The National Seeker Response system works to connect individuals interested in learning about the Bahá’í Faith with nearby believers. Here are two stories shared by the regional seeker response specialist for the Northeast that illustrate the importance of patience and persistence:
Last year a seeker contacted us through our Web site, http://www.bahai.us. He wanted to get in touch with the local Baha'is and attend some events. We sent him lots of contact information and then sent follow up messages every month for a year, but he never replied. The local Baha'is also tried repeatedly to contact him to no avail. Just when we were going to stop trying we sent one last message and he answered! He had been away and couldn’t reply to our messages until he returned home. But he was so grateful we kept sending them, and now he is in touch with the local friends, attending core activities and very involved with local Baha'i events. . . .
Another seeker called us last year. We called him back many times, left voicemail messages, sent emails and invitations to events, both from the regional office and locally, but no reply was forthcoming. Finally as we made our last attempt to contact him, he replied by email saying how grateful he was we hadn’t given up on him. He now was ready to engage in the Baha'i community and its activities. A home visit to show Anna’s Presentation has been planned by a local teaching team.
Both these seekers were overjoyed that we were still reaching out to them. It makes us remember that we must persevere, systematically and lovingly.
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