Transcript:US Bahá’í Newsreel/Volume 17/No 2 (Winter 2008)
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Houston Shuttle roll program announcing the launch of something brand new. The newsreel web experience. Go to newsreel dot Baha'i dot us, once you arrive, you'll be able to interact with Baha'i across the country and discuss what you've seen in the news room. Go to newsreel dot Baha'i dot us. All we have to do is look around and we know that we see a lot of crumbling of um all kinds of behaviors. People are so jaded today in so many different ways with the bombardment of day to day life, the turmoil that's going on in the world. We built walls to insulate ourselves from that. So it doesn't overwhelm us. It's difficult for people to conceive. There could actually be change. People everywhere are yearning for institutions in communities that will dispense justice, dispel oppression and foster an enduring unity for Baha'i, there is hope. This hope comes from a sense of purpose and a personal commitment to building this enduring unity. Many people become Baha'i because they find that baha allah had a vision for the world and a plan for making that vision real. I'm a Baha'i, because I'm a Baha'i because because I believe in the very depths of my soul in the oneness of humanity because I'm in love with the teachings of baha allah and the peace that he can bring to this world. The way I understand baha Allah's vision is, it revolves around unity. Everybody from the powerful, to the meek, from the, the rich, to the poor. That means we got to overcome racism. It means we have to overcome our political divisions. It means we have to overcome our religious strifes and, and divisions. Everything I'd ever been deeply concerned about about how I addressed them in a coherent, not just something here, something there, something there a coherent whole way. I said this is really beautiful. You know, I I read about, oh man, this man here, a great teacher. I think you must have something going because what he's teaching made sense since the time of its inception in mid 19th century, Iran Baha'i have been focused on helping this vision of unity take root in the hearts of people around the globe, becoming the truly global community. It is today has required the action of individual Baha'i emboldened by their belief in this vision of unity. Volumes have been written about the heroes who arose in each age to carry this vision far and wide. There were the early Persian believers who carried the teachings throughout the East and brought them to the West. Then Western believers helped carry the torch. Baha'i communities were established in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Australia. However, a few of these heroes started with the necessary courage. Even the first person to accept these new teachings had fear in his heart. The Bob's first follower, Mullah Hussein recalled the strength he found after committing to the cause of the Bob, how feeble and timid, how dejected and impotent I felt previously, then I could neither write nor walk. So tremulous were my hands and feet. Now, however, the knowledge of his revelation had galvanized my being, I felt possessed of such courage and power. These Baha'i were not alone in their efforts. Every step was guided by clear direction from the Bob. Baha allah Abdul, baha Shogi Adi and the Universal House of Justice. Today's guidance, calls for a focus at the grass roots across the United States. Baha'i are helping each other develop the courage and skills to share baha Allah's message with others to become heroic. Teachers of the cause. At the heart of this development is training and the power it unleashes in each individual. This news reel will feature Baha'i living in clusters at the earliest stages of growth. These clusters are often referred to as sea clusters. The vast majority of clusters in the United States are at this stage. These clusters are just beginning to put the basic building blocks of the institute process into place and are already seeing the fruits of such labor, Melody, Reed and Judy Hodges live in the mountain town of Raymond, California. Their cluster is called the Madera North cluster. Like many clusters at this stage. There are several long standing Baha'i communities in the area with small and isolated Baha'i populations. Melody and Judy are best friends. Their paths first crossed in the 1960 s when Judy gave Melody her first job over the years, their friendship grew. Melody married Don who was a Baha'i, after exploring the Baha'i teachings for herself, she too became a Baha'i, Judy would soon do the same. The two were content with their intimate Baha'i community life. They thought somewhere in the back of their minds that it would be great if more people knew baha teachings on unity, but neither thought of herself as a teacher of the Baha'i faith. We always before let other people teach the faith for us. If we had a fire side we would have done to it. Don was our fireside person and we would say, oh, let's have a fireside at the library. Ok, Don will do it. Don was also the community's delegate to the Baha'i