Big day in Bothell

By Bella Sison

We traveled to Bothell on Wednesday, May 31, and had the pleasure of visiting their First Church of Christ, Scientist, which also houses the main office for the Christian Science Literature Joint Distribution Committee! We started out the day by exploring the literature resources the office had to offer.

Afterwards, Izzy and I visited the Bothell UW campus to check out the area and leave some sample copies of The Christian Science Monitor Weekly in lounges and other public areas, after asking for permission.

Cascadia College and UW Bothell campus

Copies of the Monitor Weekly in public reading areas on campus

Once we returned from the campus, Cindy and I took to the downtown Bothell streets to visit nearby businesses. Right at the beginning, we found a hair salon which had accepted a gift subscription to the Monitor last year. The most recent copy of the Monitor was displayed right on top of a magazine pile for their customers, and we were both so excited to find it out there for everyone to see! We spoke to the worker, who said that customers were enjoying it and she was happy to have the subscription. This was a really special moment for us, because we got to see how the project last summer had a tangible effect on the community.

The waiting area at a hair salon in Bothell

We found 2 recent issues of the Monitor on the table

We continued visiting businesses around the area and found two that wanted a gift subscription. After a quick stop at the church, I headed out again, this time with Izzy. We continued to distribute Monitor sample copies around the area, finding takers everywhere from boba shops to a cell phone store.

Bella in downtown Bothell

We finished up our distribution and then headed to dinner. Dave and Sabra Lowe, a couple from the Bothell church, were kind enough to take us out to eat, and we had a lovely conversation with them. It was so fun to talk about our work experiences and their experiences in Christian Science, as well as different ways Christian Science has been helpful to all of us.

After dinner, we headed back to church for their Wednesday evening service. The readings and hymns were so supportive and fit perfectly with our work. During the sharing portion of the service, I found the testimonies greatly inspiring, and Izzy and I both felt led to share about our own experiences as well. Afterwards, we made the rounds meeting everyone in church. They were all so loving and so excited to have us there - it was such a great support! Izzy and I had such a sweet time meeting everyone and talking to them about our experiences. Getting to visit another church community that is contributing to our project was so helpful because it showed us how many people are lovingly, prayerfully supporting us and our work on the project. We couldn't be more grateful!