Sunday, November 20, 2011
Hello Corinne! Hi Coletrane! What's up Zack! Hey Zora!!! This is Dad writing to you from Haifa, Israel. You might be wondering, "Where is THAT?" It's right here:
Hello Corinne! Hi Coletrane! What's up Zack! Hey Zora!!! This is Dad writing to you from Haifa, Israel. You might be wondering, "Where is THAT?" It's right here:
I traveled here to visit the Baha'i Holy Land. Baha'u'llah lived in this area for many years. Baha'u'llah is the Founder of the Baha'i Faith. In English, his name means "Light of God" or "Glory of God." The body of Baha'u'llah is buried here. So is the body of his son, Abdul-Baha. That name means "Servant of the Glory of God." Another person buried here is the Báb, which means "The Gate." His name is pronounced like "Bob."
I am staying in a "guest house" that is clean, simple, and not very fancy. My room is a little smaller than Corinne's bedroom. Outside my door is a common living area. There are four other Baha'is staying on my floor. They are from Russia and Kyrgzstan. Here they are:
I am staying in a "guest house" that is clean, simple, and not very fancy. My room is a little smaller than Corinne's bedroom. Outside my door is a common living area. There are four other Baha'is staying on my floor. They are from Russia and Kyrgzstan. Here they are:
The lady in the black sweater speaks a tiny bit of English. The others speak ZERO English. I mean nothing! But they are very friendly. I was planning to wake up about 9 am this morning. At 6 am there was a knock on my door. It was the Russian man. He grinned, pointed at his wristwatch, and walked away. I got back in the bed. A few minutes later there was another knock. One of the women said, "Eat." It would have been rude to refuse, so I went into the common area. They had prepared a plate for me that contained a large mound of what looked like oatmeal. It might have been porridge. I tasted it and it was ... well, let's just say it would have been hard to eat it. I went to my room and retrieved some strawberry yogurt and granola. I mixed the yogurt and granola into the oatmeal/porridge, along with some very dark, black raisins that they had. It tasted way better that way. I cleaned my plate--you know how I get down at the table.
My schedule said we should be at the Pilgrim Reception Center by 12 noon. (A person who travels to visit a religious site is called a "pilgrim." That means my trip is also called a "pilgrimage.") But my Russian friends were very eager to get going. The lady pointed at her watch and made strong marching motions with her arms. So I left with them. It was 7:30 am. Our hotel is at the bottom of Mount Carmel. The Baha'i World Center is at the top of the mountain. Halfway up is the Shrine of the Báb:
My schedule said we should be at the Pilgrim Reception Center by 12 noon. (A person who travels to visit a religious site is called a "pilgrim." That means my trip is also called a "pilgrimage.") But my Russian friends were very eager to get going. The lady pointed at her watch and made strong marching motions with her arms. So I left with them. It was 7:30 am. Our hotel is at the bottom of Mount Carmel. The Baha'i World Center is at the top of the mountain. Halfway up is the Shrine of the Báb:
A "shrine" is a place where people go to pray or worship. Sometimes a shrine can have special holy objects in it. This picture was taken from my hotel balcony. It does not do justice to the beauty and majesty of the Shrine of the Báb. First of all, it is huge! It's about 4 times taller than our house. It is constructed of white stone. The roof is golden. It sits in the middle of a large, carefully tended and immaculate (that means "incredibly clean") garden. I did go inside the Shrine of the Báb today, but they asked us not to take pictures during our first visit. We can go back later and photograph it, but only from the outside. So I will send more pictures later.
Anyway, my Russian friends and I walked up the mountain to the Pilgrim Reception Center. We met people from all over the world there. I have never seen such a diverse group of people. We received the schedule of our activities for the week, and information and guidance about the holy sites. Then we went to visit the Shrine of the Báb. The Báb was the person who announced that a new Manifestation of God was coming very soon. That is why he is known as "the Gate." He declared His mission in 1844 in Persia. Today that part of the world is the country of Iran. Thousands of people responded to Him. The people in charge of the country were worried that they would lose power, so they captured the Báb and executed Him.