National Convention in Chicago each year. Don would have the chance to connect with Baha'i from across the country and to bring home news of Baha'i activities. So he had gone, oh, I think it was in 2001 as delegate. And he said he came back and he said we need 50 tutors. So I said 50 tutors or what I had no idea what he was even talking about. He says, Ruhi, I said, what's Ruy? He said we need 50 tutors. I said, ok, Melody and Judy started to look into what it meant to be a Ruhi tutor. They found out that weekend training sessions were being held in Fresno an hour south of their hometown. So Judy and I, my girlfriend and I said, ok, let's go. And we went so that we didn't have to listen to Don anymore to tell you the truth. We used to talk each other into it because we were both Hermans. We both loved being in the mountains and did not like the city. I went to book one and it was grudgingly. I did, I have to admit, but I said, you know, I've got to do something. I'm not doing anything. So I went to book one and somewhere in book two things started clicking for me as melody went through the training. Her fears about sharing the Baha'i teachings with others began to subside. In fact, her definition of what it means to teach the Baha'i faith was reshaped entirely and she began to see herself as someone who could take on that role. We don't have to be that eloquent speaker. We don't have to be that Baha'i that knows everything. We don't have to be those people. We can have our heart connected to the world and learn these skills that give us confidence by the end of the training, Melody wanted to become a tutor of these courses so that she could bring others through the same transformative experience. Melody understood that as a tutor, she would help her friends start a devotional gathering or a children's class or help them have that first conversation with someone interested in the Baha'i faith in a step by step process. She would be assisting the Baha'i back home to see themselves as successful and confident teachers of the Baha'i faith when we start putting that learning that we're having into action, that love just gets greater and stronger. And we have a, a way of expressing it that we didn't have before because we let someone else do it for us. After the last weekend session, she was ready to call a few friends in Raymond and start a study circle. I was very excited when I got to the second weekend of book seven, I came home called everyone in my community. They all said yes. So then I felt North Fork used to be a part of this community until we both had enough people to have an assembly. So I called North Fork and said, asked them if they would like to and they said, yes. Well, I had three different study circles here because we're so spread out over a long distance. And then North Fork is at least an hour up the road. So I called Judy and Judy had told me I'm not going to tutor. You said I'm not tutoring. That sounds because we know her memory is not as good as mine. So I didn't even ask you. I just told you that I had three study circles in our community and I just didn't say anything else. And she said, oh, ok, I'll do it. Familiar. I think that, I think that Judy is, um, a wonderful tutor. And at first she said she wasn't going to tutor, which I might add. Many people say they take book seven. They say I'm only doing this because I'm following the plan. But I have no intention of tutoring people who say they are not going to tutor are almost always the ones that will get right out there at some point. You hit this point and the understanding of walking that path of service with others and going out in the field and doing this with them becomes so incredible in your mind and in your heart that all of a sudden you don't know who you were. You were someone else before. Now, you can go tutor your heart changes in the process when that connection becomes so strong and you have to put it into action. You really do. Now that Melody and Judy have passed on their learning. There are nine other Baha'i in the cluster who can tutor the Ruhi courses. The result however, is far more important than numbers today in Central California. There are more Baha'i who are becoming confident teachers of the Baha'i faith than ever before. There is definitely a difference here in community life, especially in our community. That seems to be what everyone's doing now during the week. So there's always a rookie book at somebody's house and we're seeing old baha we haven't seen in a very long time coming out and joining the process. So it's very unifying melody. And Judy were tutors for mother daughter duo Gail and Rachel. During their training gale and Rachel were inspired to start a children's class. They began with Baha'i Children who they already babysit. The reason we started children's classes in o'neill's was because these Children um I took care of when they were babies. And so it was really important for me that they learn about the Baha'i faith as much as possible. And I just love them so much. And so um we just started children's classes there. I wanted them to have positive