SOUTH AMERICA
Journey Taken in the Interest of the Bahá’í Cause
BY LOULIE A. MATHEWS
SOUTH AMERICA can no more be described as a whole than can the continent of Europe. Its vast area comprises variety in language and custom, while its history stretches back into a dim past, from whose shadow archaeologists have rescued broken fragments that show mummies embalmed after the manner of Egypt, skulls that have been trepanned, geometrical ornaments, vases of classic design as well as delicately wrought profiles in silver and gold. Alas! that no Rosetta Stone has been found to enable us to read the characters on the arches and columns that lie prone on the sites of the ancient temples.
Each country of South America has written its own separate history. The West Coast, however, may be said to possess a common denominator—trade, because of the depots of fruit, oil, metal, fertilizers and grain. The Humboldt current, an icy stream of water, flowing up from the Antarctic region encounters the Japan current, chilling the waters of the Pacific and killing thousands of fish upon which the guano birds feed. Sometimes the shores become lush and tropical wherever the Current has wandered off into deep waters.
The most interesting city of the West Coast is Lima in Peru. Here in the year 1338, Pizarro made himself master, not alone of what he surveyed, but, like Midas, of gold and silver. Having captured the last of the Incas, Pizarro promised him his life if he would fill a lofty chamber with gold, but when this request was complied with, Pizarro put him to death with crafty haste. The Conquistador then turned his attention to founding a city that he named for Saint Rose. Lima today breathes the spirit of Pizarro. From the palace to the Inquisitional Hall his steps may be retraced, and upon reaching the Cathedral one sees him proudly riding a spirited horse, sword in hand. This fine statue is the work of the late Charles Rumsey. Inside the church on the right Pizarro’s body has been preserved and is visible through a glass casket, awesome and hideous, but the proud treasure of the city of Lima.
As we had journeyed to South America with a definite Bahá’í program, that of forming groups for the study of the Bahá’í Faith, as well as to find individuals of capacity, who could comprehend Bahá’u’lláh’s program for a future civilization, we gathered facts about the countries through which we were to travel. Thus we learned that while outwardly the Spanish conquest maintained, commerce was slowly drifting into alien hands. Canadians, hardy and thrifty, were here. Americans also, their heads crammed with schemes for accelerating trade. Germans by the thousand, driven from the Fatherland by the great war. Italians out of sympathy with present day government. These pioneers were moulding the environment to suit their needs, while each brought his traditions, his culture.
The “Santa Lucia” landed us at Valparaiso and from there the train carried us to the capital of Chili, Santiago. The city is set in a bowl enclosed on all sides by towering Andes mountains. Each hour of light throws a mantle of color over the mountains and at sunset the shadows turn from pink to blue and taper into a soft purple that diffuses its imperial color over the whole city. The streets of the capital are narrow and shabby; here and there a richly ornamented building bespeaks a spurt of ambition.
My first definite request to present the
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Bahá’í Cause was at the
Y. W. C. A. The proposal met with an
instant response. The
staff made all arrangements and when the
afternoon arrived the hall was crowded with
notables—the heads of the Sweet Memorial
hospital and clinic; the directors of the
Valparaiso Y. M. C. A., the leaders of the
literary societies as well as President of the
college and ministers of various denominations.
Mr. Mathews opened by reading a
page from the Bahá’í Scriptures. When he
finished, the chairman asked him to read it again.
This request became the keynote of
Class for the Study of the Iqan, Sprecklesville, Maui, Hawaii, February, 1934.
the occasion, lifting it beyond the ordinary meeting and when the talk “Widening Our Horizons” was finished, questions were asked from every part of the audience. It was already dark when we left the building; the whole afternoon had been filled with heavenly enthusiasm, so much so that we could scarcely credit the fact that we, the bearers of a new Message, had been so warmly received in this distant land. Immediate results followed, for both the head and secretary of the Societé de Femina became students of the Bahá’í Cause. This little literary circle of thirty students studied literature in both Spanish and English and it was therefore arranged that they should read "Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era” and “The Goal of the New World Order” in Spanish and English.
At length the time came when we bade farewell to our new-found friends, happy in the thought that in the capital of Chili there would be a group studying the Cause. Study would augment capacity and in time an understanding of the principles of the New Civilization would draw these students to become part of the great program of Bahá’u’lláh.
