WHEN WE TOLD OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS that we were going to live in Beijing for a year, we heard a wide range of reactions, everything from What an adventure! to Aren't you worried, even scared? For years we had planned to move from our home in New York City to the People's Republic of China because we wanted our twin daughters, Grace and Claire, to find out about their native culture. And we wanted the whole family, including our youngest daughter, Julia, to experience firsthand life in China, even though through Western eyes.
We first visited China in 1999 to adopt Grace and Claire. We'd already met many wonderful people from China in the US, and had come to appreciate China's long and fascinating history. However, during our two-week visit we were surprised to discover how much we felt like foreigners. And oddly enough, aside from the obvious cultural differences we encountered, at times we found it challenging to pray. We have always strived to pray daily for ourselves, our family, and the world, in the way Jesus and Mary Baker Eddy asked us to pray. But it was difficult to focus our prayers, and we longed to feel more of the presence of the Christ—what Mrs. Eddy refers to as "the spirit of God"—in our thoughts and lives (see Science and Health, p. 137). Whenever we've felt that Christ spirit, we've known that we're safe and loved in every circumstance.
Fast forward a few years later, back in New York. One day while walking with our daughters through a neighborhood park, we came across a demonstration by followers of a religious sect protesting the treatment of some of their members in Chinese prisons. When our daughters asked us why these people were protesting, Grace and Claire became that one of our family members would end up in prison if we were going to pray when we went to China. We assured them that they didn't need to be afraid because many people of different faiths and nationalities pray in China. We said that we would certainly be among those praying and that we expected our prayers to help keep everyone safe.
