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Stories from Pioneer Post

These extracts from "letters home" to the Committee for pioneering and travel teaching give us a glimpse into some of the lives of the stalwart souls who are sharing the Bahá'í Faith overseas - our UK pioneers -

Jessica Dacey - MONGOLIA

Jessica recently returned from a year in Mongolia. She writes:

Before moving to Mongolia, I made a fateful first visit during their National Convention last year. I was very moved by the spirit of this young community, and was hooked as the Convention ended and everyone lined the walls of the large room, holding hands and singing endless prayers and songs. After the convention I was able to travel with Counsellor Rosalie Tran, Auxiliary Board member Lois Lambert and several of the friends to a distant community known for a vegetable growing project and for having a strong presence in their small town. We spent four days there, as the Bahá'ís attended a women's institute, opened a new Bahá'í Centre and offered us true hospitality. By the end of the trip I was asking myself how I could stay on in Mongolia and help the Bahá'ís, and the day before leaving I saw an advertisement in an English newspaper for an Editor. I applied and left it in Bahá'u'lláh's hands. Three weeks later I was back with a new job and already feeling at home.

Immediately travel teachers started arriving one by one for summer projects and going all over the country. The National Teaching Committee assigned youth to travel with them and help with translation. And very luckily for us all, Drs Peter and Janet Khan from the Bahá'í World Centre had also planned to come for a "holiday", but predictably ended up working tirelessly. The community really welcomed them, and they too were touched by the pure hearts and love of the friends. The Khans stayed for the national summer school. Normally, regional schools are held as the country is enormous and travelling difficult, and there are just a handful of paved roads outside the capital. About 30 people travelled from Ulaanbaatar to the school in an old bus that broke down 25 times on the 24-hour trip. Although other transport became available during the journey, everyone wanted to stay together on the bus to the end and no one left until it eventually died at 5am in the middle of nowhere. When we finally arrived at the summer school at 6am, it was already busy with people running to dawn-prayers.

The Khans gave talks during the day and evenings were full of music. Unity is already a Mongolian trait, as is hospitality. What the Bahá'ís offer on top of these qualities are real love in the community, and a love of prayer (everyone says a prayer at feast) and teaching.

Ten years after Mongolia opened up, there are now 2500 Bahá'ís, and people are regularly and happily attending institutes, and have a deep understanding of service. As 75 per cent of the population is under 30, many of the "youth" are serving on committees and on the NSA. Our devoted national secretary is 26 years old. I have also had the great privilege of serving on a local assembly here, from which I have learnt much about consultation (through two languages), and how to bring joy into such meetings.

By writing this, I just wanted to give a small idea of how I have learned by example by being with this very special community for the past year. Unfortunately my work has taken up a lot of my time here, and I wish I could have spent more time with the friends. However, I have also had an incredible experience working here in my field, one which will definitely help me in the future as well.

Farideh and Hoshang Goharriz - MACEDONIA

Mr & Mrs Goharriz, previously UK pioneers in Bulgaria, have been pioneering in Macedonia since February 1997:

For the Bahá'ís of Macedonia and the Balkans - 21st March 2000 was a very special day. You could feel the excitement, the pride and the joy that the believers of Skopje shared with each other and the visitors from far and near at the opening of their Bahá'í Centre in Skopje.

Much attention, hard work and preparation had been given by the community in order to build and finish this Centre. After some prayers and a few words about its development, the happy friends gathered there to share a delicious dinner and a real Roma speciality: Music and Dance for young and old lifts the spirits and joins the hearts in unity!

This Bahá'í Centre has so much potential and will bless the community with a spiritual power. Through the activities held in this Centre, a bright light in the spiritual darkness of the world around us will attract many more believers to follow the path of Bahá'u'lláh. His spiritual teachings will give many homeless a new "home", will bring joy to the broken hearts, will give meaning to a world that has lost its orientation and will fill the souls with hope and love of a future of unity and justice for everybody.

