Highlight: (Monday, 19 November 2001)

(19 November 2001) We just recently commemorated the martrydom of the Bab in the concourse of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel. Over 100 pilgrims were present and a little over 800 staff members!! All nine House members were present and a great variety of them read from the Holy writing and scriptures. The program included chanted prayers in Arabic and Persian that were soo beautiful and uplifting they brought tears to my eyes. It must have been a combination of the chants plus the amazing sound and acoustics of the the ground floor of the Universal House of Justice that just gave me goose bumps from head to toe. The lighting and program was absolutely stunning. One more reason to really feel the bounty of being able to serve here and the privelage to partake in such events!! (02 November 2001) Last night I had an interesting dream again. I remember specifically exactly the intense feelings within the dream. I dreamt I was in Afghanistan walking up a dirt road with someone. It was really grey and dark around me. To the left there was some farmers and local Afghans and when they saw us coming and realized we looked American they immediately got angry at us but I remember that they went up to whoever I was with and wanted to kill him and I viewed this from a distant perpective and really felt their anger and frustration and I didn't really become involved in the conflict. Then I ended up in this small village on the outskirts of a forest and it was still really dark and grey and it looked as if it were going to rain. In this village there was a group of children that I remember thinking to myself how beautiful they were and they all started singing this song and were harmonizing with beautiful voices and I just sat there listening to them and it started to rain. And then I heard in another language someone calling everyone in the village to see something, so I got up and ran to see what everyone was curious to see and when I looked up in the sky just past the forrest thousands and thousands of missiles filled the sky and lite it up and flew over our heads. The feeling I had was of intense preocupation that one of the missiles may fall short and hit the village, I was so worried about this and I couldn't believe that I was actually seeing these missiles just fly out in the sky knowing that they were just going to hit a target and destroy whatever was in the way. I don't know why I had this dream.. I haven't been watching or hearing the news in the past couple of weeks and have actually been pretty detached from everything that is going on around me. (09 October 2001) There has been many highlights in the past few days but I decided just to share the Dinner we had just recently. The band was invited to a Canadian thanksgiving dinner with a two day notice!! We were invited to play a couple songs for entertainment!! Even though we didn't have any time to rehearse we managed to pack in a John Hicks country grass song!! It was a lot of fun we ended up changing the lyrics to include most of the Canadian Pronvinces. The dinner was really great. As usual on thanksgiving, very similar to the United states thanks giving by the way, there was tons of food and turkey and all kinds of stuff.. Also even though it was a Canadian thanksgiving night there were about 30 people and more than half were not Canadian born citizens!! But anyway it was a very amuzing evening. Mr. Javaheri a Member of the teaching center gave a short presentation of the past and present of Canada. He recently just got back from a trip where he talked about the five year plan. He will be giving another talk shortly for a bigger audience. (03 October 2001) Everyone really enjoyed themselves at the wedding and really enjoyed the performance of all of us. It was Elena, the bride's sister, Krisia, Gappy, Chibu (the drummer) and me. Even though I was really sick we had a blast and put off so much more energy than I thought we could have had!! It was fantastic.. Everyone was clapping and lauphing at Krisia's and JOhns funny wedding lyrics. We played a list of cover songs that are pretty popular and upbeat and put lyrics relating to the Bride and Grooms relationship. (21 September 2001) There are several highlights to the past few weeks. They showed a movie in the ITC auditorium called The Color of Paradise in Persian which was really good and moving about a blind child who at the end really can see. It really sparked my interest in learning Persian. It clicked in my head that I would love to do composing of "American style songs" into Persian.. it would be a great teaching tool and different. I will be starting intensive classes next week and am determined that by the time I leave the World Centre I am going to be at a conversational level. Mr. Dunbar's classes are just getting better and better. We are studying about the life and stages of the Soul and about the way we attain these stages in this life versus the next. It is very interesting, has me at the edge of my chair all the time and keep wanting him to say more but by that time the class has ended and have to wait another week. There is a great person here who I admire very much her name is Tauby. She is married in