High Endeavours: Messages to Alaska Part 15

(56) July 30, 1946

Dear Baha'i Sister:

Your letter dated July 17th has been received, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.

He was very pleased to hear the Alaskan believers are so active, and that you have witnessed with your own eyes such a wonderful development of the Faith there these last few years, since you went there as a pioneer.

He was also delighted to hear Mr. Oliver is anxious to translate some of the Writings into Eskimo; please a.s.sure him this would be rendering both the Eskimos and the Cause a great service. If anything is printed in that language the Guardian would like to receive copies for the libraries here.

He hopes through the "Arctic Trails Shopping Service" you will be able to demonstrate the fairness, uprightness, and n.o.bility of the adherents of the Baha'i Faith to the people it deals with, as this will more than anything else attract their attention to the Faith.

As to your own plans: if you are absolutely certain that your departure from Alaska will not in any way affect the stability of the Cause there, he approves of your suggestion that you go to Europe and a.s.sist the work there. If, on your way, you could visit and do some teaching in England it would help the British Baha'is very much, as they are embarking on a very heavy teaching schedule. He will pray that your family there may become attracted to the Faith.

a.s.suring you of his deep appreciation of your wonderful services and his loving prayers.

Yours in the Faith, R. Rabbani

P.S.-If Mr. Oliver would begin by translating even a small pamphlet into Eskimo at once this would be a much appreciated service. Please send him some printed copies as soon as available. Please a.s.sure this dear friend that his service is highly meritorious.

[From the Guardian:]

a.s.suring you of my deepfelt and abiding grat.i.tude for the splendid and historic services you have rendered our beloved Faith and of my constant prayers for the extension of your valued activities, and the realization of every hope you cherish for the advancement of its inst.i.tutions,

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

(57) March 15, 1947

(57) March 15, 1947

Dear Baha'i Sister:

Your letter of January 9th has been received and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.

He very much appreciated your desire to once again answer the call for pioneers and go to Europe, and in principle he approves of your doing so.

However, Miss Kempton(13) has already left Alaska, and you say Miss Dole(14) is contemplating doing so, and he is very concerned lest the work in Alaska suffer and the number of resident believers in Anchorage fall to below a.s.sembly status. Alaska is one of the prizes of the first Seven Year Plan, and must be guarded at all costs. If you find in the future, after consultation with the National Teaching Committee, that you can be safely spared from the work there, he approves of your going to Europe.

He cannot suggest to you what form of employment would be best for you, but he will pray that you may be guided in this matter, and that your Baha'i services be richly blessed.

With loving greetings, R. Rabbani

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-worker:

I deeply appreciate the spirit that so powerfully animates you in the service of our beloved Faith. You are a great a.s.set to the Cause you serve so devotedly. I will pray for the extension and consolidation of your service from the depths of my heart. Persevere in your historic task, rest a.s.sured, and be happy.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

(58) May 16, 1947

(58) May 16, 1947

Dear Baha'i Sister:

Your letter, dated May 7th, has been received by our beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.

He was very pleased to see with what determination and dedication you are serving the Cause in Alaska. Now that two pioneers have gone forth from there, your labour is all the more important, and he certainly hopes that, through the medium of the Arctic Trails Shopping Service, the public meetings being held weekly, and the devoted labours of all the dear friends there, the Faith will rapidly reach and enlighten many new souls.

There is such a confusion in the world today, so much uncertainty, so much materialism, that it is very hard to hold the attention of even the more spiritually minded people. But we must persevere and do our best knowing this is our duty and that conditions will eventually change completely and follow Baha'u'llah's Pattern.

Please give his love to the Anchorage friends. You may be sure he will pray for you all, and for the success of your work, in the Holy Shrines.

With warm Baha'i love, R. Rabbani

[From the Guardian:]

a.s.suring you of my special and fervent prayers for your success, for the steady extension of your valued activities, for the consolidation of the historic work already achieved, and the realization of every hope you cherish for the promotion of our beloved Faith,

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

(59) November 14, 1947

(59) November 14, 1947

Dear Baha'i Sister:

Your letter to our beloved Guardian dated October 31st has been received, and, in spite of the fact that he is terribly busy, he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf because he would not like in any way to ever hurt the feelings of one of the friends. However, he suggests in the future you refer such questions to the N.S.A. and ask them to put you in touch with a Baha'i teacher who can correspond with you. He himself cannot do this kind of work, because he is so overworked with the more urgent administrative affairs of the Faith.

To answer you briefly what the original state of the universe was no one as yet knows. But we believe G.o.d is a spiritual Being and did create it; how we do not know. We will have experience of G.o.d's spirit through His Prophets in the next world, but G.o.d is too great for us to know without this Intermediary. The Prophets know G.o.d, but how is more than our human minds can grasp. We believe we attain in the next world to seeing the Prophets. There is certainly a future life. Heaven and h.e.l.l are conditions within our own beings.

He urges you to study carefully the Baha'i books, and he will pray for your advancement and the success of your Baha'i activities.

With loving greetings, R. Rabbani

[From the Guardian:]

May the Beloved bless your efforts, guide and sustain you in your meritorious activities, in such a distant field, and enable you to win great and memorable victories in the teaching field.