Inside the Shrine of the Báb it was very quiet. There were about 200 people inside, but no one spoke a word. People stood, kneeled, or sat respectfully on the floor. A few people touched their foreheads to the floor as they prayed. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers. I said a lot of prayers for our family--the ones who are alive now, and the ones who have died and their spirits are with God. I prayed that our family would grow closer to God. I asked God to help us develop the strength and wisdom to make good decisions and to serve Him. And I said special prayers for each of you--Zora, Zack, Corinne and Coletrane.
Well, that's all for now. I miss all of you and Iove you. Please take care of Mommy for me while I am gone.
Dad
Anyway, my Russian friends and I walked up the mountain to the Pilgrim Reception Center. We met people from all over the world there. I have never seen such a diverse group of people. We received the schedule of our activities for the week, and information and guidance about the holy sites. Then we went to visit the Shrine of the Báb. The Báb was the person who announced that a new Manifestation of God was coming very soon. That is why he is known as "the Gate." He declared His mission in 1844 in Persia. Today that part of the world is the country of Iran. Thousands of people responded to Him. The people in charge of the country were worried that they would lose power, so they captured the Báb and executed Him.
Inside the Shrine of the Báb it was very quiet. There were about 200 people inside, but no one spoke a word. People stood, kneeled, or sat respectfully on the floor. A few people touched their foreheads to the floor as they prayed. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers. I said a lot of prayers for our family--the ones who are alive now, and the ones who have died and their spirits are with God. I prayed that our family would grow closer to God. I asked God to help us develop the strength and wisdom to make good decisions and to serve Him. And I said special prayers for each of you--Zora, Zack, Corinne and Coletrane.
Well, that's all for now. I miss all of you and Iove you. Please take care of Mommy for me while I am gone.
Dad
Monday, November 21, 2011
Hello Zora, Zack, Corinne and Coletrane! Today was wonderful. We visited the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, where His earthly remains are buried. I spent the time inside the Shrine praying for our family. Like yesterday, it was a very quiet scene. Only one prayer was read out loud, by our guide. Other than that, no one said anything--we all simply prayed in silence. I did not take any pictures there yet. On our first visit to each holy site, we do not take pictures. That helps us focus on God and our prayers. I did take some pictures of the place I visited yesterday, the Shrine of the Báb. Those pictures are below. But first, I'd like to share just a few of the things I prayed for.
I thanked God for uniting me with Mommy as husband and wife, and I thanked Him for giving us four joyous, healthy and delightful children who make us happy every single day. I asked God to help Mommy and me be good parents and to make the right decisions for our family. I spent time saying special prayers for each one of you. I asked God to help all of you grow and develop into people who love Him and obey His laws. I asked Him to "grant that this child may become a more mature soul amongst Thy servants; cause him to shine forth through the power of Thy name, enable her to utter Thy praise, to set her face toward Thee and to draw nigh unto Thee." (Nigh means "close.")
I also prayed for all of our family members, including the ones who "have abandoned the physical garment and have ascended to the spiritual world. O my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, dispel their sorrows, and change their darkness into light. Cause them to enter the garden of happiness, cleanse them with the most pure water, and grant them to behold Thy splendors on the loftiest mount."
I felt great after saying all those prayers. You know how sometimes it's hard to concentrate on God during prayer time? (Yes, even Dad has that problem.) Well, it is not hard to concentrate when you are in the same room where Baha'u'llah is buried.
After that I went to take pictures of the Shrine of the Báb and the magnificent buildings above that shrine, at the Baha'i World Center. I walked all the way up Mount Carmel, which is covered with beautiful terraces and gardens. Mount Carmel is a lot higher than it looks! I was sweating by the time I reached the top. Here are the pictures. You can click on them to make them larger:
Hello Zora, Zack, Corinne and Coletrane! Today was wonderful. We visited the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, where His earthly remains are buried. I spent the time inside the Shrine praying for our family. Like yesterday, it was a very quiet scene. Only one prayer was read out loud, by our guide. Other than that, no one said anything--we all simply prayed in silence. I did not take any pictures there yet. On our first visit to each holy site, we do not take pictures. That helps us focus on God and our prayers. I did take some pictures of the place I visited yesterday, the Shrine of the Báb. Those pictures are below. But first, I'd like to share just a few of the things I prayed for.
