I'm speaking for all 650 youths - Atlanta Youth Conference

I’m from Naples, Florida. I am writing this letter to the beautiful souls who made possible my wonderful experience at the Atlanta Youth Conference. I have no words to express my gratitude towards every single one of you, and of course God. I am so thankful and inspired by all that which took place this past weekend and I only hope I can live up to such grand expectations.

The conference was just unbelievable. The vibe all around that hotel was incredible. Everyone was so enthusiastic and eager to learn. At first, we didn’t know what to expect, we just knew this was a very special moment for all of us. All we could see was smiles and beautiful people. My sister and I were so please to see so many genuinely nice people around and how much they cared for us. That itself was very inspiring and touching for me. I am overwhelmed with emotion every time I think back on that weekend and about all the people that made it possible.

After reflecting back on this conference, I can honestly say this could very well have been one of the most important and influential weekends of my entire life, thus far. In this conference I finally fully grasped the concept of service. I’ve realized that God has entrusted my generation with one of the most vital task of them all: empower those around us and unify the world. The youth is expected to drive forward Baha’u’llahs’ Cause and I honestly felt this conference gave us the inspiration and empowerment needed to do just that. I, along with many others, have made the commitment to selflessly serve our communities. With the tools that the Universal House of Justice has facilitated for us, I believe we are more than ready to take on this task. I say this because after networking with many of my peer youth, we all concurred that if we don’t act and serve for the Cause, no one else will. It’s out time, the future of humankind is currently in our hands; and even though this is a heavy statement to make, I believe is also a blessing, and with God’s presence in our hearts and minds, I know we will come out victorious and leave this world a better place.

I’ve also gain consciousness to the fact that these few years of youth I’ve been granted are meant to serve God and humankind; and I plan on doing just that. I cannot take a year off of school at the moment to serve full time; however, in our next reflection gathering I plan on consulting my thoughts and ideas with the members of the community and set a date when we can start planning and implementing our plans onto the local communities. It is my deepest desire to serve this beautiful Cause; and I will do so restlessly, until the day my physical being gives up. But even then, I know that my soul will continue to serve this most important Cause.

From the most sincere and loving place of my heart, I thank you in the name of all us (my siblings, friends old and new) whom attendance to this magnificent conference you made possible. As I have stated previously, this Youth Conference has changed my life, and I am sure the same is true for the rest of the other 650 attendees. Thank you for all your help and support. I promise to return your kindness in the form of service and endless love for all.

Seattle Youth Conference - "An amazing experience!"

Gwen has been involved in the Baha'i community on and off for 6-7 years, and most recently attended the Seattle Youth Conference!  She first learned of the Faith from her Baha'i father-in-law when she began dating her husband.  Her husband stays involved in Baha'i activities though hasn't registered [his declaration].  At her husband's invitation, Gwen participated in Ruhi study circles while attending the University several years ago, and remained involved with the [Bahai College Club there] for some time.  After college, many of these friends moved away and her connection with the Baha'is lessened. Over the past year, Gwen has again become more involved.  She shared that she observes the Baha'i Fast and Holy Days, prays daily, and turns to the Kitab-i-Aqdas and [other] Baha'i Writings as the source of guidance for her life.  Gwen shared that attending the Youth Conference was an "amazing experience"!  It occurred to her that the only reason she hadn't registered her declaration to become a Baha'i was because she had never gotten around to it.  It was on her "to do" list today, and now is done!  Gwen is currently training to be a junior youth animator and is looking forward to attending more community activities, such as Feast with the Baha'i community.

Pastor and deacon join forces with Bahá’ís

Pastor and a deacon learn of Faith, deacon “shedding tears of joy,’ with “no ifs, ands, or buts, that this is from God:” Both want to join forces with Bahá’í community. Here’s the story that was shared.

A deacon and a pastor who were riding in the car together called 800-22UNITE. They had met two Bahá’ís on the train on the way from Chicago to a town in the south.

This deacon was on fire with excitement and said he was shedding tears of joy. He said he had 'no ifs, ands, or buts,' that this was from God. He had heard of the Faith before but not in depth. He and his companion on the train, a pastor from the south, have a “Universal Catholic” church that is a sect of Catholicism apart from Roman Catholicism. He had met two Bahá’í pioneers, a mother and daughter, pioneers in China and Singapore who were visiting a relative in the same town as the church. Both of these clergy were most touched by the message of unity of religions and mankind shared with them about the Bahai Faith. Both were eager to receive more information, so packets with cover letters were mailed out right away. The pastor also requested literature in Vietnamese and Thai because he will be traveling to Vietnam and Thailand in a few weeks and wants to share literature with others and meet the Bahá’ís there! The deacon is so excited to meet with Bahá’ís in Texas and Louisiana.

AN UPDATE: A local Bahá’í shared this update with the community.

