39 and Counting

A Bahá’í in New Hampshire asked that we share this inspiring story.  She wanted to encourage all of us to view each seeker and on-line declarant as a unique and wonderful soul with limitless and unknown potential. Here’s Jim’s story:

 I was so blessed that believers, still unknown to me, put Bahá’í books into the Hofstra University Library where I was working, with the faith and understanding that Bahá’u’lláh would guide seekers of truth to find those books and respond to His Message.

Of course, we didn't have Internet in those days (1970s) but one of the books did contain a contact address for the National Spiritual Assembly. I was so taken by Bahá’u’lláh's Teachings (although I did study on my own for six months before making a decision) that I wrote to the National Assembly requesting information on how to become a Baha'i.

The National Teaching Office sent me back a beautiful letter with a declaration card and told me to sign it, send it back and to consider myself a Baha'i from that point on.

I signed the card in April 1973. Local Baha'is, among them Rouhieh who met Abdu'l-Bahá, called me and invited me to the annual meeting and I met Bahá’ís for the first time. I was also elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly that night.

The rest is, as they say, history...

I just wanted to share that I am joyfully celebrating the 39th (that's right - thirty ninth) anniversary of my declaration of faith in Bahá’u’lláh.

Nothing has had a greater impact on my life than finding the Bahá’í Faith, so to whoever it was that placed those Bahá’í books in Hofstra University Library so many years ago, many, many, many thanks.  Those books led me straight to Bahá’u’lláh.

No teaching effort is ever wasted, not matter how small or seemingly insignificant.  Bahá’u’lláh knows how to use our sincere efforts in His service no matter how invisible or ineffective they may seem at the time.

Many thanks and much love to you all.

The Path

That the path of service upon which we are currently embarked “can be experienced and known, not only by one or two but by scores and scores” and that “ it belongs to the community” becomes increasingly apparent through stories shared by a Baha'i Seeker Response Coordinator in one region.

One by One -  Sharin was a Muslim woman who had married a Muslim man through an arranged marriage. The marriage did not work out, and she later married another Muslim man, who was less active in his faith.  When Lea, a Bahai, called Sharin to learn of her story, she shared that she had been frustrated and “tired of being stern and angry.”  She shared that she was stern with her children because that’s what she understood was her role as a Muslim mother but that she grew angry and frustrated with how it made her feel.    

She went onto the Web and searched the words “unity,” “love,” and “peace,” and for each one, the Bahá’í Faith came up. As she read more, she learned about the Faith and decided she wanted to be part of it. She started attending devotionals at the home of a St. Louis couple, and eventually declared. She shared with Lea that she removed her veil and “I felt such freedom.  For the first time, I felt like I could think for myself.”  

At a devotional gathering, she gave her 17 year old son a prayer book and encouraged him to read from it, which he did. Vern shared that “right away, the children saw in her a change and they too began to change.  They started to experience love in the household.”  How profound the impact of the Faith on this family!  

Sharin shared how she also began to picking up papers and trash and began sweeping the sidewalk outside her home. Her neighbors asked her what she was doing and she exclaimed that she was “making the neighborhood more beautiful.”  They too joined in and began to clean up the streets together.

Scores and Scores - While visiting via Skype with a Persian couple whom he met during a recent Pilgrimage, Vern learned that the couple was in the midst of celebrating Naw Ruz; they live in Australia. Vern and his Persian friend were taking an upgraded iPhone for a test drive.  

Vern began sharing some exciting news about recent seekers who had come in through the seeker response system.  Enamored by the stories, the Persian friend put him on visual Skype for the entire group of guests at this couple’s huge Naw Ruz celebration to hear. Vern shared about how the program works and some of the stories of the seekers.  

“You could see their eyes light up and the excitement build in each one of them!  How blessed I feel to share it with friends half way around the world—it’s a 13 hour difference between here and Australia!”

