Divine Springtime:

Introduction: During the first National Convention of the Bahá'ís of Guatemala in 1961, Hand of the Cause William Sears suggested to Louise Caswell that she write a history of the Bahá'í Faith in Central America. As he explained in a letter four years later: "The important thing is that posterity will have a record of the history of that part of the world before much of the wonderful exciting information is lost, and the wonderful stories of the early days can no longer be recalled by those who lived through them. " For several years Louise struggled in her efforts to be obedient to the Hand of the Cause by collecting her clippings and notes, writing friends and National Assemblies for contributions, and writing down her memories of the experiences she could recall from her many years as a pioneer. In spite of her efforts, progress was slow and help from others was meager.

While living in Guatemala as a pioneer in 1972, I agreed to take up where Louise had left off as the project was of great interest to me. During the period from January 1972 to January 1977, we have been corresponding about the many details and the final shape of the book. I have taken the liberty to add to Louise’s original material to round out the book and to tie the often sketchy in formation into one story. Unfortunately much of the historical details have already been lost. Hence, this book is not meant to be an exhaustive historical presentation of the establishment and growth of the Bahá'í Faith in Central America. It is instead, the story of one of the pioneers who was among the first to arrive and who has steadfastly remained. This is Louise’s story as remembered by her, and those who loved her and worked with her. It is also a summary of the major historical developments in the establishment of the Bahá'í Faith in Central America and Panama.

Perhaps of even more importance, this book offers the potential pioneer a close-up view of what pioneering is all about and especially what it meant to be a pioneer in the early years. Finally, this is a glimpse of the countless ways in which Shoghi Effendi, the Beloved Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, cherished, guided and sustained the Pioneers and the infant Bahá'í institutions through out his thirty-six years of service. (from below, pp. i-ii).