I thanked God for uniting me with Mommy as husband and wife, and I thanked Him for giving us four joyous, healthy and delightful children who make us happy every single day. I asked God to help Mommy and me be good parents and to make the right decisions for our family. I spent time saying special prayers for each one of you. I asked God to help all of you grow and develop into people who love Him and obey His laws. I asked Him to "grant that this child may become a more mature soul amongst Thy servants; cause him to shine forth through the power of Thy name, enable her to utter Thy praise, to set her face toward Thee and to draw nigh unto Thee." (Nigh means "close.")
I also prayed for all of our family members, including the ones who "have abandoned the physical garment and have ascended to the spiritual world. O my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, dispel their sorrows, and change their darkness into light. Cause them to enter the garden of happiness, cleanse them with the most pure water, and grant them to behold Thy splendors on the loftiest mount."
I felt great after saying all those prayers. You know how sometimes it's hard to concentrate on God during prayer time? (Yes, even Dad has that problem.) Well, it is not hard to concentrate when you are in the same room where Baha'u'llah is buried.
After that I went to take pictures of the Shrine of the Báb and the magnificent buildings above that shrine, at the Baha'i World Center. I walked all the way up Mount Carmel, which is covered with beautiful terraces and gardens. Mount Carmel is a lot higher than it looks! I was sweating by the time I reached the top. Here are the pictures. You can click on them to make them larger:
Finally, here's a brief video from the top. I hope you enjoy everything. I love you and miss you and will see you soon. -- Dad
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Hello family! Today I went to the city of Akka, where Baha'u'llah was held prisoner for many years under the worst possible conditions. For the previous 20 years he had been exiled from city to city by the rulers of Persia and the Ottoman Empire. These rulers felt their power was threatened by the new and growing religion. Finally the rulers sent Baha'u'llah to Akka, which was known as "the prison city." It was filled with murderers, thieves, and other evil criminals. The city was surrounded by a high stone wall. Baha'u'llah was taken there in August of 1868, along with his family and a group of followers. Altogether they amounted to about 70 people. They were taken off a boat and marched through this gate:
A crowd gathered to jeer and shout at the group as they came through the gate. The Ottoman ruler sent a proclamation to the city that said no one was allowed to associate with Baha'u'llah or his companions. The penalty for disobeying this order was death. The proclamation was read inside of this mosque:
Baha'u'llah and his companions were taken to the prison. There was no clean water to drink or bathe with. The only food was black and salty bread. The conditions at the prison were so bad that three of the Baha'is died. Here are some pictures of the outside and inside of the prison:
(click on pictures to enlarge)
Baha'u'llah and his companions were held on the top floor. This is the door to His cell:
My group was allowed to go inside the prison cell to pray and meditate. We did not take pictures inside. While inside, I thanked Baha'u'llah for the sacrifices He made and the suffering He endured to share God's word with humanity. Without this Word shared by Baha'u'llah, I would not be the father you know today. And If Baha'u'llah could endure 40 years of captivity for the sake of humanity, then by relying upon God I can certainly overcome the difficulties in my own life. (You can too!) That's why I prayed to God using Baha'u'llah's words, such as: "I implore Thee, by Thy divine sweetness and by the splendors of the glory of Thy face, to send down upon us from Thy retreats on high that which will enable us to draw nigh unto Thee..." These are words that Baha'u'llah gave us to bring us closer to God.
The rulers who banished Baha'u'llah thought that He and his Faith would die in prison. Instead, the Faith grew. People heard about His message and walked for months to see Him. But when they got to Akka, they were not allowed inside the city. So they would stand on the city walls far from his window, hoping for a glimpse of Him, or a wave from His hand. Here is what they saw from far away. Baha'u'llah's window was in the top right corner:
Here is a view of the wall where these pilgrims stood, from the cell next to Baha'u'llah's:
That was what pilgrimage was like more than 140 years ago. Today I can walk right into His cell. That is amazing!
After a year or more inside the prison, the guards and authorities began to be affected by Bahau'llah's presence. The restrictions on the prisoners began to be relaxed, and some of Baha'u'llah's companions were allowed to move about more freely. Then came another great tragedy. Baha'u'llah's youngest son, 22-year-old Mirza Mihdi, used to walk on the roof after dark. One night he fell through an open skylight onto a wooden crate. The wood pierced his lungs and he died a few hours later. Here is where he fell:
As Mirza Mihdi lay dying, Baha'u'llah asked him, "What is your wish?" His son replied that he wanted his life to be a "ransom" so the pilgrims could be able to meet with Baha'u'llah.