her 50's and is the funniest and sweetest person I have ever met. She is really taking care of me, like my mom... Mom ofcourse nothing compared.. but you know what I mean : ) anyway she is taking me along with her husband almost every weekend to Bahji in there car and is sooo wonderful.. every time I feel sad or depressed about something the one thing other than prayers and medition that keeps me happy is the thought of Tauby and how she makes everyone smile. She is like a kid still.. anyway.. (14 September 2001) I guess the biggest highlight at the moment is the tragedy of New York. Here are some Quotes By Shogi Effendi on America and New York (The City of the Covenant) Goes to show that this is just the begining of a new world order: "The continent of America," He (Abdul Baha) so significantly wrote, "is, in the eyes of the one true God, the land wherein the splendors of His light shall be revealed, where the mysteries of His Faith shall be unveiled, where the righteous will abide, and the free assemble." (Shoghi Effendi: The Advent of Divine Justice, Page: 6) "May this American Democracy be the first nation to establish the foundation of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim the unity of mankind. May it be the first to unfurl the Standard of the Most Great Peace." And again: "The American people are indeed worthy of being the first to build the Tabernacle of the Great Peace, and proclaim the oneness of mankind.... (Shoghi Effendi: The Advent of Divine Justice, Page: 85) Both the community of the American believers, who are aware of that Source, and the great mass of their countrymen, who have not as yet recognized the Hand that directs their destiny, are contributing, each in its own way, to the realization of the hopes, and the fulfillment of the promises, voiced in the above-quoted words of Abdu'l-Baha. (Shoghi Effendi: The Advent of Divine Justice, Page: 87) The distance that the American nation has traveled since its formal and categoric repudiation of the Wilsonian ideal, the changes that have unexpectedly overtaken it in recent years, the direction in which world events are moving, with their inevitable impact on the policies and the economy of that nation, are to every Baha'i observer, viewing the developments in the international situation, in the light of the prophecies of both Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha, most significant, and highly instructive and encouraging.The immediate future must, as a result of this steady, this gradual, and inevitable absorption in the manifold perplexities and problems afflicting humanity, be dark and oppressive for that nation. The world-shaking ordeal which Baha'u'llah, as quoted in the foregoing pages, has so graphically prophesied, may find it swept, to an unprecedented degree, into its vortex. Out of it it will probably emerge, unlike its reactions to the last world conflict, consciously determined to seize its opportunity, to bring the full weight of its influence to bear upon the gigantic problems that such an ordeal must leave in its wake, and to exorcise forever, in conjunction with its sister nations of both the East and the West, the greatest curse which, from time immemorial, has afflicted and degraded the human race. Then, and only then, will the American nation, molded and purified in the crucible of a common war, inured to its rigors, and disciplined by its lessons, be in a position to raise its voice in the councils of the nations, itself lay the cornerstone of a universal and enduring peace, proclaim the solidarity, the unity, and maturity of mankind, and assist in the establishment of the promised reign of righteousness on earth. Then, and only then, will the American nation, while the community of the American believers within its heart is consummating its divinely appointed mission, be able to fulfill the unspeakably glorious destiny ordained for it by the Almighty, and immortally enshrined in the writings of Abdu'l-Baha. Then, and only then, will the American nation accomplish "that which will adorn the pages of history," "become the envy of the world and be blest in both the East and the West." (SHOGHI December 25, 1938) (1 September 2001) I guess the highlight of this past week was last night at the arts cafe. There were maybe 10 differnet performing groups of artist, musicians, dancer and poets. The Pilgrim Reception center was packed with people, including Mr. Dunbar showed up for a music and art fested evening. I played a couple songs with Krisia Haynes the violin player, David Gappy a bass player, and John Hicks who is an amazing singer we did some harmony stuff and hidden words in spanish. What I most enjoyed from last night was the incredible diversity and talent here at the world centre. So many that I never new even existed. I would walk by them all the time in the hall way or wherever and had no clue they were such talented artists! It was a lot of fun, Krisia did some amazing MCing along with another guy they were hilarious, they got the crowd lauphing and clapping and just the whole spirit that evening was really beautiful. I realized there are a bunch of guitar players who are Dave Mathews fans ; 0 ) so we just might get together and have Dave Mathews jam session or