I gave a second lecture for the Auckland community last Thursday evening to an energized and engaged audience that was a joy to lecture for, and then off to Melbourne, Australia, the next morning to speak for the last time on this tour.

Melbourne is a most beautiful part of the country. Full of lush thriving forest, greenery, pastures, soaring Eucalyptus trees, shrubs of multifarious forms, birds and peaceful lakes, it is a stark contrast to the images of high and dry desert often populating foreigners’ minds from watching movies about life in the outback.

Melbourne park scene

Melbourne is no “outback.” The Dandenong hills behind the city are absolutely breathtaking to drive through and absorb. [Sorry I’m not a better photographer. I do the best I can with my little point and shoot handheld camera!]

There is a thriving Christian Science community in Melbourne. And part of the credit appears to be connected to the Huntingtower school located in Waverly, a school run by Christian Scientists, similar to Principia, but different in substantial ways.

Huntingtower teaches over 600 students, K – 12, many of whom are practicing students of Christian Science, and many who are not, but love the ideals and standards set by the Christian Science community that runs the school. The school is a top-rated private school in the state of Victoria, the #1 school, I heard from several, and evidently has a waiting list for students to enter.

Huntingtower Campus

The lecture was held on campus that evening in a beautiful auditorium with lots of room on stage to walk back and forth and “do my thing.” I love to move around on stage as the message moves me when I have the room and space to do so.

Auditorium for lecture

I spoke to the largest crowd on the whole tour during this lecture: people of all backgrounds, ages and experience levels: many teenagers, youngsters too, and 20-somethings right on up to the most mature.

A large number of newcomers attended.

One woman told me afterward that she had come with a boatload of ailments, pains and sufferings, and by the end of the lecture she could feel them all lifting away. She was so happy, jubilant really, and gave me a big hug.

A stately and very committed member of the Anglican church came up to thank me profusely for the lecture. She loved all the points and could easily relate them to her faith.

One newcomer introduced me to his CS friend, who brought him, as “a talker in her church.” I looked at him oddly until his friend added, “A reader…” “Oh,” I said. “I got you!” We laughed together.

There were so many tremendously positive reports that came out of that evening! The hour or so I spent greeting people afterward was filled with so much joy, positive energy, strength and renewed enthusiasm shared by people recommitting to their study of Christian Science, that I’m still on a spiritual high from it all. It was a grand cap for a month-long tour of lecturing in Australia.