In 1921, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote a Tablet to Chili and sent it to Martha Root. It is of the utmost importance and passages are herein quoted.
"You see how the world is attacking one another, how the countries are dyed with human blood. . . . Heads have become like grain in a grinding mill. . . . Prosperous countries have been ruined, cities devastated, villages demolished. Fathers have lost their sons, sons their fathers, mothers have wept blood for the loss of their children. . . . The source of all this unhappiness is racial prejudice, national prejudice, religious prejudice and political prejudice. The source of these prejudices is ancient imitation. So long as blind imitation lasts, the human world will be in ruins and in peril.
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“Now in such a glorious
age, when the
realities have appeared and secrets of being
have been discovered; the morning of truth
hath shone, the world has been illuminated,
is it permissible to wage these terrible wars,
wars that throw the human world into ruins?
No, not by the Lord!
“From the horizon of Írán His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh has shone like a sun upon the world and He has declared that the world was dark and that this darkness would continue with horrible results. From the prison of ‘Akká He clearly addressed the Emperor of Germany saying that there will come a great war and that Berlin will weep and lament. When the Sulṭán of Turkey wronged Bahá’u’lláh, He wrote him from the barracks of ‘Akká that Constantinople would fall a victim to a great revolution, one extending even to the women and children so that they would (also) lament, with great cries. In brief, He addressed all the Kings and Presidents of Republics what would happen and that which He wrote has come to pass. The Supreme Pen has written how to prevent war and His words have been scattered all over the world. First among these councils is the independent search after truth, because imitation limits man. The second teaching is of the oneness of the world of humanity—all are the creation of a Creator; God, the kind Shepherd shows kindness to all, He does not differentiate. The Clement Lord sees no differences between His Creatures. All are His servants and all receive his Generosity. The third teaching is that religion is a strong fortress, but it must be the cause of love. . . . If it causes hatred and enmity, it is unnecessary. For Religion is like a cure; if the cure causes illness than it is better to dispense with it. Religious, racial, national and political prejudices are the destroyers of the world. These are the causes of bloodshed, prejudice is the ruin of the world of humanity. As long as they last, frightful wars will recur. The cure for these ills is universal peace.
“For the world to have universal peace a great world court must be set up by all the governments and nations. . . . The problems of all nations and governments must be turned over to this court and whatever this court decides must be accepted and followed. If a government or nation disobey, the whole world must rise to oppose that government or nation. . . . Now it is clear that these teachings are the life of the world and its true spirit. As you are servants of the human world you must strive with heart and soul until humanity is rescued from darkness, from prejudice and from the world of nature. Strive to reach the light of the divine world. Praise be to God that you are informed of these teachings. Today without Bahá’u’lláh’s instructions the world will have no rest. Of itself the darkness will not disperse, these serious maladies will not be cured, instead conditions will become worse and more difficult day by day. The Balkans will not be tranquillized, they will seek means to inflame the fires of war again. New public movements will use their powers to achieve their own selfish ends. Therefore with bright hearts, divine souls, celestial strength and heavenly will, strive to be to the world of humanity God’s bounty and the cause of rest and tranquillity to humanity.” (Signed, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbás.)
There are two ways of reaching the Argentine from Chili; the first is over the Andes, the route Martha Root had taken; the other skirting Chili and Patagonia. We determined upon the Southern route where no Bahá’í had yet been. From the south, winter was already enveloping the whole Antarctic region, sending icy winds northward over Patagonia. We decided, however, to risk these hazards and go to the Argentine via the Chilean Lakes.
Orsono, the starting point for this region,
lies a day and night journey from Santiago.
In the town of Orsono there was but one
motor available for reaching Lake
Llanquihue—an old and rickety Buick; in this
disqualified vehicle we began our journey,
swaying over dirt roads furrowed by
continuous rains. Here and there the ruts gave
way to beds of lava, over which the machine
would roll shaking and groaning. After
four and a half weary hours we descried
the welcome lights of Ensenada. It nestles
beside a sheet of still water surrounded by
great trees from whose pointed leaves heavy
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drops fell rhythmically.
