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FHOHEUDWLRQVL[PRQWKVLQDGYDQFH,FDQXQGHUVWDQGWKDWWKLVLVDVSHFLDO RFFDVLRQ³ &RQJR5HSXEOLF ,QWKH3RLQWH1RLUHFOXVWHUDUHIOHFWLRQPHHWLQJZDVRUJDQL]HGWRFRQVXOWRQWKH ELFHQWHQDU\FHOHEUDWLRQRIWKH%LUWKRI%DKiµXµOOiK7KHIULHQGVGUHZXSDFDOHQGDUZLWK PHHWLQJVHDFKPRQWKOHDGLQJXSWRWKH7ZLQ+RO\'D\VLQ2FWREHUZLWKWKHDLPWR PRELOL]HDVODUJHDJURXSRISHRSOHDVSRVVLEOHWRDWWHQGWKHHYHQWV'XULQJWKLVLQLWLDOPHHWLQJ DQLQLWLDWLYHFDOOHG²$*LIWIRU%DKiµXµOOiK³ZDVODXQFKHG$FRPPXQLW\PHPEHUH[SODLQHG 7KHDLPRIWKHLQLWLDWLYHLVWRUDLVHWKHDZDUHQHVVRIDQGPRELOL]HHDFK%DKiµtLQ FDUU\LQJRXWDFWLYLWLHVLQWKHLUQHLJKERXUKRRGWRLQWURGXFHWKH3HUVRQRI%DKiµXµOOiK Reflections on Growth—Number 38, June 2017 Page 3 to parents, neighbours, friends, and acquaintances. We designed a brochure that presents a short story on the life of the Blessed Beauty and describes the various community-building activities. In the brochure, a practical approach is suggested for the friends to get involved in various social spaces in a neighbourhood and to mention the Name of Bahá’u’lláh. We realized that mentioning the Name of Bahá’u’lláh is sparking excitement and interest, which is something we had not expected. Another gift to Bahá’u’lláh came from the youth choir of the Bahá’ís of Pointe-Noire, which prepared a musical album called “The Bicentenary”. The songs mention the Person of Bahá’u’lláh and describe His mission. The members of the choir see the album as “a tool to mobilize our peers and the entire community to offer a gift to Bahá’u’lláh”. Democratic Republic of Congo The friends across three neighbourhoods in Kinshasa have made every effort to multiply the number of activities and seize every opportunity to raise awareness of the coming Twin Holy Days, as illustrated below. In our neighbourhood of Buadi, we made a list of friends currently engaged in the core activities. We found it helpful to think in terms of cycles, and we set a goal to triple the number of core activities within one cycle and then to build on that for the next cycle, leading up to the first of the Twin Anniversaries. After making these plans, we visited home after home and spoke with the parents of the children and junior youth participating in the community’s educational activities, involving friends of the Faith who take part in devotional meetings and study circles. Over 350 friends from the three neighbourhoods participated in the Naw-Rúz celebration this year, of which 200 were from the wider community. This whole process has led to an overall increase in the number of activities. Mali The efforts of the believers in Mali to prepare for the two-hundred-year anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh were brought into sharp focus at its recent National Convention. The delegates reported on the plans of their respective communities, which are drawing on aspects of the local arts and culture to befittingly celebrate this significant Festival. Below are some recollections from the National Convention consultations. In the Tabakoro cluster, the youth are preparing dramatic presentations on various themes of the Faith and creating banners and special invitations for local authorities. In one planning meeting, all the significant popular folklores of the region were reviewed, and a decision was made to invite a few local folklore groups. A distinguished traditional female singer is composing songs in honour of Bahá’u’lláh for the celebration of the Twin Anniversaries in 2017. All her children participate in Bahá’í children’s classes, and the history of her family in relation to the Faith is remarkable. Over twenty years ago, her husband had a dream foretelling that he would encounter the Bahá’í Faith. In the dream, a stranger told him, while pointing in a certain direction, “Go there, God is calling you.” So he walked in that direction and soon found an old figure sitting on a large, pure-white pile of sand. He had a cigarette in his hand, and the elderly figure told him, “Throw away what is in your Reflections on Growth—Number 38, June 2017 Page 4 hand before approaching.” He turned away to drop his cigarette. As he turned back to identify this elderly figure, he could no longer see him—he had disappeared. Since then, he always wondered why this person in his dream had indicated to him this particular direction which, according to him, was neither to the East nor to the North. It was when he saw the Bahá’ís saying their obligatory prayers that he understood everything! They prayed in the same direction as was pointed to him in his dream two decades earlier. It was towards the Qiblih! In the Bougouni cluster, similar artistic preparations are under way with the involvement of local folklore groups and large celebrations in the public square. There is electricity in the air. The youth are planning something exceptional.
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