Later Baha'u'llah said, "I have, O my Lord, offered up what Thou hast given me, that Thy servants may be quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united."
Four months later, the authorities moved Baha'u'llah and his companions from the prison to a private home inside the walls of Akka. He was still a prisoner, but no longer inside what He called "the Most Great Prison."
That's all for tonight. I miss all of you. Enjoy your holiday with our family, and I will see you soon.
Love,
Dad
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Trane! Corinnie! Ziggy! Little Z! This is dad live and direct with another update from Haifa. Before I share my Baha'i pictures, a quick story: You know Dad plays ball everywhere he goes, right? So today, after my Baha'i activities, I went looking for a game. I was directed to a local gymnasium in the middle of a big apartment complex. Inside, a youth game was in progress--teams, uniforms, and a ref. I sat down to watch. The kids were about 13 years old. Two of the players were good. The style of play was much different than in America. There was one brown boy on the court. He was the only person I saw dribble between his legs and throw a behind-the-back pass. The final score was 96-15. That's right: 96-15! The brown boy was on the losing team. Anyway, after the game I asked the guy putting away the basketballs if there was a time for adults to play. A small group of adults gathered around and spoke among themselves. Nobody spoke much English at all. One guy said I could come try out for his team. I explained I was a tourist who wanted to play one time--like right now? The gym guy said no. I tried to rent the gym, I tried to buy a basketball. No, no, no. But I just hung around and politely kept asking until he reluctantly gave me a ball and said, "10 minutes." Hooray!!
I wish I had some pictures, but I had decided not to carry my camera or iPhone into a strange neighborhood at night almost 6,000 miles from home.
Anyway, I was alone in the gym doing my thing when I heard a tapping sound at the window of a door that led outside. Two young faces were peering through the glass. They wanted me to know they were watching. I admit that I did a little extra for them with the dribble and whatnot. I threw down a few dunks. I heard them ooh and ahh on a few long jumpers. They obviously do not see many basketball players over here if they were impressed by my 42-year-old moves. When the gym guy told me my time was up, I banged a dunk as hard as I could and then pointed at them in the window. I thanked the gym guy and walked out very sweaty.
On the way home I saw some kids dribbling a basketball. Of course I stopped them. In halting English, they said they had gone to the court but there was no rim. I shook hands and left. As I walked away, one of them yelled out, "Shaquille O'Neal!!"
OK, now for the important stuff.
(Deep breath.)
Earlier I told you what happened to Baha'u'llah in the Most Great Prison. After more than two years there, he was allowed to move to a house inside the walls of Akka. Guards were stationed at the house, and the governor of the city still made life very difficult for him. But it was much better than prison. The house he used the longest was rented from a man named Abbud. Here is a picture of the house, the door Baha'u'llah used to enter it, and the steps leading upstairs to His room:
(click on pictures to enlarge)
Baha'u'llah lived in this house for about seven years. He never went beyond the city walls. Inside, he revealed his Book of Laws, also known as The Most Holy Book. This book gives clear instructions on how to organize the Faith, and it tells us exactly what we should and should not do as Baha'is. For example: You should pray every morning and every evening. You should put the well-being of others ahead of your own desires. You should not use drugs. You should not say bad things about people behind their backs. These are just a few of the things that God sent to us, through Baha'u'llah, in this house. I prayed inside the room where He revealed these Scriptures.
One day in this house, Baha'u'llah told his son, Abdul-Baha, that he had not seen nature in more than nine years--since before he was imprisoned in Akka. So Abdul-Baha rented a mansion for him in the nearby countryside, the Mansion of Masra'ih:
(click on image to enlarge)
For two years, Baha'u'llah lived at this house. You may have noticed that each home Baha'u'llah moved to was nicer than the last one. From prison, to the House of Abbud, to the Mansion of Masra'ih, each home got bigger and bigger. This signified how Baha'u'llah was changing the people around him. Over time, they were learning about His true nature. The Ottoman king had said Baha'u'llah was an evil person. But it became clear to everyone that He was actually very special. As Baha'u'llah told a professor visiting from Oxford University in England:
"We desire but the good of the world and happiness of the nations; yet they deem us a stirrer up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment. ... That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled -- what harm is there in this? ... These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family."