The tiny cabin that
received us was as narrow as a box, its single
window nailed against fresh air. Its
furnishings consisted of a straw mattress laid
on boards covered by turkey red comforters
that did duty for sheets, blankets and
pillows. No palace, however, could have
seemed more luxurious! Our inquisitional
ride was soon forgotten in the company of
the proprietor who was both cultured and
charming, and expanded mightily on hearing
Mr. Mathews’ fluent German.
In this remote land occurred a great spiritual experience. One of those meetings of the spirit that make social amenities pale by comparison. It happened that a German couple had come from Puerto Varas, Chili. Madame de Burmuihl spoke English. In whispers in the corner of the office we talked of the New World Order; as I unfolded the Divine Plan she seemed to read it with me as from an open book.
Each statement of mine was rounded out and completed by this clear-sighted woman. As I explained the simple form of our Administration and the station of the Guardian of the Cause, she repeated my words to her husband: “Listen, Gustave, we have a Guardian—one who holds the world together in this day—one who is preparing humanity for a new civilization.” Very thoughtfully he turned the idea over in his mind and then replied in a deep voice: “Yes, yes, I can understand that. It is as it should be—somewhere a spiritual leader must be making the plan that will guide us out of the wilderness and chaos of the present into a new and better path.” Madame de Burmuihl explained that they belonged to a large group of Germans who met and studied under the name of “Liberal Thought Society.” But no more literature from the society was permitted in Germany, so as Winter approached they were without material for study. The Bahá’í Revelation formed the link in the chain and they embraced it eagerly and whole-heartedly. They felt sure that the study group would accept it, as they did.
The steamers connecting one island with another sail only three times a week. These inland mariners pay small heed to schedules and departing passengers find it wiser to gather on the wharf ahead of time, so we hurried hither accompanied by the German couple now deep in the study of the Cause. We skirted a swift running river, now and then crossing it at shallow points and taking occasional dips under water falls that seemed to occasion no surprise. Arriving well in advance we prepared to wait when suddenly the boat decided to start and began churning white foam in long streaks through the green water. Our friends pressed to the edge of the sand, their arms outstretched, calling God’s blessing on our Bahá’í endeavors. Far out on the water we could hear their voices. The afternoon was bright and still, trees crowded down to the water’s edge; snow smooth as frosting rounded the tops of the mountains. A thousand rivulets poured snow water into the lake. The atmosphere was laden with a kind of thrilling, expectant beauty. Nature occupied in seasonal rounds seemed indifferent to man’s behavior. Crossing the Lake of All Saints was like witnessing a fraction of creation.
A week we travelled thus. Sometimes mounting over the crests of rocky promontories; sometimes encircling volcanoes where we were lost in steam. We made steep descents on foot and once we were ferried by a crude handmade craft. Physically the journey was hard, spiritually it was revivifying, for everywhere were listeners eager to hear news of the Great Event. It was, indeed, a pilgrimage of the spirit and reflected a degree of capacity in the Germans of that section of South America that is unforgettable.
At length we reached Lake Nahuel Huapi
at the far end of which lies Bariloche, the
town that terminates the lake trip when
coming from Chili. The last journey by
water is the longest, and that morning
dawned cold and windy. The tiny steamer
was tossed and tumbled by the waves.
Spray was continually flying overhead, while
on the benches it was impossible to avoid
a wetting. All through the four and a half
hours’ journey our eyes strained towards
our destination as the wind rose and moaned,
grew angry, dropped into silence only to
repeat its attack on a higher scale. The
pilot hugged the shore and when at last the
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headland, behind which
the steamer was to
moor, hove in view a shout of joyous relief
rose simultaneously from every throat.
Bariloche has one train a week. It arrives from Buenos Aires every Friday and returns on Sunday. The villagers living along the shore of Nahuel Huapi make of the train’s departure a fiesta. Women wearing Spanish shawls, pound the pavement with high heels; peasants carry bright-colored clusters with which to shine the inscriptions on the sides of the train. Passengers embarking for the capital, forty-two hours distant, are regarded with awe. Cameras click, fruit is vended, tunes hummed, as the crowd gape at the miracle of machinery that has ended an isolation, inviolate for a hundred years. At five sharp the whistle blows, the admiring throng stand back. The engine shakes itself free of lake and mountain; it turns and twists until rugged outlines fade and heavy forests disappear, and then it settles down for a long trek across the plains of the Argentine.
