Christian Science nurses' training is blossoming around the world. One of the most recent countries to benefit from this opportunity is Brazil. This program developed from a connection between two Christian Science nursing organizations, Associacao Arco Iris in Brazil and Le Verger in Rolle, Switzerland, through Wendy Blumer Abdollahi, a Christian Science nurse listed in The Christian Science Journal in Zurich, Switzerland.

Wendy grew up in Brazil. In 1981 she went to the USA for Christian Science nurses' training. She did her practical training at The Leaves in Dallas, Texas where she also worked until 1991. She then moved to Zurich, Switzerland where she has been active as the Visiting Christian Science Nurse for the last 20 years, covering the German and Italian parts of Switzerland. In addition to her visiting nursing, she works two days a week at Le Verger, a Christian Science nursing facility in French-speaking Switzerland.

Since Wendy speaks Portuguese (the language spoken in Brazil), and Le Verger has an established training program, the Association Arco Iris reached out to them for help in bringing Christian Science nursing to Brazil.

Recently CSNN Board member Pat Cameron, spoke to Wendy about this project:

Pat: Wendy, could you explain what Associação Arco Iris is and how it came to be?

Wendy: Arco Iris is a Christian Science non-profit foundation founded 35 years ago when a house, land and funds were donated to support Christian Science nursing in Brazil. The Board of Association Arco Iris, has over the years encouraged, supported, and even sponsored Christians Scientists to go abroad for Christian Science nurses' training, with the result that these nurses rarely came back to practice Christian Science nursing in the Brazilian field. They also realized that many Christian Scientists interested in Christian Science nursing would never be able to have training abroad for two main reasons: they did not speak English or they had family and responsibilities in Brazil they could not leave for any length of time. They then had the idea of bringing Christian Science nurses' training to Brazil for those who wished to stay and nurse in the Brazilian field.

Pat: Is that when they decided to contact you?

Wendy: Yes, they knew I was working in Le Verger and they invited me to come to Brazil to talk with them about Christian Science nursing and determine the potential for training in Brazil with the intention that the trainees would then remain to work in their own field of service.

Pat: How did you get started?

Wendy: Well, after a wonderful afternoon discussing the idea of bringing Christian Science nursing to Brazil with the board of Arco Iris, we agreed that we must first prepare the field for the idea of Christian Science nursing. We would do this by offering a series of one-day seminars entitled: "The Spiritual Dimension of Care" developed by Margit Peltzer, Director of Christian Science Nursing at Le Verger. This was a round- table discussion about Christian Science nursing, starting with The Manual provision for Christian Science nursing, covering the history of Christian Science nursing from it's beginning, and the changes over the years in Christian Science nurses' training, and ending with the "Christian Science Nurse Scope of Practice". It answered questions about what Christian Science nursing is and is not.

In the Spring of 2009, over a period of two weeks, I gave seven seminars in four cities in Brazil. We limited the seminars to 25 participants, so it could really remain a round-table discussion, giving all participants ample opportunity to ask and discuss questions about Christian Science nursing. All seven seminars in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Joinville and Porto Alegre were fully booked and lasted from nine to eleven hours each. They were all very lively and active discussions, creating a real awakening and understanding of the foundations of Christian Science nursing.

Pat: Has there been any follow-up since then?

Wendy: Oh yes! In June 2010 I gave the first of three Christian Science nursing courses as an instructor from LeVerger. The "Basic Course" to two students and one mentor-in- training, Maria Bernadete Filizzola, who is a Christian Science nurse living in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The students are a woman from Sao Paulo and a man from Rio de Janeiro. Then, in August, I returned to teach the Basic Course once again to two more students, once again, a woman from São Paulo and one from Rio de Janeiro.

Pat: Did this training consist of classroom theory only or did it include practical experience?

Wendy: The first two weeks were classroom training, followed by practical training in the field. As the new nurses got called to attend Christian Science nursing needs in the field, I accompanied them to home visits where I assessed their ability to express "practical wisdom" and "proper care" as designated in our Church Manual requirements for Christian Science nurses. But this of course depends on the cases that come up in the field. I was able to accompany the Christian Science nurses in two very different cases in the field, and observe them as they applied their training to practical experiences.

Also, three days into the second time we gave the "Basic Course", we were able to provide Christian Science nursing on a dressing case that came up in the field.

Pat: What a blessing that you all were there to respond with such immediate and loving aid. Were there any other activities while you were there on that trip?

Wendy: Yes. In September, we gave two more one-day seminars of "The Spiritual Dimension of Care"; one in Sao Paulo to about 30 participants, and one in Rio to about 50 participants. This time the one-day seminars were given not only by me, but by a panel of Christian Science nurses including the Christian Science nursing students and Margit Peltzer, who came from Switzerland to visit and see our training program. Margit also gave two full days of workshops to all four students, and our mentor-in-training, about "Mental Difficulties" and "Visiting Christian Science Nursing". At the end of this time, all five participants received certificates for completing the classroom portion of the Basic Course.

Pat: And what do you have on the horizon for continuing the training?

Wendy:

We are scheduling part two of the training, the "Advanced Course", to be given in January and April 2011 for those students who are ready to continue. After our dressing experience during the Basic Course (which, by the way, does not cover dressings and bandaging) we realized we could not wait too long before offering the Christian Science nursing students the skills necessary to meet every need they are called to in the field. You see, in this kind of training, in the field, it is quite different from the training given in a facility, since we cannot control or direct the nurses to attend only those cases they are trained to meet. We really need to make sure our Christian Science nursing students are fully equipped with the skills needed to meet every need they are called to. But of course, they are still in training, and that is why we stay in very close communication with them, and why we are training a mentor to always be there for them for any situation.

January, 2011 Advanced Class Left to Right Rosa Donadelli, nursing student from São Paulo  Ana Carla Vicencio, nursing student from São Paulo  Wendy Abdollahi (Insturctor),  Gisi Kitchingman (CS nurse, author of the training book we use, and came from Germany in January 2011 to give some workshops to the students),  Maria Bernadete Filizzola (mentor in training from Belo Horizonte) Jalves Alves Dias, nursing student from Rio de Janeiro

Pat: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Wendy: Yes. I'd like to express my gratitude to our sponsors, the Albert Baker Fund who help the students with their tuition and mentoring costs, the Zarephath Foundation who also gave us some funds for extra expenses, and the Dominion Foundation who provided "start-up kits" (backpacks filled with items needed for Christian Science visiting nursing) for each of our students in Brazil, and who have also provided funds to pay for the many expensive over-seas flights for the instructor and others from the Le Verger team to fly back and forth to Brazil for this Christian Science nurses' training project.

If any one would like to support the Christian Science nurses' training project in Brazil, or has further questions about our work, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at:  wendy_abdollahi@yahoo.com or get in direct contact with Margit Peltzer (Director or Christian Science Nursing and Training) at Le Verger, or the Director of Le Verger, Ron Beasley.