Over time, the noble conduct and good deeds of Baha'u'llah and his companions made people realize who He really was. So He was given more freedom, allowed to move to other homes, and His companions were allowed to move about the area and find work. And the Faith continued to grow. Dozens, then hundreds of people came from far away to see Him and stay with Him. Finally it became clear that the Mansion of Masrah-ih was too small to accommodate all the pilgrims. So Abdul-Baha rented another home: the Mansion of Bahji.
This is where Baha'u'llah lived for the last 13 years of his life. Today it is one of the holiest Baha'i places. There is a room inside that once belonged to Baha'u'llah. The Oxford professor, Edward Granville Browne, who was not a Baha'i, came to visit Baha'u'llah in that room. Browne described Him like this:
"The face of Him on Whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow.… No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain."
I explained before that we do not take pictures inside the places where Baha'u'llah slept. That is so we can concentrate on God while we are there. But I have found some pictures of the rooms where Baha'u'llah lived. Here are the Akka prison cell and three of His rooms:
The last picture is Baha'u'llah's room in the Mansion of Bahji. We went inside today. I saw Baha'u'llah's bed, His shoes, and His "taj" (a tall felt hat). I said many, many prayers there. As in the other places where Baha'u'llah lived, it was very silent. Nobody said a word--we just prayed. People stood, sat cross-legged, or kneeled down. For me, being there made me think about how God loves us and takes care of us. God sends us Manifestations like Jesus and Baha'u'llah to show us what we are supposed to do. Being there also made me feel much closer to Baha'u'llah. Before, He felt like an idea. Now, He feels much more real.
That's all for today. I love you and miss you and will see you soon.
Dad
That's all for today. I love you and miss you and will see you soon.
Dad
Friday, November 25, 2011
Hello family! Today there were no Baha'i activities until 8 pm, so I rode the bus to the mall. There is a definitely a contrast between the Baha'i sites and the city of Haifa itself. I made a video on the bus and posted it below. If you think about the other pictures I posted earlier, then look at the video, you may get an idea of how I felt today.
I love you and will see you all soon.
Dad
Saturday, November 27
Hello family! Today was a free day for us to do whatever we liked. I got up in the morning and took a bus to Akka, the prison city where Baha'u'llah was locked up for several years. I just walked around the city and did not go to the holy sites (I had already seem them). Akka is a forbidding and slightly scary place. Here are some photos:
(click on photo to enlarge)
After I was finished in Akka, I walked to Bahji. That's the site of the house where Baha'u'llah lived for the last 13 years of his life, and the shrine where He is buried. Here are pictures of the house, the gardens, and the small building where He is buried:
(click on image to enlarge)
I hope our whole family will visit here one day. Of course I prayed for us at this special place:
"O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness. Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving."
After leaving Bahji I went home, changed clothes, and headed to the basketball court I had visited the day before. I had a ball with me, and there was an outdoor playground, so I figured I could play by myself. When I arrived I immediately saw the kids who had been watching me the other day. They gathered a few of their friends and we went to the playground to play.
For the first ten minutes I just dribbled through and around them, using all the tricks in my repertoire. They enjoyed that. They were vying with each other to see who would get dribbled on next. They especially liked when I threw the ball at them and then pulled it away on the back of my hand, and when I hopped on top of the ball and dribbled briefly with my feet. Maybe that's because soccer is so popular here. As I played basketball with about six kids, there were another dozen playing soccer on the same playground. Their game periodically overlapped with ours. The soccer boys could have cared less what the tall stranger was doing.
There was a 12-year-old brown boy named Israel there who spoke English. I asked him why his English was so good. "Because I watch a lot of TV," he replied proudly. Several of the other boys had an extensive vocabulary of English curse words. We played a game of 2-on-4. They wanted to play again but I suggested a game of P-I-G. I said if they won I would buy everyone sodas. If they lost, they had to do 20 pushups.