Mile after mile of swaying pampas passes the train window, mysterious, uniform, as though the world had become suddenly a planed floor of exact measurements. Through this moving sea of grass stalk cattle flank high. Up or down, east or west, there is pampas; the mind recedes from all forms of variety and settles back into the subtle peace of complete monotony.
The Argentine is rich enough and big enough to feed the whole world with beef; its markets could supply grain and wool as well. Prices have fallen in the general economic depression and growers fasten their hope of recouping diminished fortunes on war, war in Europe or, in fact, anywhere. Already they are tinning beef, weaving blankets and rolling bandages so that at the first cry of battle these goods can be set afloat and at the Argentine’s own prices. Naturally peace is unpopular, kindness and brotherhood are looked upon as antiquated principles. Old animosities live, though each nationality within the country deplores the fact and wish it otherwise. The churches watch each other in jealous alarm, fearful of the increase in number among opposing denominations. The Argentine and the English leave the whole ethical question alone. The Americans make a weak show of getting together by drinking tea under the entwined flags of all nations, but without the genius of Bahá’u’lláh Who has given us a purpose for meeting—a definite plan that is practical as well as spiritual—these gestures of unity lead nowhere. ‘Into this land so uniform in appearance, so separate in consciousness, will come the Supreme Remedy, namely the Bahá’í message. It will gather up the alien threads and weave them into a pattern of universal design; it will set in motion a spark with which mankind will recapture belief in the power of love and suffering. Self-interest will be merged into larger issues. The secrets of being hidden in the stream of life itself, will emerge and man will experience the condition described by Bahá’u’lláh in the Seven Valleys. “A servant always draws near unto me with prayers, until I become his ear wherewith he heareth. For in that case the Owner of the house becomes manifest in his own house (the heart) and the pillars of the house are all illuminated and radiative through His light. The action and effect of the light is from the Giver of Light; this is why all move through Him and arise by His Desire.”
Buenos Aires greeted us with a downpour of cold rain. The stirring events of the Chilean trip, however, buoyed our spirits above temperature and filled our hearts with strong hope.
It was a strange coincidence that we
should arrive on the same day as Krishna
Murti, for he had come to Auckland, New
Zealand on the same date as we, of the
previous year. Again our arrival in Sidney,
Australia had been simultaneous; now he
landed by steamer from Brazil as our train
pulled into Buenos Aires. Naturally the
three branches of the Theosophical Society
combined on an intensive campaign for him,
punctuated by flurries of publicity. Martha
Root had been received by them with the
utmost cordiality, but I knew I could expect
nothing for the present. I had, however,
brought letters to other important
organizations as well as to diplomats and high
officials. Affable conversations, cakes and
tea, followed upon the presentation of these
letters but when I spoke of the mission that
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had drawn us hither,
invisible barriers
descended barring further advances into the
subject. I was encircled by absent-minded
smiles and polite retreats. Even Peace, that
redoubtable and highly honored topic, fell
to earth without an echo.
The rain continued. The test of faith is more faith. When difficulties surround one it is best to draw back from the material world into the circle of Divine Protection. The personal will with its desires must be folded up and laid away. A realization of the power within the Cause must be made a reality, so that the knowledge of Bahá’u’lláh’s spirit shining upon the earth filling it with unending rejoicings, may manifest itself in the individual. One must grasp the fact that subjectively the whole world is aware whenever a messenger comes to earth. Success, or failure—neither have anything to do with truth. Under these reflections one may wait for guidance, but once convinced of a course of action, go forward unhesitatingly and leave the results to the guiding spirit that animates and sustains the Cause of God. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
“Know that the blessings of the Kingdom of Abhá are not dependent upon the capacity and worthiness of anyone; the blessings themselves are the worthiness. As the action itself, when it reaches the thing acted upon, makes the thing the action, so the blessings themselves become identical with worthiness.”
Opportunity came in the form of an invitation to address the Dramatic Society on the modern drama! I accepted. The afternoon came and dressed in my best I stepped upon my initial platform. The talk received wide-spread publicity and the daily papers carried the entire talk. This brought the editor of “The Standard” to interview us. I confided to him my dilemma. He was so intrigued that he decided to study the Cause with me and investigate its truth for himself. After an intensive course of reading he was carried beyond journalistic impulses and there began to appear in the columns of his paper references to the word Bahá’í, its meaning, its origin and finally a two column article on the history of the movement from its inception.
