Unexpectedly, I received word that I and two other Baha'is are being sent to a small town near Piggs Peak for a two-week long intensive teaching campaign. Our roles will be guides to accompany and encourage Baha'is to carry out the four core activities (devotional gatherings, children's classes, junior youth groups, and study circles about spiritual themes) which are performed by Baha'is everywhere in a collective effort to help our communities socially and economically develop, as well as spiritually develop. We will also help them to teach receptive people about the Baha'i Faith directly. I think that many Baha'is are shy to share the teachings of our Faith because we are forbidden to proselytize, but they fail to realize that every day, every hour even, people become interested in the Baha'i Faith, and should be given the opportunity to learn about it. If we are so shy to share our Faith, it will never grow and we will not be able to achieve our goal - in sum, to unite the world. Our trip is only one of many such trips to help local Baha'is become empowered to help their communities and teach the Faith effectively. I leave Tuesday and will come back in two weeks. I'll be sure to post an entry about my exciting new experiences when I return.
This trip will certainly be eye-opening for me. We will be in a very rural area, in a house with no electricity or running water. Surprisingly, many Swazis live this way, although much of the country is quite developed. It humbles me when I think of how difficult it is for me to even give up a dishwasher, much more so electricity in general.
I feel like even in my short time here, I have already developed spiritually much more so than I did in the entire previous year. I pray and read the Sacred Writings more than ever before, mostly because I'm realizing how powerless I really am, and how much I need that communion with and assistance from God in order to survive spiritual tests, to follow the laws of Baha'u'llah, and to help the Cause of God. I'm realizing how incredibly blessed I am to be a Baha'i in this crucial time in human history, when spiritual depravity, unchecked prejudice, and gross materialism have threatened to destroy civilization (ex. the atomic bomb), and how I am even more blessed to be a part of this world-wide community that is working to break down the crumbling old-world ideas and build a new civilization in its place, in which unity and peace are inevitable. I was sad when I first arrived because I was lost, culturally and otherwise, and I felt that I couldn't do much to help change the world. Now I know that it is impossible for me to feel sad knowing that Baha'u'llah has come to build the Kingdom of God on Earth, and I am a part of that process! I feel on fire with the love of God and I'm ready to serve His people in whatever capacity I can. Opportunity has been practically breaking down my door and now I feel strong enough to answer it and jump into service.I hope that all of you, no matter where you are or what religion you follow, if any, can also feel this power that I do and know that that every act of service, no matter how small, if done with the utmost selflessness, does change the world for the better.
"The betterment of the world can be achieved through pure and goodly deeds, commendable and seemly conduct." -The Baha'i Writings
I still miss home, but I'm so excited about service that I don't feel sad about it anymore. Like I said, how can I feel sad when I'm changing the world?
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2 comments:
Maia,
Hello! I was very happy to stumble across your blog today, as I did a year of service in Swaziland about 5 years ago (2002-2003). And I was actually stationed in Pigg's Peak, teaching at the preschool there and in (somewhat) nearby Lomshiyo. Your post said you will be in the area around PP - if you meet either Glory Kunene (the teacher of the preschool when I was there) or Nazi Khabirpour (an old Persian pioneer), can you give them my love? (My name is Mark Scheffer, BTW). And actually, if you're at the national center, say hi to Simphiwe Mtetwa for me if she is still around (she would be in her late 20's now).
You're post brought back so many memories for me. My luggage was lost for a couple days when I first arrived too! And the Allens were the ones that took me to the airport when I left.
One thing I'll tell you: you can't imagine how much you will change over this year. I remember I was taken to a grocery store (the Spar in the mall) on my second or third day in the country and I was absolutely scared to death - I had never felt so foreign, white, and powerless in my life. And less than a year later I took busses by myself 13 hours from Swaziland, through Joburg, and up to Botswana for a couple of weeks of travel teaching on my own. Who'd have guessed?
Well have a great year, and try to get out and travel around a bit sometime (I highly recommend Cape Town, though almost anywhere is cool. I still regret not getting over to Mozambique.) It's certainly not always easy (I remember at one point making a calendar to count down the days I had left in Africa - when I had like seven months still left!), but you'll never forget it, and you'll mostly only remember the good things, and laugh about the hard things.
Well done, you!
mark
"I feel on fire with the love of God and I'm ready to serve His people in whatever capacity I can. Opportunity has been practically breaking down my door and now I feel strong enough to answer it and jump into service..."
-Maia
Hey Maia that's the spirit. I wish you the best and look forward to seeing the over 200 photos you've taken so far. And remember "Service to Humanity is Service to God."
Keep up the Good Work.
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