One 13-year-old named Sebastian strategically placed himself right in front of me in the P-I-G order. The game began. I stuck to layups and free throws. I also taught them how to distract the players who were about to shoot. They liked that a lot and quickly became experts at it. One by one the kids were eliminated and did their pushups. None of them could get to 20. Finally it was just me and Sebastian. Neither of us had a letter.
I made a reverse layup and he missed badly for P. I shot a free throw and clanked it. Sebastian then went outside the three point line. During the previous game he had shot about 1 for 12 from this distance. He launched one and banked it in! I missed. The kids went bananas. Now we both had P.
Sebastian went to another spot even farther than the previous shot. He let it fly and banked it in again!! His friends were capering about and yelling in Hebrew. I missed. Now I had P-I and was one shot from elimination.
Sebastian walked to a spot approximately 30 feet from the basket. Mentally, I began to plan my next two shots to win the game. There was NO WAY he could make it from that far. He lofted the ball with an ungainly motion that resembled a boy throwing a bird into the air. The arc was very high. It came down and went directly through the hoop!!!
To say the crowd went nuts would be a huge understatement. Sebastian excitedly pointed to an old gum stain on the concrete to indicate where he shot from. The kids were all up in my grill as I measured the distance. They yabbered and jabbered, waving their arms and bumping into me as I lined up for a miracle shot. We all knew I would miss, and I did. Game over. Bedlam reigned.
After calm was restored I asked where the store was to buy the sodas. They consulted each other in Hebrew. Then Israel said, "We don't think it would be a nice thing for you to buy sodas." And that was that. Here is a photo of the crew. Sorry about the eye glare. I forget the name of the boy with the ball under his arm. Next to him is Chaim, then Israel, me, Baruch, and The Champion, Sebastian.
"O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness. Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving."
After leaving Bahji I went home, changed clothes, and headed to the basketball court I had visited the day before. I had a ball with me, and there was an outdoor playground, so I figured I could play by myself. When I arrived I immediately saw the kids who had been watching me the other day. They gathered a few of their friends and we went to the playground to play.
For the first ten minutes I just dribbled through and around them, using all the tricks in my repertoire. They enjoyed that. They were vying with each other to see who would get dribbled on next. They especially liked when I threw the ball at them and then pulled it away on the back of my hand, and when I hopped on top of the ball and dribbled briefly with my feet. Maybe that's because soccer is so popular here. As I played basketball with about six kids, there were another dozen playing soccer on the same playground. Their game periodically overlapped with ours. The soccer boys could have cared less what the tall stranger was doing.
There was a 12-year-old brown boy named Israel there who spoke English. I asked him why his English was so good. "Because I watch a lot of TV," he replied proudly. Several of the other boys had an extensive vocabulary of English curse words. We played a game of 2-on-4. They wanted to play again but I suggested a game of P-I-G. I said if they won I would buy everyone sodas. If they lost, they had to do 20 pushups.
One 13-year-old named Sebastian strategically placed himself right in front of me in the P-I-G order. The game began. I stuck to layups and free throws. I also taught them how to distract the players who were about to shoot. They liked that a lot and quickly became experts at it. One by one the kids were eliminated and did their pushups. None of them could get to 20. Finally it was just me and Sebastian. Neither of us had a letter.
I made a reverse layup and he missed badly for P. I shot a free throw and clanked it. Sebastian then went outside the three point line. During the previous game he had shot about 1 for 12 from this distance. He launched one and banked it in! I missed. The kids went bananas. Now we both had P.
Sebastian went to another spot even farther than the previous shot. He let it fly and banked it in again!! His friends were capering about and yelling in Hebrew. I missed. Now I had P-I and was one shot from elimination.
Sebastian walked to a spot approximately 30 feet from the basket. Mentally, I began to plan my next two shots to win the game. There was NO WAY he could make it from that far. He lofted the ball with an ungainly motion that resembled a boy throwing a bird into the air. The arc was very high. It came down and went directly through the hoop!!!
To say the crowd went nuts would be a huge understatement. Sebastian excitedly pointed to an old gum stain on the concrete to indicate where he shot from. The kids were all up in my grill as I measured the distance. They yabbered and jabbered, waving their arms and bumping into me as I lined up for a miracle shot. We all knew I would miss, and I did. Game over. Bedlam reigned.