Youthful Impression

Baha'is from Virginia shared this story about Marla who declared online.  She recalled the first of many encounters with the Baha’i teachings coming from a Baha’i youth. 

Marla was raised in a Methodist family in Georgia but never felt content with her spiritual life.  The turning point happened in 2000 when she had finished graduate school and was working for the mayor’s office in a large city.  She was organizing a youth diversity summit.  The youth participating in the summit also mentioned that they needed to talk about diversity of religion.  Marla was working with six students from six different religions, one of whom was a 15 year-old Baha'i. When this young girl spoke about the Baha'i teachings, Marla thought to herself that this was what she believed but that she had never heard anyone articulate it before. She later asked the girl and her mother to give her more information. Marla moved to another city where she met a neighbor.  Marla told her neighbor about the Faith and the neighbor said to her that she was a Baha'i!  Marla moved again and attended a local Fair where Baha'is had a booth.  This time she was able to attend a study circle and form a lasting bond with a local Baha’i. 

Happy Naw Ruz

The Fast has ended and Baha’is throughout the world look forward to the bounties of the New Year (Naw Ruz).  As we look to the year ahead, we reflection with gratitude upon the many teaching opportunities afforded to strengthen bonds of love and fellowship during the Fast.  A few inspirational moments came in from an Area Teaching Committee in a New Jersey cluster.

A Baha’i in the cluster invited the mother of her son’s schoolmate to a fast-breaking dinner. Although the schoolmate is already a member of the neighborhood junior youth group, the dinner gave the mothers and sons a chance to strengthen ties of friendship and share prayers. 

One youth in the cluster is a seeker and an integral member of the neighborhood teaching team. The members of the local LSA met for a fast-breaking dinner and invited the youth, who brought her mother along. The dinner conversation included a discussion about one LSA member’s experience of embracing the Faith. The youth said she was grateful for the discussion because it helped her mother better understand the importance of the Baha’i Faith in the young woman’s life.  

When a new seeker and friend showed interest in the Fast, one Baha’i extended an open invitation for the seeker to come over for dawn prayers and breakfast. The seeker, who decided to observe the Fast, has joined the family for breakfast and dawn prayers several times so far. In fact, there are two seekers/neighbors who are observing the Fast and coming over to share prayers, fellowship and food at 5:45 in the morning!  

A teaching team in the cluster is inviting parents of the junior youth and children to the “Why We Sing” program at Green Acre. At the end of last Saturday’s classes, teachers, junior youth and children helped compile the invitations, which included a sample of music on CDs and flyers describing the weekend session.  The teaching team will follow up with parents during the coming weeks and use the opportunity to engage in spiritual conversations.

And finally the Area Teaching Team’s simple invitation to the cluster: 

Any teaching stories, plans, aspirations for this Expansion Phase that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear them. Send an email to …

The Fast

Today, March 20^th, marks the final day of the Fast.  For 19 days Baha’is worldwide have abstained from food or drink, from sunrise to sunset, “as a symbol of self-restraint” and to take on “characteristics of the spirit.”  In this story a Baha’i from Maine shares how the Fast presented the opportunity to connect with a receptive heart.

I was visiting a friend whom I have known only for a few months, at her house today. When she offered me a cup of tea I had to say "No, thank you".  She then asked if I would prefer a glass of water.  This time I couldn't just say “No,” without giving a reason, so I told her that I was fasting.

Based on my past experiences, I was waiting for her to connect fasting to Islam and Ramadan, but instead she looked at me, and as she still was thinking asked if I was a Baha'i.   Being so surprised, and so happy, I asked her how she came to connect and know about Baha'i fasting?

She explained that one of her best friends during college was a Baha'i, and that her friend's parents were pioneering in Macao. Later, her friend invited her to stay with her parents during her trip to China which happened to be during the Fast. Then she continued with such joy as if this was one of her best experiences saying that she also fasted, prayed and read the Writings with them at sunrise and sunset!  All I could think and say was “Ya-Baha'u'l Abha!”  What a small world! 