maybe come out with something better and more creative with all this talent!! I am so impressed and happy to have found these people. (29 August 2001) I don't know what is happening but last night I had another dream that was interesting. I dreamt I was in Australia this time and was heading to do some major surfing, I was with my friend Javid, his brother and some of my family members. From what I remember clearly, I got into the water to catch some waves along with my friend Javid and it was difficult to get out to the wave breaking point, there were some really weird currents but I managed along with Javid to get. I then saw a wave come and got in position to catch it I felt the wave pick me up and right when I was going to go down the line I knew I wasn't going to make it cause I was right at the mouth cup of the wave and it was just way to high, I remember I was no longer me but my friend Javid and saw exactly what he saw and felt what he felt, I knew he was going to be overtaken by the wave and right at that moment I switched from being on the wave in his eyes to sitting on my board looking at him on the wave from in back. I then turned around and tried to catch a wave and wasn't successfull somehow I ended up going back in and walking around the beach. It started to get a little dark and looked like it was going to rain and I was getting concerned along with my family and his brother about Javid. We looked out in the distance and couldn't see him. Now I had remembered him catching that wave and knew he wasn't going to make it out of it but I didn't mention any of this to anyone for some reason, I don't know why. We all started to get really panicy about the situation and started to really look for him and to our suprise we noticed and found a dead body lying in the Ocean and pulled it out. But this wasn't my friend Javid it had been someone else but I knew if this guy didn't make it there must have been many more in the ocean. I couldn't accept the fact that Javid had died and I then woke up from my dream and was practically in tears. I went back to sleep and picked up right where I had left this time I saw a lightning flash way out in the distance in the ocean and I remember hearing it hit the water. I looked around me and many people had seen this lightning hit the water and Javid's brother told everyone to get out. Some time passed after this and I could see an enourmous tidle wave coming in the distance. I remember yelling to Javid's Brother to look at the wave and it got closer and closer, it was enourmous, but all this time I wasn't afraid of it at all, as a matter a fact I could see it coming and as everyone ran I just ducked dived the wave and went right through it. There seemed to be a lot of jumping around in this dream from seen to seen. I ended up in a restaurant nearby with everyone taking shelter from these tidle waves, and remember feeling some what protected by this place, another tidle wave came and hit the windows and splashed all over the place but never penetrated it or broke the glass. The dream then went on but I don't remember much more of it, just the above is what I remember clearly. I was so worried about my friend Javid this morning that I sent him an email to see if he is Ok. Anyway been having a lot of ocean dreams and lightning but not sure what they mean maybe it will all make sense when I leave or in the next life.. (20 August 2001) Last night I had a really profound dream. It was actually several dreams. The first I just remember took place in Costa Rica and all I remember was lots of friends and people at night, and being with everyone and having a great time and then I remember steping outside for a bit and it was pitch black and it was raining so hard, there was lightning all over the place and the water and porch of some house that I was at was completely flooded. I sat down with my feet in the water and just watched the rain and the lightening it was a wonderful dream. Then I dreamt I was on a beach and it wasn't very bright out. The sun was dim and it looked as if it were maybe just right after the sun went down, I could see the remaining of the sunset and glitter on the waves and remember sitting down on the shore with a chair and someone else I can't remember who.. But we were just talking and this lady that gave a talk recently here at the world centre came up to us and she hugged the guy that I was talking to as if he were going through something really hard. At that moment I had a bunch of papers with me, it looked like everything that I have written on this website. And both of them started praising my work and all the good stuff on the papers but I didn't feel I deserved such praise. At that moment I looked at a wave coming towards me and I thought, man that would be a great wave to surf, but then it got closer and closer and ended up braking right over me and the other two people with me and ended up flooding a restaurant that was near by.. I went to see what kind of damage the wave did and was curious and when I returned to my chair I realized that all my papers had been washed away by the ocean, all my work. I then started to walk down the beach with this lady and she asked how I felt and I responded fine, I didn't mind the loss