Dear Baha'i friends,
Now that we have passed the midway point of the Five Year
Plan and through the grace of the Blessed Beauty the processes which it has set
in motion in every continent are gaining momentum, we observe almost daily with
awe and admiration how abundant are the blessings which surround the efforts of
the devoted believers who are delivering His divine Message with dedication,
enthusiasm and perseverance, and how infinitely vast and challenging are the
possibilities for the future.
One of the activities which must be given greater attention,
both nationally and internationally, is travel teaching to localities which are
in need of consolidation and stimulation. While teaching projects of short
duration, in terms of days and one or two weeks, are useful, the time has come
for long-term teaching projects of three to six months and possibly more, as
envisaged in the Five Year Plan, to be more vigorously prosecuted in every
continent, so that more lasting results may accrue from these teaching trips
and the rich harvest anticipated at the outset of the Plan may become a
reality, imparting its inestimable benefits to the devoted labourers in His
divine Vineyard.
It is hoped that those who will arise will be mostly
self-supporting or supported by private deputization, and that the funds of the
Faith, nationally for projects on the home-front, and internationally for
projects in foreign fields, will be requested only when the individual
concerned is regarded as well qualified and there is no other source of funds
available to him.
We hope that National Assemblies whose assignments include
international travel teaching projects will make a special appeal to the friends
under their jurisdiction calling on them to meet this new challenge. If this
urgent call, which is directed to all believers in every land, is answered with
promptness and enthusiasm by those whose personal circumstances permit, great
advances will be made towards fulfilling the hitherto sorely neglected teaching
goals of the Plan. While the youth can through their creative resourcefulness
and energetic labours effectively support the work ahead, believers from the
older age groups can be a valuable asset in the achievement of the goals
through their experience, knowledge and wisdom.
Our prayers are offered frequently at the Holy Shrines for
the infinite blessings of the Abha Beauty to reinforce every step you take in
strengthening and broadening the foundations of the Faith in the areas
entrusted to your care.
With loving Baha'i greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, ‘1963-1986’)