After calm was restored I asked where the store was to buy the sodas. They consulted each other in Hebrew. Then Israel said, "We don't think it would be a nice thing for you to buy sodas." And that was that. Here is a photo of the crew. Sorry about the eye glare. I forget the name of the boy with the ball under his arm. Next to him is Chaim, then Israel, me, Baruch, and The Champion, Sebastian.
Love to everyone. I miss you more each day.
Dad
Sunday, November 27, 2011
What's up Coletrane! Hey Corinne! Hello Zack! What's happening Zora!! First thing this morning I had a meeting with Paul Lample, a member of the Universal House of Justice. Auntie Liz had suggested that I ask to meet with someone to discuss how the Baha'i principles could help my work for The Associated Press. They have many committees and institutions here at the Baha'i World Center that provide this type of guidance. I emailed the BWC a few months ago to request a meeting with whoever they thought was appropriate. I was very surprised to hear that Mr. Lample was that person. The Universal House of Justice is the highest Baha'i authority. It has nine elected members. It is in charge of all the affairs of all five million Baha'is around the world. To have a private consultation with one House of Justice member is a great privilege. The meeting was extraordinarily useful. Mr. Lample shared many suggestions about principles, ideas and approaches that will help improve my writing.
Here is a picture of the Universal House of Justice building. It is huge! Look closely and you can see a tiny person cleaning the light at the front of the building. I also have posted a view from the steps of the House of Justice:
Next I got on the bus with my pilgrim group and went to the Junayn Garden. This is a place where Baha'u'llah often went to get closer to nature. It is a tiny island in the middle of a river. The trees of this garden are bent low with fruit. Here are a few pictures:
Our next stop was the House of Abdullah Pasha. This is the place in Akka where Abdu'l-Baha lived after Baha'u'llah passed away. Abdul-Baha rented space here for His family and the many pilgrims who came to visit from around the world. Abdul-Baha is not a Manifestation of God. But He is still a very special and unique person. When Baha'u'llah died, he left a very detailed and specific will. Baha'u'llah told us that his son Abdul-Baha would be the only person to interpret (that means "explain") the writings of Baha'u'llah. He also said that Abdul-Baha alone would direct the affairs of the Faith. For the rest of His life, this is what Abdul-Baha did--explain Baha'u'llah's writings to us, and spread the Faith around the world. Our tour guide, who also is the caretaker of Abdullah Pasha house, told us one thing that perfectly describes Abdul-Baha. You might remember that His name means "Servant of Baha." A servant is a humble person. Humble means you do not believe you are above anyone else. Our guide told us, "I know every corner of this house. It has 65 rooms. Abdul-Baha's room is the smallest one in the entire house."
The last thing today was a ceremony marking the Ascension of Abdul-Baha. "Ascension" means to "go up." This is the day His soul went to the next world--November 28, 1921. During the ceremony, I thought about the enormous amount of work that Abdul-Baha did to help all of humanity. He was busy for nearly every waking moment. He sacrificed his own comfort and pleasure for us. When He felt his death approaching, Abdul-Baha told a companion, "I have done all that could be done." That is an inspiration to me. I always want to try my hardest and do my best. When I look back on my life, I want to say that I did everything possible to fulfill my responsibilities to God and to you--my family.
I love you and will see you soon.
Dad
Monday, November 28, 2011
Hello family! This is my final evening here in the Holy Land. I will be home on Wednesday morning. But I still have some experiences to share with you.
Today I went to see the Cave of Elijah on Mount Carmel. This is not a Baha'i holy place, but it is still special. Elijah was a prophet from the Old Testament of the Bible. He lived 900 years before Jesus Christ. He lived for a while in this cave:
Elijah told people that they needed to worship God instead of false idols. The Old Testament also says that Elijah will return before the Messiah arrives. Baha'is believe that Elijah returned as John the Baptist, who announced the coming of Christ. We also believe that the Báb (the "Gate") played a similar role to Elijah and John the Baptist when He announced the coming of Baha'u'llah.
The Cave of Elijah is on Mount Carmel. The Shrine of the Báb is on Mount Carmel. Do you see a connection?
