Day of intensive learning in Tacoma

Here is a report from Tacoma, WA (A) shared by one of the believers there, where they have embarked on another intensive teaching effort.

In just a single day the believers shared the Bahá’í Faith with young and old and in between. With Black and White. With those who were followers of Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Native spirituality. Many people asked for return visits. From the cornucopia of stories shared by the friends, there are numerous valuable insights that have been gained:

They have repeatedly seen the value of sharing prayers, such as prayers for healing and prayers for the departed. . . .

The friends take the opportunity to build bridges using similar connections. For example, when some friends visited a home of an Arabic family, they started speaking in Arabic, and she was touched by this and invited them into her house.

The believers make connections with parents. In one case a mother said she wasn’t interested in learning about the Faith but was happy for her teenage children to explore it for themselves. Another parent wanted information about junior youth groups and children’s classes.

When visiting a neighbor, the friends spend as much time as he or she wants—even if this means a visit of three hours!

The friends are gaining experience in identifying who can follow up with someone that they meet who is interested to hear more (i.e., a believer who lives nearby, someone who comes from a similar background or has knowledge of a particular topic the person is interested in, etc.).

The believers are learning to assess the level of interest of the people they meet.

The friends have learned that if you’re in a neighborhood where you can’t seem to find anyone who is interested in learning about the Faith, don’t be discouraged, just go and try another neighborhood.

The friends are reflecting on what approach to take in situations where someone states that they believe in Bahá’u’lláh but are not ready to sign a declaration card.