experiences with that because I have the most wonderful memories from going to children's classes and doing art projects based on the Baha'i faith and principles. The children's class curriculum comes from the Ruhi training. It's focused on stories of Abdul baha and virtues that can be learned from the way he lived his life. The Baha'i Children in the class have invited their cousins to join in as well. There's two Children that aren't Baha'i, and sometimes they think they're behind and sometimes they say they're not. So they're still exploring that. And I think that's so wonderful at their young age because they're all, they're all under 12 and they're exploring their, their religious identities. So I think that's so wonderful and they love coming and doing it with their cousins. It's become kind of a family thing for them to do. So. And also we both wanted to start out somewhere where we were comfortable and we knew the Children. But now we're kind of evolving into thinking about the broader context in our neighborhood because there are a lot of Children around here. And even though we don't know them, we've seen other examples across the country of people going out and inviting Children from their neighborhoods to children's classes. And they've had such a wonderful response. So I think we're ready to take that next step and have confidence in our abilities in teaching and, and look for Children in our own area. And we're ready to take the next step for that like Rachel and Gail other Baha'i in central California are taking active steps to build their confidence in teaching. Gary Colliver is holding a neighborhood children's class in the mountain town of El Portal, Melody and Judy have taken their service one step further by inviting their neighbors over for a weekly devotional gathering. Baha'i from across the cluster come together four times a year for a cluster meeting. They share stories of success and of struggle. They also give each other advice and support. It's here that everyone is inspired to make those small goals and to plan out their next steps. This community and the mountain people really love the faith, love his revelation. So they they are really getting in tune to and aligned with the plan. A spark has been lit. Go to newsreel dot Baha'i dot us for a new web experience. Every community. The newsreel team visits has an abundance of stories. Now you can see more of them at newsreel dot Baha'i dot us Holland Michigan stands as a charming oasis in the Midwest industrial region. Tourists come from all over to rest and relax on the shores of Lake Michigan or to stroll through the quaint downtown. The town is also well known for its conservative traditional culture. David and Kim Douglas are a Baha'i couple who have been married for 17 years. They're raising their two daughters in Holland. Both Kim and David have long enjoyed giving talks on Baha'i topics and sharing the Baha'i teachings with friends who are interested in learning more. However, shortly after moving to Holland, they discovered this might be difficult to do in their new town. It's very hard to stand out as a Baha'i in Holland, Michigan. And I'll tell you a story that illustrates this point. When I first moved to Michigan, I called Holland, the Holland community and talked to a believer up here and I volunteered to come to do a fire site. And her response was, oh, we don't do fire sites in Holland, Michigan. And I was just stunned and, um, talked to my husband later. He said, can you believe it? Why went to Baha'i community and do a fire sites? Well, I learned when I came up here, um, there really is direct opposition to the faith. We've had rumors spread about us. For Kim, the rumors and opposition she's faced were enough to make her shy about telling others. She's a Baha'i, for David, when it comes to teaching, there's a test bigger than the cultural norms around him. We all have a tendency to think that the challenges are outside of ourselves. We all have a tendency to think that, oh, well, we're in a conservative religious environment. So the problem is the fact that we're in this conservative religious environment or we might think. Well, well, I don't, I, I don't have the, well, I don't have the means or we don't have any great speakers or we don't have any great teachers. The challenges are all internal um And part of those uh part of the internal challenge is um understanding what's required of us by the Universal House of Justice. As Baha'i, at this particular t uh point in history fellow local Baha'i, Bob Hamilton agrees with David for him, internal feelings have been a barrier to sharing the Baha'i teachings with others. So I'm thinking, OK, I can just go home, live in my house, practice my faith. I don't have to go out and teach for me in many ways. It's a lack of courage, I guess. Baha in neighboring communities were beginning to see just how far a little courage could go. Grand Rapids is a city just 30 minutes from Holland. The two communities are part of the same cluster in 5 2003. Baha'i in Grand Rapids went through the training institute process and became tutors. Gloria Holmes