 

In Nigeria, Bahá'ís in Sapele, Delta State, decided to teach in areas within walking distance of their Bahá'í Centre. Three banners feature different Bahá'í teachings, and music cassettes attract people to the group. The project began in December and has been a success.

Mehran Niyakan - TRINIDAD

Mehran, originally from Ealing, West London, arrived as a pioneer in Trinidad in November 1999, after marrying Sadia (Safy) whom he met whilst working at the Bahá'í World Centre.

When I arrived in T & T (Trinidad and Tobago) the National Spiritual Assembly had sent out an urgent plea for funds for the new Bahá'í Centre now being built. Although the structure is complete, there is much decorating work to be done. Having some experience in painting, I volunteered to help paint it.

Since arriving here, I have been able to give talks at various firesides and  meetings on topics such as: "Service at the Bahá'í World Centre", "The life and station of Shoghi Effendi" and "The Rights of the Child". We have also shown the videotape of the life of 'Amatu'l-Bahá Ridván Khánum entitled "Crossing Frontiers" in various communities. Many believers have been inspired by this, expressing delight and admiration for her life of service and devotion to the Faith.

I have been asked to serve on the External Affairs Committee of the National Assembly. This committee has planned a series of conferences in collaboration with UNESCO entitled "Building a Culture of Peace" to be held at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad.

During my short time here, I have realised that there is much service and work to be done in this community. I therefore encourage travel teachers to visit our island and to give us their assistance - particularly in consolidation work.

Jane (Sadler) Helbo - DENMARK

Jane was a pioneer in Poland for seven years, serving there at different times both as Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly and as Auxiliary Board member.  In February this year she married Ole Helbo and is now a UK pioneer in Denmark.

Jane was a pioneer in Poland for seven years, serving there at different times both as Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly and as Auxiliary Board member.  In February this year she married Ole Helbo and is now a UK pioneer in Denmark.  flat, getting to know the community, areas of service etc. Strangely, I've moved from a Group 2 priority country to another Group 2 country as Denmark needs growth and development as much as Poland does. This will be a real challenge as, unlike Poland, the people here are generally very comfortable and satisfied with life and so are not open to changing anything. Poland's slow growth is as much due to our failure to teach effectively as to the population's lack of receptivity. Once the Bahá'ís learn to be systematic and focused there will be growth there.

As I settle more into life here I'll write again with my updated thoughts. In the meantime, suffice it to say that I'm very happy in my new life and look forward to all the new experiences that undoubtedly await me!

 

In Costa Rica, the country's president, Dr Miguel Rodriguez, met with members of the Bahá'í community at a function held to discuss "An Agenda for Children and Adolescents, a Joint Project of the Government and Civil Society".

STAMPS - Save them!  Send them!

Postage stamp donations have raised over £8,500 for the Bahá'í International Fund. Keep sending them - new, old or unused to: Jon Atkinson, 12 Boythorpe Crescent, Boythorpe, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 2NX Tel: 01246 211753 Donations need to be receipted, so please include sender's name & address (preferably on a SAE).

If you are considering living outside the UK please contact the Committee for Pioneering and Travel Teaching  to see what opportunities might be available for you to serve the Faith.

The story of Renett's bed

A tribute to steadfastness, generosity and the Internet ...

Imagine a world where an individual has a need and despite putting in real effort the individual can find no way to meet that need. Imagine if other people pick up on the need, take action, and meet that need. Would that not be a wonderful world to live in? In fact YOU ARE living in such a world right now!

Here is the proof. Since infancy due to a progressive neuromuscular disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, I am medically classified as a quadriplegic. I have consequently lived my life and practised my profession as a communication, marketing and motivation training consultant from a wheelchair. Due to contracting an additional neurological disorder early in 1988, I now spend the vast majority of my time in bed. Since my business, my only source of income was closed down while I was in Intensive Care in 1998, I did not have the financial means to acquire the resources to continue a working career. I never voiced my concern about how I was going to continue a productive life.

