled to Brazil to meet with Christian Scientists there who are interested in Christian Science nursing and education opportunities.  Our first stop was in Rio de Janeiro where we gave a talk at First Church.  Later we held interviews with those who were interested in Christian Science nursing.

Orlando Trentini, CSB, translates George’s talk at First Church, Rio de Janiero into Portuguese.

After the church meeting, we journeyed to the farm of our dear friend Orlando Trentini, a Christian Science teacher, who has visited Fern Lodge and who is a staunch supporter of Christian Science nursing worldwide.  He and his wife, Adelia, who also is a Christian Science practitioner, are dedicated to helping provide Christian Science nursing education to prepare Brazilian Christian Scientists to care for those who need assistance in their homes.  Orlando hopes to couple Christian Science nursing education with courses in English as a second language, to enable individuals to read Science and Health and other works by Mary Baker Eddy in their original language.

Orlando, with one of his much-loved dogs, on the veranda of the building at Fonte de Luz, where Christian Science nursing and English as a second language may be offered.

The Trentinis graciously nursed us at their lovely farm, Fonte de Luz.  In addition to long discussions about Christian Science nursing activities, here we also enjoyed the orchids and bromeliads, the parrots and other tropical birds, a pool and sauna, and an authentic Brazilian barbecue.

Christian Scientists in Brazil have formed Arco Iris to provide their community with Christian Science nursing and care services.  They work closely with a Journal-listed Christian Science nurse who now lives in Switzerland, and they have conducted some Christian Science nursing courses.

We are sorry we did not have the time and opportunity to travel to São Paulo to meet with them, but we were grateful that some of their members came to Rio de Janeiro while we were there.

To see more pictures from the trip, click here.