Baha'u'llah visited Mount Carmel toward the end of His life. Most of the time Baha'u'llah was meek and gentle. But standing near Elijah's cave, Baha'u'llah spoke the Word of God in such a mighty voice that the Christian monks in a nearby church came outside to see what was going on. He said:
"Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee (Carmel) His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the dayspring of the evidences of His Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered upon thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of thy Lord ... He, verily, loveth the spot which hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden, which hath been honoured by His presence, from which He raised His call, and upon which He shed His tears..."
This is why Mount Carmel is such a special place.
After leaving Elijah's Cave, I went back to the Baha'i World Center and toured several of the buildings there. I ate dinner, listened to a presentation about teaching the Faith, then came back to my room. I said goodbye to my Russian Baha'i friends--remember them?
We exchanged a few gifts and then sat down to say a few prayers together. Remember, we do not speak the same language. I said "Blessed is the Spot..." Then they began to sing. Almost all of their prayers were in the form of songs. The woman with the scarf, Ira, had a particularly beautiful voice. We finished by singing one song together, one that we all knew the melody to, a song with only one word: "Allah'u'Abha." (That means "God is Most Great.") The way we were able to share these moments made me quite happy.
That's all for now. I will try to send one final update before I get on my plane tomorrow. I can't wait to see all of you!!!
I love you,
Dad
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Hello family! I am home!! This morning I was here when all of you woke up. I am writing this last entry at our dining room table. It feels wonderful to be reunited with you all.
Yesterday was Tuesday--my last day in the Holy Land. Our first activity was a visit to a pilgrim house where people used to come from all over the world to visit Abdul-Baha. After that I had a few hours to myself. I decided to make one last prayer visit to the Shrine of the Báb. You may remember this was the very first place I visited here:
I will tell you a little about the inside, since we do not take pictures there. Beneath the huge pillars you see at the bottom of the shrine are large, heavy, metal doors:
Each door opens into a room about twice the size of our living room. You remove your shoes before entering. There is no furniture inside, only a vase or a lamp in a corner here or there. Fine Persian rugs cover almost every inch of the floor. At the front of each room is an arch that opens into a central chamber. Beneath the arch is a threshold, kind of like the narrow area that you step over to enter the front door of our home. On this threshold is a large vase of roses. Rose petals are strewn across the threshold as well. Beyond the threshold, past a delicate and transparent curtain, is the large central chamber. We do not enter it. It is filled with flowers and lamps. A magnificent chandelier hangs overhead. The chamber is filled with light. Beneath the floor is where the Báb is buried. There is no statue, picture, or monument. Just light.
During my first visit here, each room was filled with pilgrims--30 people or more at a time, all praying silently. People were careful to make space for each other. Most of us stood. But when I went back on Tuesday afternoon, I was the only one there! I said all the prayers I have described to you earlier for our family and loved ones, here and in the next world. Then I took a moment to look around and drink in the solitude. I realized that each room was connected by a doorway to the adjacent room (adjacent means "next to"). There were five rooms. I slowly walked through each room, alone. It felt like a special privilege.
After that, it was time for the final event of my journey--a visit to the Archives Building:
Many precious items are stored here, things like clothing and other personal belongings of Baha'u'llah and the Báb, Scriptures written in their own hand--and the only photograph in existence of Baha'u'llah.
My emotions felt unsettled as I stood amid these items. Do you remember when I said that before my trip Baha'u'llah felt like an idea, and now He felt real? Well, this felt a little bit too real. I struggled to understand how all of this--the countless prayers, the millions of Baha'is around the world, the magnificent shrines and gardens and monumental buildings here in Haifa, the global vision of all humanity united as one--how it all could come from one man. It felt strange to think about Baha'u'llah as an actual human being who used this pen or this comb or these shoes.
Then I thought about God, and His love for us, and His power. It's a power so great we cannot understand it. God is the Creator of all things. Surely, then, God could create this person, who is so much more than just a man.
I am not going to describe the items I saw inside the Archive Building. I hope that one day, our family will see these things together.
I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Most Great Name whereby Thou didst separate light from fire, and truth from denial, to send down upon me and upon such of my loved ones are in my good company the good of this world and of the next. Supply us, then, with Thy wondrous gifts that are hid from the eyes of men. Thou art, verily, the Fashioner of all creation. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most High. -Baha'u'llah
This was an incredible trip. But I am so glad to be with you again.
Love,
Dad