was one of them. She saw immediate results. Gloria's confidence in her own abilities grew and so did her confidence that other people would be interested in the Baha'i teachings. Gloria answers the Baha'i phone line for her community. After Ruhi training, Gloria began offering study circles for those who would call. I think it helped because it was a way for them to go directly to the baha writings and hear directly what it had to say. Tony Ressler was one of three people to become Baha'i. After calling Gloria, she was in high school when she first heard about the Baha'i faith. So I was taking a world religions class and the little Italian nun decided to assign religions to people to research. And um she went down the line and I got assigned Baha'i and I had no idea what it was after high school. Tony joined the army. When Tony returned home. Five years later, the Baha'i teachings were still on her mind. So she decided to call the Baha'i of Grand Rapids Gloria mentioned to me that if I was um still interested in learning more about the Baha'i faith to uh get a hold of her and we'd start studying and um we started a study circle, the movie books really also give you an opportunity to ask questions or um kind of explore the meaning of some of the teachings and writings and then you have someone there to bounce your ideas off of. So that's what Gloria does for me. After a year of study, Tony decided to become a Baha'i, she says she enjoys the warm family atmosphere of her new community. In 2006, the institute process began to spread throughout the cluster and three more people became trained as tutors. One of them was Deb pless. Deb lives in the small town of Spring Lake Michigan. The weekly study circle held in her home is a bright spot. Even on Chilly Michigan evenings, friendships are so tight, an onlooker would think they were watching a gathering of brothers and sisters. And indeed the Baha'i here have had decades to develop these intimate bonds. These days. Other local residents are starting to take notice and asking to be a part of these gatherings. Salahuddin Elamin Mustafa has been coming to the Baha'i study circle in Spring Lake for years. He's Muslim for Salahuddin. The study circle offers an opportunity to explore spiritual topics with like minded people. I love to call him a true seeker. You know, it's amazing because he is a defender of the faith and he teaches the faith everywhere he goes, he really has a deep and abiding love of uh of baha. And it's just beautiful to see. I said, well, I'm gonna go out there and check it out because I'm interested their point of view because they remind me of Islam. And then I came in the first time and I've been coming here because you, it made sense to me tomorrow in my heart. Stella burns also attends the study circle. She first heard about the Baha'i Faith in the 19 seventies. 30 years later, she read about the study circle in her local newspaper. I had read the uh Grand Haven Tribune paper and there was a little clipping in there that Deb put in and said to call this number and said, I think Baha'i, something, I don't know what she wrote in there and I cut it out and I put it in my jewelry box for the first time I came here. I just, it just felt ok. I just um I felt so good and so welcomed and it was just a natural thing for me to, to be a part of, of this family in the study circle. Stella was able to take all the time she needed in learning about the Baha'i faith she knew that once she became a Baha'i, she would want to play an active role in helping the Baha'i faith to grow. It did take a long time. I felt that with working so many hours that um maybe I couldn't take part in everything. I just wanted to be so involved in everything. It was so exciting and then it just came to me, I'm gonna give all that I can give. And each year, you know, I'll be able to give more. And, and when I made the decision, um I had this sense of peace that came over me of calmness that I'd never felt before, may be small in number and we may meet in a home, but they really are moved by the unity that baha message teaches. And I think that that has it, it has a magnetic power. Uh you know, uh uh cause it's a cause of Attraction institute training made its way to Holland. In late 2006, Bob Hamilton had attended trainings in other parts of Michigan and is now tutoring a study circle for other Baha'i in Holland. So you're on seven, the study circle has led to personal breakthroughs for Kim and David Douglas. So I spent months actually, years. It's embarrassing to admit, complaining, lamenting every month. I said to my husband, I want to move. Can't we go somewhere else? And the doors just didn't open for us to go somewhere else. I kind of went underground. I was almost afraid to say that I was a Baha'i, and um I decided no more. Um I became more open about being a Baha'i, I teach encounter with cultures. The first day I tell my students you have a chance to deal with diversity through me because I'm a Baha'i Kim's intention is not to convert her students. However, her openness has led some students to want to learn more. Grace Denny is a former