The bridge of sighs was crossed. It became known that a new and constructive movement had been brought to Buenos Aires and I was asked to address first the Contemporary Club and later the American, The Amateur, and the Business Clubs as well as smaller groups. I was elated when approached about addressing the Girls’ High School, but the proposal laid before the board of directors, did not prosper and the invitation was withdrawn.
Giving a talk at the Spanish Club I had to employ an interpreter. This was a veritable ordeal and I remembered how many times ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. has passed through the ordeal of having His words redistributed by an alien tongue.
From a variety of public talks there emerged certain personalities that made an indelible impression. First in order of time was Miss Beer, a German from Africa’s Gold Coast. Tragedies had rained down upon her ever since the World War. In an agony of spirit she had battered at the door of ancient theology, only to find herself shut out by dogmatic controversies. From the first, she fell in love with the Bahá’í principles; she amassed a wealth of quotations from the Writings and studied by night as well as by day. After our third lesson she read a paper on the Bahá’í Movement before the German Literary Circle. As the inner commotion of soul subsided, she expressed a happiness that is impossible to describe.
A giant of undaunted courage was Senora Barrill. Her husband had been a pioneer in Argentine finance and from his accumulated fortune had built a veritable palace of medieval splendor. Then, suddenly, she was left alone. It was at this period of her life that an awakening of soul occurred. All at once there flooded her being an inner consciousness that a new Message had come to earth, a Message that would bind all religions together. She closed the palace and started forth in search of that which her heart foretold. But everywhere she went she encountered creeds, old and new. Saddened by failure she journeyed homeward.
I gave a talk at the Y. W. C. A. on the
union of all races, religions and creeds.
Though understanding no English she came
to hear it, with her niece as interpreter.
All during the talk I could see that she was
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in a state of agitation;
she clasped and
unclasped her hands continuously. As soon as
I finished she beckoned me. “All over the
world I have been seeking the treasure that
you have now placed in my hands this
afternoon. ‘The New World Order’ that you
have explained, has been ringing in my heart
for many a long day.” Often when we sat
together before the fire she would cry out,
“Let us go spread the good news—let us
tramp the world over.” And though well
over seventy, as we left she was preparing
to depart on a world crusade.
Another wonderful friendship was formed with a distinguished Argentine family that we had met on the train from Bariloche. There was a widow, her daughters and a niece. They came to hear me speak and presently we found ourselves being entertained by the most hospitable of people. We saw gardens copies from the palaces of Europe, where roses grew as high as young fruit trees, beds of lotus in bloom, white and tranquil beside marble pools. Everywhere were rare tropical plants gathered from the far off islands of the Pacific. One day, while Señorita Lavarello and I were driving, she remarked, "You remind me of someone I met in Geneva—a woman all spirit.” Naturally I asked her name. “Lady Blomfield,” she replied,—"Like you she is a Bahá’í. It is strange how much this religion attracts me, but I know it is not for me, for should I approach it ever so secretly, the family would know and every member of the clan would arise to save me from Hell that they would see yawning to receive me; —you have no idea of the power of Spanish traditions—the Rock of Gibraltar is a weak defense by comparison—I would be immediately surrounded by an ecclesiastical conference that would go on forever and ever.” "Well,” I replied, laughing, “if the picture you have painted is even half true, I think you better come to the United States where no one will be interested in your beliefs, nor take heed of the ideas you harbor beneath your charming curls.” So we planned that she should come in the Autumn and I pray that this free soul may come under the Bahá’í training that will develop, without curtailing her lovely spirit.
One morning the daily papers announced that Mr. Julius Lay had been appointed Minister to Uruguay. This was happy news for me, since they were not only my friends but Mrs. Lay had studied the Cause with me during a visit to a mutual friend. She was a woman of purpose and generosity and one that could be counted upon to uphold the Cause and to use her influence in its behalf.
The visit to Buenos Aires that in the beginning had been fraught with dark difficulty, terminated in great enthusiasm for the Bahá’í Principles. Alas, that a rigid code prevented joining my pupils together. Nevertheless, as I stood on the deck of the steamer that was carrying us to Brazil, I felt that group consciousness would be the natural consequence of Bahá’í study and would come about as a result of it.
