Transcript:US Bahá’í Newsreel/Volume 15/No 1 (Fall 2005)
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[0:57] [Narrator] Over the past year the Detroit Bahá’í community has made the training institute process top priority. Through an intensive institute campaign, a handful of new and veteran Bahá’ís have completed the entire Ruhi sequence.
[1:11] So this is the goal here, it's to get more people of African descent into the faith, more people of African descent in the community interest so we could build this critical mass. So once we get this critical mass, then we can start having influence into our communities, into our hoods into our neighborhood. So I think this is where we're going with this whole process, the system that the House of Justice has given us and these intensive campaigns is a spiritual tool to help us to get there.
[1:41] When you're studying in a study circle and you go through an intensive study circle, it's a real community, really a lot of love and, and brotherhood. It just brings the community together so that we can march in those [?] ranks, you know, so then we're all moving in the same direction.
[2:05] At first when you come together you may not necessarily know everyone who's in the class with you. You may have seekers there, you may have Bahá’ís there. So it gives you a chance as you relate to them, the ease in which you relate to them, that just transfers over to being able to talk to other people.
[2:24] [Narrator] The participants paid special attention to the course's practice components, tutoring study circles, making home visits to new believers and reaching out to the wider community are becoming a part of everyday life.
[2:39] The tutors allow time for the practice of the practice. What that did was it gave people more courage.
[2:53] When you're going into somebody else home, you listen to what they are saying and that's where you pick up the point of what you need to say to them. You may need to pray with them.
[3:07] [Narrator] Alice Mahomes has been a Baha'i for three years and participated in the recent institute campaign. The institute process has built on her natural ability to reach out to friends and neighbors.
[3:20] Alice is a leader. Al Alice is, is we, if we can keep up with Alice, you know, we'll be doing something. That's why I end up gonna have prayer books because once you pull it out and start reading the prayers, they'll say, let me see your book and then they'll flip through it and say, oh, I, I, I like to have that. Well, I don't have the heart to say they can't have my prayer. So that's why I end up giving out so many prayer books because Alice goes to hospitals and prays and gives out the word of God in books. She will give the books and just uh have the people read them and they would just be enamored with the saying, I've always worked in hospitals and nursing home. And my background is an occupational therapist. But I was always, and my world ministering to my um clients when I worked anyway, I always prayed with them. I always talked about God. And if they didn't know God, that was one of my uh things to do have Ellis has always made it a priority to visit her neighbors and is now able to bring the Baha'i faith to them. When you know that you are doing what God is asking you to do and pray and you are not harming anybody. Then you are doing what you're supposed to do is pray for people and love people and care for people. So you think she gonna be rich or something rich? I'm already rich, not me. Yeah, you still have no money. I'm rich. Money. Can you be rich without money? You can, you can be, you can OK. How can I be rich without money? You can be rich without money because you can have still have a camera man. I got a camera man that makes me rich and you can also, I was always taught for service and, and, and a lot of times we get away from that but I don't feel good. Uh being selfish. Um I feel better when I go see about my neighbors uh go ask how they doing uh go to their house and pray for them that need prayer. Uh go put some flowers out for them. I think you rich because you don't even know my name and you come out and talk with me very loving. You gave me a hug. That's being rich. That's rich in spirit. And you can even show by your heart, right? Oh You got money by being spirit. Yeah, you can, you can earn money by being spiritual. Uh be rich. Giving and receiving is the same. And people don't realize that because if I give you something, then I'll wait for you to give me something. No, when I gave to you, I got in return because I feel good about that. I feel wonderful about giving. Hi, how you doing? Just we just walked in each other lives and she's good to me and I'm good to her. So that's, that's, that's what it's all about. Alice is, is uh is, is a star in the heavens. And uh we just, we're trying to do the best we can to keep up with her. Yeah. Yeah. This is something. Hey, come on to me, give me a hug because I love you. I had to tell on her once but it broke my heart. It took me six hours to tell on her, her, uh, her faith in Bela. She was on her last leg when she heard, um, of baha. Oh, she said, well, this is it, this is what really helped her. This is the spot where my son was murdered at June 21st 2001. And this is where I was called to, to watch my son