student who now attends Holland's Baha'i studies circle. A wonderful surprise. Grace has been um Grace was one of my students last year. I needed some help with my Children to get them to activities. And so I hired her to help me out and she was asking the girls about the faith. Um She asked me about the faith. Uh started reading, got online, went to the website, told the girls one Tuesday that she thought she was a Baha'i, and she said this is everything I've believed. And um we invited her to a study circle and activities led to recognize one of the things that I was looking for um was just a spiritual community that I could connect with because I felt like I just, I didn't feel like I had anywhere else that I really belonged in thy holy presence. They are all thy servants and all mankind are sheltered beneath thy Tabernacle. Also just like seeing the Douglases family um and how mature their kids are and just how knowledgeable they are about, you know, different faiths and religions of the world. And um it just seems like if I, when I have kids someday, like I, this is, you know what I want for them too. For David Institute training has awakened a new level of creativity in his personal teaching efforts. A long standing proclamation effort has taken on new meaning for years. Baha'i have been invited to give an annual presentation at an interfaith center called Mother's Trust. I am not sure how the relationship started. I think there have been Baha'i who've been visiting this Mother's Trust for the last 20 years or so. But for the last four or five years, they've been inviting members of the Baha'i Faith to give um a, a one day talk or a Sunday morning talk about some aspect of the Baha'i faith for the last two or three years, Kim and I have been doing that talk. We're always actually uh very impressed with the, the, the, the spiritual atmosphere of the place and of the people who would attend. Well, this last time we were kicking around in our minds, what what we should do and we thought, well, why don't we give them a sample of Ruhi book, One Reflections On the Life and the Spirit and just see what happens. And so that's what we did. People really enjoyed that tremendously. The sample class was well received and led to a standing invitation for David to tutor a Baha'i study circle there the uh in the spring. Uh uh Kim and David are going to hold uh uh some classes just on Baha'i here uh in a, in a series where people come and, and learn uh about the Baha'i faith. It won't be just a presentation on a Sunday, but it'll be a series uh that I, I don't know the technical description of it, but it will be used to uh instruct people in the Prince certain principles of the Baha'i religion and it's universal spiritual principles and it's a method or a process that, that people can enjoy um regardless of what their religious affiliation is. So why not try it? Growth in this cluster is on the rise fueled by the institute process, more and more activities are in place. Individuals now have new confidence and are strengthened by the unified actions of their whole cluster. I'm proud of our sea cluster. I'm OK with where we're at and I know we're promised where we're going. It's inevitable. But I want to enjoy the journey. Step by step. Clusters are seeing growth, growth and confidence and skills among the highs and growth in the number of people wanting to become the highs at the heart of this growth is training and the strength it unleashes in each individual. Ultimately, success lies in the hands of every one of us emboldened by our belief in baha allah vision and pledging to play our part in this unfolding plan for individuals who are struggling to serve for this plan. I would encourage taking some time to pray and meditate. Read over the plan. Put the question to your soul. What part can I play in the context of the five year plan? The one thing that I can do. One thing I can do is one thing I can do is start a devotionals, just invite someone over to say prayers. That's a simple start starting studies. One thing I can do is finish the sequence of of rookie books. One thing I can do is start children's classes in my neighborhood. And I think to feel good about ourselves, continually praise each other. Um See the good, not dwell on the half empty cup, but glorify in that half full cup and that brings that spirit. I think it brings attractions. One thing I can do is really continue to, to establish a support network here within our small and beloved community. Please. Few are those in number who in the peak of their days have been able to make a lasting contribution to this world. On September 26 2007, the Baha'i world gathered to pay its undying gratitude to one of its cherished heroes. With the passing of Doctor Ali Mohammed. History observed the closing of a gate forever sealed to a matchless institution in religious history. When I was born in Iran. My father was in the company of the beloved mass in United States. The news reached him that in Tehran, a son was born to his wife. He knew that his child was born, but he has not stopped to see me. He asked my uncle to send a