She expressed her experience with such joy and sincerity that it was very touching, heartwarming and inspiring. Then, she continued and said it just makes sense to have the Fast and New Year at this time of the year, during the spring when everything is new.  

She also was very happy to be invited (which I was not planning to invite in the beginning!) to our community Naw-Ruz celebration with her husband, who is the principal at a local school and to bring her entire family. 

Her experience goes back to a long time ago when she was a student. Indeed, once again this story reassured and reminded me of God's will and that as Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha have said, our job is to sow seeds with detachment and trust!

Love of Christ

Baha’is in Alabama nurtured a soul whose heart is wed to Christ in order to help him understand that he is not giving up Christ by professing his belief in Baha’u’llah.

Joseph grew up in the Bible Belt of the South and has seen much racial prejudice and religious segregation. The Christian churches are gradually becoming more open but have very far to go. He wanted to better himself by overcoming the racial prejudice and religious intolerance that he’d observed in his life. He became inspired to investigate the Faith after searching into the background of a celebrity.

I decided to look up his Wikipedia site and found his organization Soul Pancake. I then saw him in an interview discussing the fact his parents raised him in that faith (Bahai). Everything about the faith seems great, and I would love to be able to separate myself from prejudices by becoming Baha'i.

Joseph started reading the Kitáb-i-Íqán (Book of Certitude). He was very happy to hear how Baha'u'llah fit in the sequence of Manifestations, especially with regard to Christ. He believed in Baha'u'llah but had questions about how to work through any feelings of abandoning Christ, and his lifelong being taught that Christ was the only way. He wrote:

It's like all your life being told you will go to hell if you don't believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and then trying to conceal all of that in one day. I feel like I'm doing something wrong. I'm going to continue to study and if you have any suggestions about where to start that will be much appreciated.

When Baha’is talked with Joseph they discussed a few passages in the Bible, putting the concept of coming to the Father through the Son in the context of Christ’s prophecies of future revelation and Baha’u’llah’s proclamation to Pope Pious IX referring to the Father, and His coming “unto the nations in His most great majesty.” They also shared about Baha’u’llah’s teachings on the death and resurrection of Christ.

Joseph was very excited about this decision. His Baha’i contact sent him more references to explore, including links to the international site and its reference library, so he can continue reading and become more familiar with the Writings of the Faith.

God's Work

A Bahai children’s class teacher shares about the importance of involving new believer, Sylviya, in one of the core activities. Their first encounter was in a laundry mat during a door to door campaign. After some time Sylviya shares that she believes her long journey after suffering much hardship in her native country was to discover Baha’u’llah.

Sylviya and I arrived at 4PM and our host welcomed us. We decided to relocate to a nearby apartment because some children were already there. Also (there was) a new African family, two adults and 3 children from Burundi just 3 days in the country. The mother and her children attended class along with our regular attendees. Sylviya began devotions with a prayer in her native language which was followed by the children who sang many of their prayers. We reviewed all the quotes we learned from the summer classes and hoped to begin a new quote next week. This group excels at singing to memorize their quotes from Baha’u’llah which is so imbedded in their culture. The children are extremely eager to read in English. We had key words from quotes on flash cards and with Sylviya translating, explaining the meaning of the quote with these cards. The children benefited from Sylviya’s translation. She is at the heart of these classes. After class she insisted that we do home visits and visited 3 families with invitations to parents to join us.  

Her children have been attending Feast regularly but she had only come once with her husband months ago. She now understands the importance of Feast because her English has improved greatly in 2 years. She enjoyed Feast and seeing the Bahais that she remembers from long ago. She was part of the consultation, she sang a prayer in Swahili for devotions and chatted away, non-stop in English for the social refreshment hour. When I dropped her home she whispered in my ear that she was sooooooo happy! AND ME TOO!!!

There are certain to be challenges but we will overcome them, learn from them and grow in our Faith. And not only in numbers! Nothing, nothing can compare to God’s work.