Gratitude for Compass Community
Otto
Each year, DB Compass starts its program with a fall retreat during the DB Outreach National Annual Weekend. Teens in the 2019-2020 Compass group attended the Labor Day weekend in Los Angeles, beginning a day before the Outreach participants arrived to get to know each other in person as a group, along with their two adult guides, Katie “KDew” Duntley and Henry Busch.
One of those teens – a sophomore named Otto – is candid about why he joined Compass. “Honestly, NLC [DB National Leadership Council] was too much of a commitment for me, and I wanted to see what Compass is all about,” he says. “I joined not really knowing what it was, but knowing that I’d meet some cool kids my age who were Christian Scientists outside of my Sunday School.”
Otto was right. He’s also found that the program’s format – running generally August through April with monthly web hangouts on topics chosen by the group and three in-person retreats – is encouraging his practice of Christian Science.
“Compass has mainly helped me think about the assignments and Christian Science outside of Sunday School,” he explains. “It has enabled me to think critically through a CS lens, whether it be in school or in sports, or with family and friends.” He adds that he has a greater appreciation for reading the Bible Lesson and more of an awareness of the many writings of Mary Baker Eddy’s now, too.
Thanks to DiscoveryBound donors, Otto and his family received financial aid through the DB Outreach & Compass Scholarship Fund to attend the Los Angeles weekend. He shared this gratitude with them:
Because of your help, I was able to spend four days getting to know my Compass group and reuniting with old friends. With your aid, I was able to go with my mother, grandmother, and sister to experience/tour an extraordinary compilation of L.A. tourist sites. But most importantly, I was able to spend a weekend of fun with a mental lens of good, purity and healing. At the end of the weekend, when everyone was asking for fruitage, I realized that I had no healings. Why? Because I was “stand[ing] porter at the door of thought” [Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 392]. I was in such a supportive and fun environment that I never had anything to be healed from….
My favorite two events were the Warner Bros. tour and the pool party. While at the WB studio, I had a constant feeling of interest and honor to be witnessing the places of some of cinema’s greatest creations. I never would’ve thought that I would be sitting in the live audience section on the Fuller House set! How awesome! And then, to top off the day, we went to the lovely pool party at Tiffany Lovett’s residence. This evening couldn’t have been more perfect!…
Going in to this weekend, I had never met my Compass group before the first monthly call. By Monday, we were all so comfortable around each other, it was like leaving camp. I’m super grateful for a great group of Compass kids who are deep thinkers, have fun personalities and are nice people….
What does Otto like best about Compass? “I love how easy it was to bond with the kids at the LA weekend, and how much fun KDew and Henry are,” he says. “The calls are always interesting, but best of all, it’s an open and free environment for talking, hanging out and growing.”
About DiscoveryBound Compass
DiscoveryBound Compass is a one-year opportunity for Christian Science teens in high school, focused on spiritual exploration and connections with Christian Science peers.