picture of me to him. I was six months old when my ankle took me in his lap and took a picture and send it to my father. And one of the people accompanying Abdul baha took that picture to Abdul Bahar and Abdul baha wrote on the top over the head of the picture Ali Mohammad, which was the name of the grandfather of Doctor Bar. And on the two hands, he wrote confirmed hand or successful hand. Nobody knew about it until he was appointed hand of the cause. And his mother found that photograph that Abdul baha in 1912 had written this. It's a stunning family unbelievable both from his mother's side and his father's side. The lineage goes back to the first or second year of the declaration of the Bob. To me, it seems that the wonder of those early believers like me and uh and Ruh and these figures in his own family really were reflected in him. And he, he was a part of that heritage. I mean, the whole Baha'i community around the world benefited from that spiritual heritage. After completing his education at the University of Tehran. Dr became a teacher of secondary school in the field of history and geography. He was very much liked by the students that uh he was again kind and gentle with them, which was not typical of Iranian teachers. In those days, they were usually a rather severe lot. When he returned from France with a doctoral degree from Sorbonne University. The person who was the president of the University in Tabriz transferred to Tehran and insisted that doctor established the Department of Geography. So he became the founder and the head of the Faculty of Geography. In 1935 Doctor Varga married Roane Modi and raised three Children because the couple chose a Baha'i wedding ceremony which was not recognized as legal in Iran. Doctor Varga was arrested and imprisoned for a period of time. The marriage of Ali Mohammed and Rohan Varga was one of deep devotion and mutual support. In 1938 Dr Vargas, Father Valeo La Varga was appointed by ya Fendi, the head of the Baha'i World as the trustee of Ho and in 1951 was elevated to the rank of hand of the cause of God. So in the family, there were three hands of the cause in succession, grandfather, father and son. And this is the only case of three generations of hands of the cause. And of course, there never will be another such event since there are no more hands of the cause then and the came to National Assembly address to secretary and was Secretary of National Assembly informed doctor he is and the hand of the court immediately I went to their house when he started reading the message of the Guardian. And he read the first part that he was appointed as the trustee of allah. You are appointed trustee of the moment. I said that he stood up and said, no, no, no, I went out, went out from the room. He was so overwhelmed and started crying and could not stay in the room. Then I read the rest of cable to others and, and off the court, but he didn't know that he didn't hear that. Just trust him. T and uh so they went and invited him back to the room and congratulate him that also his hand of the car. Then he came to the room. Everybody greeted him hand of the, he said, no, no, no, no, I am just I said, come and sit next to me. You should read the cable of the guardian. He said, and, and of the of this is his cable accept. Uh, you don't know what happened to him. He began to run, don't you be the garden? My wife had to come and take the telephone from me because I was just sobbing. I believe it's a lie. Enemies of the phase are spreading the news that the guard has passed away. We were, I must confess in a terrible shape. We knew that show the family had no Children. The Baha'i community, they were so accustomed to having the Guardian around and his guidance that they could not think of how things will be without him. After the passing of the Guardian, uh baha called on the hands to come together to Haifa. And their first job was to find out if there was a villain Testament. They appointed nine members amongst them to check the office of the guardian. And Doctor Varra was one of the nine. The hands went into ya and study to his office and I I they deliver the keys of the safe and everything and ask that you are free to go everywhere and investigate if you can't find a Villa Testament. And I remember maybe two or three hours very about that. On the other hand, were waiting in, they broke the seals, they opened the safety box, we look everywhere everywhere. We didn't find anything. Ya was the head of the faith. He was the infallible interpreter of my holy writings. There was no house of Justice yet and there was no guardian. And this was a very, very dangerous moment for the Baha'i community. Now, this was the job of the hands of the cause to steer the Baha'i world at this moment in this situation, which happened so suddenly and so unexpectedly, I think the thing that has come across to me from that period was their trust in the covenant and their absolute knowledge that the covenant would see the faith through this period. In 1963. At the 1\/100 anniversary of baha Allah's declaration, the election of the first Universal House of