I cannot believe that the door first opened by Martha Root and a second time during our voyage will ever be shut again.
A journey of four and a half days by water brought us to Santos, Brazil. This low-lying unimportant looking island represents the largest output of coffee in South America. We made a special trip to São Paulo. One is astonished to see a skyscraper of twenty-five stories, the largest concrete building in the world. In fact, the size and proportion of the buildings is a constant surprise. For example, in the Hotel Esplanada of São Paulo the seating capacity of the dining-room is five hundred. Entering this enormous banquet hall you behold an elaborate display of tropical fruits on illuminated cakes of ice; this frosty feast makes a welcome contrast to the burning sun that is forever shining behind the curtained windows. We drove to the Butantan snake farms, now world famous, where is distilled the serum that has lowered the death rate from snake bites from 90 to 40 per cent and they work here night and day to fight a menace that constitutes one of the major difficulties in homesteading this vast country.
Twelve hours by rail brought us to Rio de
Janeiro; the train winds and slides down,
down to the sea. In Rio, Leonora Holsapple
joined us. She had come following Martha
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Root’s notable visit
to South America.
Settling in Bahia, (which in Spanish means
bay) she had set herself the task of
mastering Spanish and Portuguese, while earning
her living in a city directly over the equator.
Encouraged by our Guardian, she translated
and published “Bahá’u’lláh and the New
Era” and other volumes, thus making an
outstanding contribution for all time to the
Bahá’í Cause.
Through the influence of this true Bahá’í friend, we were able to form a class without delay. These people were sufficiently evolved to draw together for study and to meet often. A second class soon followed the first, through important Americans to whom we had brought letters. The members of this class enabled me to place Bahá’í books in the circulating libraries. I found only one Bahá’í book in Rio; that was a copy of Mr. Holley’s “Bahá’í, the Spirit of the Age.” It was gratifying to learn from the librarian that it had been widely read.
We were invited to spend an evening with the Súfís to address their members. As far as we could learn, they were not connected with the Súfís of Írán. The movement had been brought from India to London and its leaders, Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Best, were English. The pamphlets describing the belief seemed subjective in character though broad and humanitarian in design.
Súfí Lodge was built on the top of a mountain, literally above the clouds and standing on the roof garden the fleecy white clouds floated below while above was the starry sky. On an opposite mountain carved from rock stands a gigantic figure of Christ with arms outstretched in an attitude of blessing. Far below the sea was visible, breaking into white foam that shimmered and glistened under the thirty thousand lights that encircle the shore. It was a sight of beauty for which no adjectives seemed adequate. I spoke on the prophecies fulfilled by the Bahá’í Religion and gave a short outline of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Their reception of the talk impressed us all. It was evident that there existed a strong spiritual tie between us and some day this will be cemented. From that moment they did all in their power to help us spread the Bahá’í Message and surrounded us with every kindness.
Through Miss Holsapple’s influence I spoke at the Educational League. This important committee controls the education of Brazil as well as the reading matter that goes to schools and libraries. Religion may not be spoken from their platform but the breadth of the Cause gave ample opportunity to outline education from its spiritual standpoint. I also addressed the Y. W. C. A. that throughout the journey had treated our mission with so much cordiality.
We held a Bahá’í picnic, on the shores of an inland lake. We talked of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presence at Evergreen Cabin in West Englewood. We discussed the happy 19-day feasts that are held throughout the world, their origin and purpose; the day was sweet and memorable.
In retrospect it is impossible to number the individuals that crossed our path during this voyage of five months. Constantly we were meeting strangers and constantly telling them of the purpose of our visit. By land and by sea, over thousands of miles, the Cause was heralded and its dynamic news spread.
South America needs workers to carry on the Divine Plan. It is not enough that a teacher crosses the continent every few years. It is not enough that one woman gives her life for the spread of the Cause. If these two Republics could unfurl the banner of Bahá’u’lláh’s Principles together, they might lead the world into a new era of peace and happiness. The Guardian is deeply concerned with the spiritualizing of South America. Whosoever arises to labor in this field will be rewarded and every traveler will be upheld by the Holy Spirit. No sacrifice should be too great to a true believer. For the purpose of life in this day is to extend God’s glory through the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the far-flung corners of the earth.
Plan of Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Baghdád, Íráq