to lay in this house, which is the house is not here anymore. But the same day that my son was murdered, they burned the house around five o'clock that evening. And then nine months later, they removed this whole house. It started from this night. It's like this is the beginning of my walk of coming into the Baha'i faith. Because three months later after his death here, I found the Baha'i faith, all of those classes help me to grow and heal that pain. And that's what it takes to heal pain is the knowledge, the wisdom and the understanding of God Word and to move progressive into what God want us to be. And I really thank God for that. I really thank the faith for being there and I'm praying and hoping that I can do more and more concrete things to help other people to come to the same place. Her effort has intensified. And I think the fact that going through the sequence of courses really have uh built in a sense, a higher level of courage and higher level of enterprise and really a sense of urgency to continue on with her work. And every day we have opportunities to spread this word, to spread this joy and, and the fear is like holding back. But you can't have that fear. Now, the time is just near to tell people people are hurting. So the prayers help, help people to be more than what they were yesterday. It's like having a cake in the kitchen. You got all the ingredients. That's how I see the baha we that everything is in the kitchen. All we gotta do is make it. Do you guys want a picture? Ah the more the married can the girls have a visit? Oh come on, I'm gonna be sad if you don't come, what how can you be rich without having money? Get a job. Ok? You can be rich with love, love. That's alright. So y'all all agree that we can be rich with love. Yes. Alright and God, alright. Look at here we coming on baking the cake now and and Jesus. Ok? And the Lord and Mary and Mary. Alright and the what in the world? Yes. Beautiful things in the world. In the spring of 1953 the Baha'i house of worship in Wilmette was opening its doors for the first time. At the same moment, an important announcement was being made to the believers in South America in his message to the Continental Convention in South America that year. Ya Fede mentioned that the first temple on that continent would someday be built in Chile. Just over 50 years later, his words are materializing the temple of light as the building is being called will be set in the foothills of the Andes mountains. The project is slated to take three years project. Architect Akka of Canada calls the design, the revelation of an entirely new kind of space as the building seems to dissolve and then reappear in light. In a letter dated April 2005, the Universal House of Justice acknowledged that the financial implications of this enterprise present the Baha'i world with a new challenge with a total estimated cost of $27 million. Baha'i everywhere are called upon to contribute their share to the project at this year's National Convention just days after receiving the Universal House of Justices letter, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States pledged its support to the project. The National Assembly consulted about it and got very excited about the possibilities and immediately decided of its own funds to send $270,000 which we sent immediately from the national Fund to support the Chile Temple as a statement. And as an initial contribution, we had an amazing consultation. And as a result, the National Assembly determined that the American Baha'i community should really reach to contribute the lion's share of the resources that are necessary to build that temple with the success of the Kingdom project at home. The National Spiritual Assembly is confident that the American believers will again arise to meet this challenge. You know, the United States community is the wealthiest community in the world really. And we have the financial capacity to do it. So therefore, we should take that responsibility seriously and the community is fully able to do it. Notwithstanding the other goals that we have, the National Fund goal is $22 million for this year. We still have to finish the Kingdom project. In addition to those, I think we will be able to do this. Over the next few years, the Chilean Temple project will be highlighted online in the American Baha'i. And on the Baha'i newsreel stories will include Martha Root's pioneering venture to Chile in 1919 when she became the first Baha'i to step foot on the South American continent, the rapid spread of the Baha'i faith there starting in the 19 forties. More on Shogi ya Fs decision in the 1950 s to make Chile the location of the first house of worship in South America. Spiritual links between the North and South American Baha'i communities, as well as updates on the progress of the temple project. I want the community to know how tender um the temple is in the hearts of the members of the National Assembly. It's not just another building, it's not just another project. This is the last of the continental temples to be built. The last one ever, we just have to make sure that we're a part of it. We just have to make sure we're a part of it. In this five year plan, communities are collaborating across greater distances than ever before and local spiritual