Justice took place in the House of Abdul baha in Haifa Israel. At the moment of the election, the hands did something which was unique. The men and women who had control of an international religious community asked the electors not to vote for them, which means what turning over the authority to this body to be elected of which they would not be members, which they would serve, which would have authority over them. And I do remember um a saying that uh he felt that when the uh tellers came out to make the announcement of the members of the first Universal House of Justice, he said there was a palpable sigh of relief from the hands of the cross of God. They had carried the faith to this moment. And this was the moment then when that responsibility for them had been fulfilled. And the new institution, the Universal House of Justice came into being Dr Vargas service as hand of the cause included traveling extensively as a representative of Shogi Adi and later for the Universal House of Justice as an emissary for ya Fendi. Doctor Varga guided countless communities in the establishment of newly formed Baha'i administrative institutions used to go visiting Baha'i communities and um encouraging them as the hand of the cause visited Baha'i community in Sicily and the election of the first National Spiritual Assembly. The bond was established between the that community and beloved hand of the cause was a love relationship. This is the gift he brought with him when he walked into a room. I mean he just emanated love. It touched you lightly and it touched everyone who came into his presence because doctor himself was very interested in collecting documents on how Baha'i face started in various parts of the world, various localities, Universal House of Justice appointed him in charge of that project. I mean, he reached to the far corners of the of the world. I mean, he obviously researched everything and knew where everybody was and knew where there was the slightest little movement. So he was communicating with the boys around the world in different languages and collecting reports and photographs. I was living in Limerick in the west of Ireland at that time. And I received one of those letters actually. And I remember being absolutely stunned, you know, I mean, why would would he write and ask me, you know what my experiences had been? I guess maybe nine or 10 years old, I knew that haj collect the money, the contribution to over allah and send it to Abdul baha. Therefore, I looked in my saving box and I found three pennies and I went to A I I offered these three pennies to him. Akka is a Sacred Law of God established by baha allah in the Aqdas. During his tenure as trustee for the Akka, Doctor Varga took the law of the allah to an emerging global Baha'i world. The law of Ula is not a purely a financial matter. More important aspect of Ula is what it does is spiritually to the person. Baha has made this institution essentially as a major instrument for creation of greater social and economic justice in the world. That's what it really is. During the lifetime of his father, the law of Akka only applied to the Baha'i of the East ya Fendi understood that it would take time for the spiritual education of the friends in other regions before it would be appropriate to enact this law worldwide. This was a major undertaking imagining that this should be done to the Baha'i all around the world, so many different languages, New Baha'i, some of them illiterate. He had such a vision of that law and he really did everything he could to convey that vision, his efforts to convey the spiritual essence of the law included talks and visits to countless communities worldwide, educational activities, conferences, newsletters as well as extending the number of trustees for this institution. And in 1992 finally, the law of the law became applicable everywhere. He was a professor of University of Tehran. He was the head of the department and professor at the National University of Teacher Education. This was his professional life. At the same time, he was appointed by the guardian as hand of the cause and trustee of. Then you can imagine one person having all these responsibilities and jobs to handle. It shows how he quietly, calmly in a very dignified manner, shoulder all these various responsibilities in a family like that where the relationships between generations and within generations were close and where there was a real friendship. You can imagine how painful it must have been, especially because so many demands were made on Ali Mohammad Khan. But you know, um it is people who can, who are given these tests. I think he had a nobility which came from that amazing family background that he had and he carried it with such humility and so beautifully. If you spend any time in his presence, you know that here was somebody that this was an important person, a person on whom you could rely, whose advice you wanted to hear. We bid farewell to the last of that noble company, the chief steward of baha Allah's embryonic world commonwealth into which he is now gathered in realms of deathless delight and joy.