English speaking church helping Spanish speakers

FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST

22 WINHAM STREET

SALINAS, CA  93901

April 17, 2013

Dear Elise,

We are so grateful to you for inspiring us to reach out to our local Spanish-speaking neighbors Tri-Countywide.  We have used your ideas and suggestions and each year unfolds more blessings.

Our outreach efforts began in 2008.  We started out offering CS Spanish literature in our CS Reading Room and Sunday services.  We advertised in our local Spanish newspaper a special Bible Quote of the week with information of our church services.  In 2009 we branched out to air the Christian Science Herald Spanish programs on two local Spanish radio stations and continue to do so.   We have kept a record of people who have called our Christian Science Reading Room who listen to the weekly broadcasts.  The feedback has been and continues to be wonderful!  I know that the listenership is so much greater than what our contact list shows.  El Heraldo de la Ciencia Cristiana is a loving gift to our neighbors and is blessing so many.

Michael Olson and Dave Fowkes of TimeShare Media have been great to work with.  They have found the right radio stations for us to air our weekly broadcasts, continue to work with us with the advertising, communicate with the radio stations for us, download the weekly broadcasts and get them ready for the radio stations to air as scheduled.  I continue to monitor each program aired on the local radio stations to make sure they are spot on for our listenership.  This monitoring is a wonderful supportive prayerful time and Spanish lesson time for me as I pray to know that the Christ message is uninterrupted and is reaching the listening ear.

The following is a sampling of the fruitage from the Christian Science Spanish Herald radio program listenership:

A woman from Salinas, who bought a copy of Ciencia Y Salud from us in 2011, contacted us in 2012 and wanted to learn more about Christian Science and how to better understand the Christian Science textbook.  We have been meeting every week since September 2012 for one-on-one Bible and Science and Health study sessions.  We are working entirely in English and it has been such a wonderful experience.  Prior to our coming together, she has read the entire Bible in Spanish and has since purchased a nice hard/cloth cover set of the KJV Bible, Science and Health, Prose Works and the biography: MBE, Christian Healer-the Amplified Edition.  Every month I give her a copy of the English Full Text Bible Lesson and we study the lesson together.  She has been listening to our radio programs for almost four years on KPRC and now listens to it on KSES.  She loves the Daily Lift, too.  She is a member of another denomination, but loves what she is learning in our weekly sessions and the sweet friendship that has developed.  The books are speaking to her and she has shared prayer based healings with me.  One of which is the complete healing of migraine headaches. Christian Science is for the world!

A gentleman from Gilroy and his family came to one of our Sunday Services and Sunday school.  They attend the Gilroy branch church and listen every week to our radio program on KPRC.  He has read Ciencia Y Salud several times and has read all of Mrs. Eddy’s Prose Works in Spanish.  He mentioned to one of our members that he is interested in taking class instruction.  He purchased a copy of MBE, Christian Healer in Spanish from us.

A woman from Castroville brought her family to one of our Sunday church services and Sunday school and Wednesday testimony meetings.   One of our members sat with her during the Sunday service and explained in Spanish the order of the service and guided her with the aid of the Spanish Full Text Bible Lesson. We gave her a copy of Ciencia Y Salud and other literature and children’s books.   During the Wednesday testimony meeting, some members and guests shared testimonies in Spanish and interpreted the other testimonies for the family.  This woman attended at the request of her mother who listens to the KPRC program.  They were searching for an answer to heal her youngest son. We gave her a copy of the CS Herald magazine and showed her the listing of CS Journal listed practitioners.  Also, one of our guests that evening from the Watsonville church said that she would be available to talk with her in Spanish and gave the woman her phone number.

A gentleman from Seaside called our Reading Room and asked for a copy of Ciencia Y Salud.  We mailed a copy to him along with CS Herald magazines and he sent us a check in the mail for the Text Book with gratitude.

A gentleman from Salinas called our Reading Room to thank us for broadcasting the CS Herald programs.  He has been listening to them on KPRC every Sunday since June of 2009 and feels that it has brought healing in his life.  We mailed him a copy of Ciencia Y Salud and other Spanish CS literature.

One day I was out at the front of our church and the gardener from next-door came over to talk with me.  He told me that he listens to the radio program on KPRC and really likes it.  He asked me how long our church has been in Salinas.  I told him that we have been at this location since 1926.  He was very impressed and looked at me with a twinkle in his eye that said that we are here to stay.  Gee, for people just to know that our doors will always be open brings comfort and assurance.  Before we parted, I gave him copies of the CS Herald magazine and the current month’s Spanish Full Text Bible Lesson.

A gentleman from Salinas called our Reading Room and wanted to “buy that book about medicine”.   He came in that same day and bought a copy of Ciencia Y Salud.  He listens to the KPRC program every Sunday evening.  One of our members called him back a few days later and asked if he could be of assistance in answering any questions about Christian Science in Spanish.  The man was traveling and thanked him, but said that he is fine now that he has the “book”.

Another gentleman from Salinas called our Reading Room and asked if we give services is Spanish.  He listens to our program on KSES and said, “that it gives a very positive message.”  He has been exploring www.elheraldocc.com   that is mentioned on the weekly programs and liking it very much.  Since we don’t give services solely in Spanish, I shared with him  www.christianscience.com/leccion-biblica and said that he would be able to listen to the weekly Bible lesson in Spanish on that website 24/7.  He was very happy and interested to know this.  I also asked if he would like one of our members to call him and talk more in depth with him in Spanish.  He said no and felt that he had all that he needed and was very grateful.

It is such a joy to share this with you!  This truly is a blessing.  The universal language is Love and the gentle healing message of the Christ is reaching all mankind.

With heartfelt love and gratitude,

Cheri M. Shiffman

Bilingual Committee Chairman