assemblies are discovering their role in the process in the heart of America. The area north of Chicago known as the RU cluster has created an atmosphere of readiness for intensive growth. The cluster is 86 square miles with a population of 216,000 people. Baha'i communities in the area include three registered groups, eight local spiritual assemblies and the mother temple of the West to contribute to the growth of the Ru cluster. The will met local spiritual assembly wanted to develop a teaching project that would foster the community's outward looking orientation. We were talking about our relationship with the temple and the suggestion was made by a member that perhaps we could all have just pick a day and invite all of our friends in t people. We know to tell them this was a special day, unlike all the other days that we would love for them to come to the temple and we would be there personally to greet them and hope that that would be a way to teach some of our friends and neighbors who otherwise we may have gone as far as we could already in teaching. The decision was made to hold Will Met Day on the last Sunday of every month, W T day in itself is a three part program. First, we do the devotions upstairs in the auditorium of the house of worship. And then we take up uh positions or stations in the visitor center where we explain to visitors uh the stories about the founding of these houses of worships and of the Baha'i community around the world. And in conjunction with that, we always serve light refreshments to the guests. So it creates a really loving family type atmosphere too much. At the end of the teaching with the community, even members who didn't or weren't able to make it to the actual day would join us for a pot luck. And there we will reflect and share the learnings from the day. One of the things we do is if we found someone during the day at t day that has shown a particular interest, we would invite them community members are able to practice what they have learned about teaching from the institute process and do so in a way that many of them have not tried before. Well, is really uh a training ground for learning to teach people who traditionally were shy and hung back in their service, not from lack of love, not from lack of ability, but lack of confidence, are now confident and leading the way. One of the goals for will met day is universal participation of the community. If community members cannot attend, they can pray for the success of the teaching effort. Children and youth are specifically encouraged to practice teaching. And so there's like, it's like everyone can contribute. Like the Children, the Children are some of our most powerful teachers. They had their the expression on their face like they knew what I was talking about. Like they, they knew they were listening, I can tell it because they gave me some eye contact. And I kind of had a feeling that they were listening. It felt really good. I was really happy because I felt like I'm serving God and I'm serving a high faith, the heart beyond individual success and teaching, there is an awareness of a greater receptivity in the area surrounding the house of worship. I went to guide at the house of Worship last week and I hadn't been there for a few months and I was amazed by how spiritually thirsty people are. That was a tour for a group of young Christians who were coming to do service themselves in the city of Chicago. And they came as a group to investigate the high house of worship and were shocked to come upon Wilmet Day, giving a tour to them was a delight because of course, now the House of Justice seems to have released a fresh impulse, a fresh wave of interest. And so the seekers are truly coming with their hearts open. So that was a very exciting tour to have given. Yeah. Actually, I've never ever experienced such intensity of search in the public, nor openness of their minds and hearts to the teachings of baha allah, specifically where they ask directly who is baha allah. People are coming to us and demanding that we bring to them the teachings of the faith, the devotional gatherings, the children's classes and the Ruhi studies circles since Wilmet Day first started, many communities have held their own teaching days at the house of Worship. The spirit of Wilmet Day is one example of the new atmosphere that is present in the area near the mother temple so much has changed with this plan, in particular, for one, there are so many areas for people to truly immerse themselves and feel they're serving the plan itself. We have never had that opportunity and also with so many seekers afoot, we have places for those seekers finally. And so what begins to develop is a sense of a tight knit community, a building of momentum and an assurance of the future where we know we're confident that we're waiting for entry by troops here and we're ready for them. We just follow the guidance and look for ways to explore in our community with which we can expand our teaching. There's no place else in the United States, that's a house of worship. But every place in the United States has seekers for more information on these and other stories. Visit the Baha'i newsreel online at W W W dot USB N C dot org. Go to the American Baha'i page and look for the Baha'i newsreel link.