Phoenix Area, AZ Day 1

We arrived in Phoenix on the night of June 2nd with a flimsy outline of a plan. We met our hosts, and went to bed. The next day we got in touch with our contacts… and learned that it appeared that being of service here was going to be a bit harder than we thought. Our original plan of musical devotionals and concerts quickly fell apart. We straightaway began creating more firesides and workshops, since direct service was eluding us for the day, and began consulting about our options. We sat around for hours that day… I was worried. How were we going to find out what was needed? How were we going to connect to the youth and help them walk the Straight Path? I was NOT feeling good. I sent a facebook message to a local ABM… and the phone rang! It was one of his assistants, and there was going to be a devotional in a receptive area that night, and the organizers wanted us there. Finally! We jumped in the car and made our way to a predominantly Spanish-speaking area in Mesa, AZ where recently there were 60 declarations! We met six local believers in a park, swarming with happy kids. One of the local Baha’is, a young women relatively new to the area, holds a jr. youth group in this park every Saturday morning. Some of her kids were around and wanted to join us for prayers… but the leader of the group of youth changed her mind (and subsequently the minds of the other jr. youth) the minute her new boyfriend showed up. Arms wrapped around each other’s waists, they walked out of the park.
“You can’t judge them. You just gotta be there for them,” said the group animator.
With our plans for prayers with the jr. youth out the window, we headed over to a new believer’s home for an unannounced home visit. Guadalupe, who had declared during Mesa’s first expansion phase, warmly welcomed the six of us into her home. There was already a home visit going on! Two local friends were going over some of the units from Ruhi Book 2. We were introduced to Guadalupe’s husband, who had declared during Mesa’s 2nd expansion phase, and their son. We asked if we would be interrupting if we said a few prayers with the family.
“Of course not!” was the response. We went around the group, each offering a prayer. I sang the only song in Spanish I knew, attempting to keep Bahá’u’lláh in the front of my mind the whole time. While in the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh during my first Pilgrimage this past March, inspired by stories of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s constant efforts to bring joy into The Blessed Beauty’s life, I asked Baha’u’llah what I could do that would bring joy to His heart. The answer was instantaneous.
“I love it when you sing.” From that point on, the consciousness that I am singing for Bahá’u’lláh has served me well. If I’m not singing for Baha’u’llah, I’m performing, and it’s not about the Message, it’s about how well I’m singing, and that is NOT what I want, and I’m pretty sure it’s not what Bahá’u’lláh wants either. There is magic in music when it’s pure, and hearts register it immediately.
Our devotional home visit was so satisfying – for everyone involved. The language barrier between Guadalupe’s family and visitors was no real barrier. It was clear that there was love and opening of hearts in the room. Through the interpreter, we thanked the family for the honor of offering prayers in their home and left them to continue on in their deepening work.

Comments

[nassim]

hello love! Im so happy for you. I keep thinking about that night at the HOW and how amazing your voices were together! I wanted you to know, we are still thinking about it, and I hope that richard can meet you. Your doing great! Keep it up!
much love,
nassim and richard
ps we miss your engergy!

[Andrew]

Beautiful, beautiful.