Thirty-eight years ago, Gloria Onyuru left her home in Missouri and moved to Turkey with her Muslim husband. Gloria, who as a Christian Scientist, is part of the small Christian minority in Turkey, says she has found great inspiration in the commitment to Islam and to God that she has observed in her adopted country.
"Many Muslims are deeply suspicious that Westerners will try to convert them to Christianity," she says. "I have never looked to 'convert' anyone to Christian Science. But I have seen over and over again what Christian Science can do, the beneficial effect it can have for anyone, of any faith tradition, who seeks to apply its healing principles.
"Since attending the 2003 Annual Meeting of The Mother Church & Conference in Berlin, I've felt a special impetus to feed the hungry hearts in Turkey. The people I talked with at the meeting, and the experiences and examples I heard of sharing Science and Health as a book that can be helpful to anyone, gave me such inspiration and hope that I left convinced God would show me how to help people in Turkey through Christian Science and the ideas in that book."