of all my papers, but then I stopped and I told her, "Actually I don't feel that well" and started to go on about how life in the world centre was very different and had interesting challenges. Challenges that are usually overruled by sorrow, like would usually occur in the outside of the world centre. Or when you face challenges you tend to pray to God that you do the right thing more than you would to pray for and be thankful, while hear you try to do the right thing but you are thankful at the same time for everything that He has given you. After I spoke with her about this we walked to a car and drove off. I can't remember more of the dream but I do remember it lead to a previous dream I had before but I can't remember the details. (11 August 2001) I think the highlight of these past view days was last night. A famous Israeli pianist and a Japanese Violinist as a gift to the world centre donated a concert in the MPR of the Seat of the Universal house of Justice. It was so beautiful and uplifting. What better place to have uplifting music for the soul and where? yes right smack in the center of the Universe. The sound in the room was exceptional and it moved a lot of people into tears including myself. We were very thankful for the wonderful gift donated and had refreshments with the musicians after the concert and got to know them a bit and it was just very nice. A very inpiring evening. I am just about to head off to the movies with my new friend from Bermuda, Krisia, and shingo. Krisia is soooo funny, and is a great musician as well. She plays the violin and I had previously met her at the inaugural events in may. She is going to be serving here, actually out in Bahji in the gardens for 18 months. I am not sure what movie we are all going to watch but anyway. I will keep you and myself posted shortly once again. (1 August 2001) Well the only highlight in the past few days has been last night and tonight. Last night was the Pilgrim farewell at the shrine. The farewell starts at 8:30p.m. and pilgrims and staff walk into the shrine and some chants a prayer out loud and then there is a social gathering afterwards in the courtyard of the pilgrim house, it is very nice you get to meet a lot of people and hear some of there experiences in the most holy places through out there stay. I had Choir practice before that we are getting ready for a presentation shortly, so are working hard and learning new songs. Tonight I have a ruhi class. Everyone at the world Centre is trying to finish all the ruhi books because shortly Dr. Arbab will be presenting Book 7 to the world and we want to be prepared for it. After ruhi class there is another prayer gathering at the shrine but by the Bahai youth staff members. This happens only a few times a year and a selected amount of prayers readers get to read out loud inside the shrine of the Bab and Abdulbaha, which is nice. (27 July 2001) The Highlight of my day today, was a wonderful speach by one of the staff member's sister, Ms. Layli Miller. She is so young and has gone through so much in her life since she was 17 years old, and dedicates her life as a lawyer and has initiated a non-profet organizing for womens rights around the world. The stories she had to say about some of the conditions of women in the world are unbelievable. I was so overwhelmed with what she had to say and what she is facing and the obstacles in her way some of which she has overcome are just out of this world and definetely can be seen only through dinvine intervention. Such an amazing and inspiring talk. I didn't mention the hightlight of my day yesterday because I wasn't here, but it was the declaration of the Bab and we had a devotional at 4 in the afternoon after I returned from dropping Martina off at the airpot. It was a very wonderful devotion, there were many people inlcuding the pilgrims and there was a nice breeze blowing in, and in one of the chanted poems by Abdul Baha I poured into tears from the loving and beautiful voice that chanted it, and was very inspired through the remaining of the day. (25 July 2001) Tonight I have a Ruhi class which if all goes well we will finish by this class. Ruhi Book 1 and then I will move on to Book 2. Last night I had Choir practice. It is really an uplifting experience to take part in this, it is kind of a challenge for me since I have always wanted to sing, so I am learning a lot by standing up to this challenge. I have been already to two choir rehearsals and they are stuning, each one has given me a new insight into singing and rehearsing. We are about 60 poeple of all ranges, sopranos, altos, tenors, and baritones, it is such a great feeling when we all come together and you actually take part in it, its like everyone is connected, united, and one and there are no limits or barriers, just freedom, like flying but the whole choir makes up for one bird, I am just a feather, but can feel the activity of the rest of the body and spirit. (23 July 2001) I was going to be giving Salsa classes tonight but it didn't work out, I will be giving them next monday evening. Everyone here is dying to learn salsa, I am known as the salsa teacher.. yeah I know sounds pathetic I keep telling them about my friends back home but they don't care.