I was able to talk to the pastor by phone today, after we met with the Bahá’í mother and daughter over lunch. A group plans to attend his Sunday service tomorrow. He also invited me to participate in his Bible Study class on Tuesday, and go out for coffee afterwards. [I plan to do so.] The pastor is very definitely interested in joining forces with the Bahá’í efforts in the community.  

Seeker unsettled by verdict of George Zimmerman trial finds comfort with Bahá’ís

When a terrible event happens in the world, one that saddens many hearts and brings tears to many eyes, we seek solace and comfort. One woman in Alabama contacted the Baha’is and shared about the impact of the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial and the death of Travon Martin.

“Still unsure how to deal with the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial, I sort of zoned out. Afterward, two movies caught my attention: one filled with injustice, immorality and bloodshed; the other [filled me with] despair, desperation and self-awareness. An actress in the latter movie was unfamiliar to me, so I researched her. Everything about her seemed at peace. Something I need right now! [The actress, a Bahai, wanted] to spread Bahá’í [teachings] to everyone. I then looked up the fundamentals of this lifestyle . . . ”

Upon receiving news of this inquiry, the local Baha’is contacted her and shared this about their visit together.

“I met with [her] yesterday morning for breakfast and we had a really good visit. I gave her a [book of] Bahá’í Prayers for Women, and a Who Are the Bahá’ís brochure, and a [few other materials that I thought would conform her]. We [talked about] Bahá’u’lláh, who He is, progressive revelation, ways to learn about the Faith, and [I did my best to ] answer questions she had. I [invited her to a local event] and told her I would be happy to go with her . . . She was surprised and happy to know there are Bahá’ís near her.”

A few days later, she attended a devotional gathering and met some Baha’is. She asked several more questions and said she would see us again soon.

 

He prayed he would meet Bahais and he did!

Stephen has been researching religions for some time.  At one point, he considered joining the Mormon community, but decided to keep searching.  He had heard about the Bahai Faith many years ago, and in his travels actually visited the gardens in Haifa.  Recently, he prayed that he would meet a Bahá’í and would learn more about it.  His prayers were answered because soon he met a Bahai woman who invited him to informal talks about the Bahai Faith.  Stephen is an engineer by trade and was particularly fascinated by the teachings about the world government--so much so, he has since joined the Bahai community as a member!

Stephen has also shown interest in connecting his son with the junior youth group in his community—a program that empowers the young through exploring their interests in creating a better world.   

"I am a Bahai! . . . My spirit is elevated"

David has been searching for spirituality and he has visited different churches and mosques. When visiting different religious groups, sometimes he felt sad when he noticed that some groups excluded others.  David felt that there shouldn't be divisions because humankind "is one." David was specially inspired by the beauty of Baha'u'llah's writings, he also expressed that the principles of the Faith were in accordance with his own beliefs.  He believes that we are one human family.  He understands and believes in the concept of Progressive Revelation. After hearing a presentation of the Faith and being asked if he believed in Baha'u'llah, the principles and laws of the Baha'i Faith, he said "yes, I'm a Baha'i."  We didn't have a registration card with us, instead we had him register his declaration using the online form.  David was very happy and later on he shared some of his feelings in this way:

"Baha'u'lah is the true successor in the line of Prophets, the new Manifestation of God. I feel like my heart found peace since I became a member of the Baha'i community. To be able to reconcile my morals with my spirituality is wonderful. Thank you for praying over me and helping with my journey. I feel like the traveler who finally catches sight of his destination. Sure, there is a journey still ahead, but my spirit is elevated and my steps are longer already."

From Presbyterian to Bahai - "I'm ready!"

Ann first heard about the Baha'i Faith from a friend, who is a Baha'i. Since then, she has attended several local activities which she found "interesting and fulfilling" and is currently in Ruhi Book 1. She knows many of the Baha'is in the area. Here is the story about her journey, as shared by those who met her.

Ann was raised in the Presbyterian Church and her husband is an Orthodox Jew. She took up Judaism for a while but had a hard time "giving up bacon and lobster"! She [noted that though she knows] a lot of ministers [she] always felt that they could not answer her questions and did not appreciate when she asks such as "is Christ truly the Son of God?" or "Why do we celebrate Christmas when it is a pagan holiday?" She shared that the ministers always asked her "Why are you asking so many questions?!" Ann feels she has been searching for a long time and when she discovered the Baha'i Faith, she felt "this is it!" When asked what attracted her the most, she mentioned the "peacefulness" which she says she immediately felt in her own life; that the Baha'is are sincere, have no discord and are happy. When asked how she came to recognize Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God for this day, she shared it has been a "growing feeling" and that the concept of the oneness of the Manifestations makes perfect sense. . . .We talked a bit about the vastness of the Revelation, agreeing that she would have many questions along her path, and to feel free to ask them. One question she had during Ruhi: "How do you pray? - do you kneel, stand, and raise your hands...?"

Ann let the Bahais know: "I'm ready!" when she decided to register her declaration!