Unexpectedly, however, friends provided me with lifelong use of a computer system, which I have named "Slingshot" because like the slingshot used by David in the Bible, it has helped to topple many seemingly impossible barriers and has opened up the way to a new era of life. These friends, a committed Christian couple, say God led them to make the computer and other facilities available. Instead of being isolated from society, through the gift of e-mail I now conduct business, socialise, work on community projects and continue my quest for growth through communicating with people from all over the world.

There are days when I must get out of bed. This became a tortuous exercise as the level of pain I had to endure while being moved became unbearable. A reporter, after hearing about this, wrote an inspiring article and a handful of people from different backgrounds, faiths and cultures took action. Through an anonymous sponsor found by The Gauteng Association for the Physically Disabled, I was provided with the use of a lifting device that now makes it possible to move from my bed to a wheelchair 2 or 3 times a month so that I can still conduct training programmes and meet potential clients.

Because of having use of Slingshot, Dianne Mahboubi, a Bahá'í in the UK began to send e-mails to me on a regular basis. She asked me a few times to tell her how I spend my days and also wanted to know if I sit up in bed or lie flat. I explained to her that I lie flat as my body is too deformed to be able to sit up in bed without support and getting a backrest under me is too difficult and especially tough for those who care for me. Dianne sensed a need that not even I was fully aware of. She posted information on an Internet list BX-UK subscribed to mainly by followers of the Bahá'í Faith who live in the United Kingdom. Her action started a fund and Bahá'ís from all over the world collected money to buy me a bed which has a backrest that can be hydraulically lifted so I will be able to sit up in bed. Only when you have been lying flat on your back from 5.30 in the morning till 8 o'clock at night without being able to lift your head - day in and day out, week in and   week out - will you be able to understand the joy of being in an upright position and having a full view of the garden outside my window, watching my dogs playing on the carpet, seeing my great nephew crawl around on the floor and feeling more dignified when receiving visitors, especially if the meetings are work related. I never ever dreamed of having such a luxury but thousands of miles away a group of people picked-up on a need and acted. Many of these people have never met each other and none have met me face-to-face, yet without hesitation they united around this project. This is a wonderful example of ONENESS in action.

The acts of kindness mentioned above were not hand-outs born from pity. Rather these are signs of love, caring, being willing to share another's burden and encouragement to continue using what abilities I still have to contribute to society and fend for myself. These generous people have taught me important lessons with their gifts. Their actions have reminded me that God has supplied the world with creative minds that have developed technology that can dramatically reduce suffering but these wondrous inventions are seldom available to the multitude who have the greatest need. God has however also provided the Sacred Scriptures and His Messengers to guide humanity to a desire for peace, unity in diversity, and compassion for others. Yes, we still have great suffering in the world and there is a huge gap between the haves and have-nots. Yes there still appears to be unbearable injustice on the earth. However, the inhabitants of earth have access to the means now to bring order and balance into the world. For 2000 years we have been praying the words from the Lord's Prayer "Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven." I now understand that Christ would not have told us to pray this prayer unless it is going to be answered. I now know that there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. The question is WHEN? If we follow the example set by the enlightened people described in this article, it will not be very long.

"O people of Justice! Be as brilliant as the light, and as splendid as the fire that blazed in the Burning Bush. The brightness of the fire of your love will no doubt fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth, whilst the fierceness of the flame of enmity and hatred cannot but result in strife and ruin. We beseech God that He may shield His creatures from the evil designs of His enemies. He verily hath power over all things. All praise be to the one true God - exalted be His glory - inasmuch as He hath, through the Pen of the Most High, unlocked the doors of men's hearts. Every verse which this Pen hath revealed is a bright and shining portal that discloseth the glories of a saintly and pious life, of pure and stainless deeds." - Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, pp 97-98

Renett Grove - South Africa

 

Renett Grove