These are a Few of My Favourite Things...

Here are my favourite things to do these days...

putting on papa's shoes

sitting on the push cart tray in the dining room

walking in the garden almost everyday at lunch time(I love the stones, flowers and grasses)

playing with mama's keys

and reading books...(currently fav. ones are Runaway Bunny and Bingo, not in the photo though)...






Also here are some new English words I learned to say recently:

shoes (with emphasis on 'sh' sound)
keys
eyes
okay
turtle
girl ('l' is barely heard)

Birth of Ariyanna Afaridan...

Our friends Pash and Ulviyya just had a baby and her name is Ariyanna. She was born on 26 March 2007 at 9.30 am in Australia and weighs 4.350 and 57 cm. What a huge baby!

We remember Pash and Ulviyya being so fond of dear Enna-Marie when they were still serving with us at the World Centre. Ulviyya would take and bring her to their table at lunch time in the dining room and play with her. The dining room is a place where staff usually eat lunch. Now they have their own bundle of joy.

Congratulations to Pash and Ulviyya! Below are few photos of Ariyanna.

More on Sleep Training...

Today is Enna-Marie's one-month anniversary of sleeping in her own bed. We are still amazed at how easy the transition was for her. With the exception of only a few nights, she has fallen asleep less than five minutes after we put her down. The last two nights she hasn't even cried at all...!

We've developed a routine that she seems to like and is now used to. After bathing her, Menchie will breastfeed her, then we brush her teeth, say prayers, and put her sleeping bag on. The last part of the routine is saying good night to all the animals in her room (yes, it's a real zoo in there :)). At this point Menchie leaves the room and Maarten does all the goodnight's with her. First they say goodbye to the safari animals (giraffe, zebra, elephant and hippo) on her wall-border. Then to the turtle, bunny rabbit, baby tiger, and a couple of other stuffed toys. Last are two paintings on the wall. One we call 'baby-mik-mik' (a mother nursing a baby) and the other is of a girl with a bird. By the time the ceremony is over, usually no more than a minute and a half, she is indeed ready to go to bed and falls asleep right away!

Here's our little angel fast asleep at dawn time taken few days ago...

Naw-Ruz Celebrations...

The Schoot family celebrated Naw-Ruz on a few different occasions this week.

First of course was the "official" Naw-Ruz Holy Day celebration where all staff, pilgrims and other visitors at the World Centre attended a programme with some readings, prayers, and devotions. Thanks to auntie Vanysha for this beautiful outfit she gave Enna-Marie when she was just a newborn baby, now it fits auntie...!



















In the evening, we dined out with our good friend Martijn (his wife May is presently in South Africa doing a film project, we missed you May!) in a restaurant called Fattoush. Menchie had her favorite halumi salad while Martijn and Maarten had meat dishes. The dessert was of course the Knafi, a typical Israeli delight that is soo good. Here are few pictures of Enna-Marie drinking from a glass with the assistance of oom Martijn...















On Friday, we were invited for lunch at Tazien and Arjang's place together with some other friends. The food was scrumptious with a combination of both Persian and Hindi dishes...

Enna-Marie with cutie Lillian

reading time with auntie Ghazala

Menchie and Tazien

Arjang with baby Lillian, look at those beautiful and expressive eyes!















Last celebration was a dance party with the Filipino friends at the place of the Burias family...

Manang Reming and Arnold enjoying the dance

Tahirih Ondam who's ending her services soon is having a dance with Noly

a group dance with Enna-Marie

Happy Naw-Ruz!

"Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained Naw-Ruz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto Thee."
- Bahá'u'lláh

"Happy the one who entereth upon the first day of the month of Bahá, the day which God hath consecrated to this Great Name. And blessed be he who evidenceth on this day the bounties that God hath bestowed upon him... Say: this day, verily, is the crown of all the months and the source thereof, the day on which the breath of life is wafted over all created things."
- Bahá'u'lláh

One last fast dinner we had...

Our last fast dinner was hosted by auntie Rhea and uncle Franco. They made a delicious Persian dish khoresh bademjan, while we brought baked spaghetti. Uncle John brought dessert, oh this cake was also delicious. Nanay Nene was there too. Pictures below of Enna-Marie were taken by auntie Rhea...

Weekend Holy Places Visits...

Last weekend, we started our staff visits to the Holy Places for this year. We missed them last year :-(. So these are Enna-Marie's first ever visits. She enjoyed a lot walking on the pebbles, climbing the stairs, touching the beautiful carpets on the floor, pointing to different pictures of Abdul-Baha in the rooms, and also enjoyed the wind in the Akka wall.

Here are some photos visiting the House of Abdullah-Pasha and House of Abbud (one more photo to follow).

Visit of the Boodhun Family at home...

Auntie Vanysha's family from Mauritius visited us last Thursday; her parents and brother have just finished their pilgrimage. Uncle Martijn, uncle Howard and uncle Riyad came over as well. We all had a good dinner and enjoyed the time together.

bonding with Auntie Vanysha after not seeing each other at this time of the fast

enjoying the time with auntie and uncle

Group photo (standing L-R: Mama, uncle Martijn, uncle Howard, uncle Riyad, and me; sitting L-R: Vyshal, papa, auntie Vanysha, Vydiah, and Veenaud)

Yes picking-up and wearing shoes are just my favorite things to do these days...

what a squeeze from mom Vydiah and auntie Vanysha!

Meet two new babies...

Welcome to the two new babies, they are both soo beautiful. Congratulations to their proud parents!

Sienna Isabelle Martin who was born on 13 March 2007 in Newport Beach, California, is the daughter of our friends Susy and Kris Martin. Both Susy and Kris are former BWC staff.

Reina Natalie is Savvy Him and Chris Lay's daughter. She was born on 15 March 2007 in Shenzhen, China. Savvy used to serve with us in the Department of Statistics, while Chris in the Department of Holy Places.

Divine Wisdom in Fasting...

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ASKED
BY MRS. CORINNE TRUE, AND DAUGHTER
ARNA, AT ACCA, FEBRUARY, 1907

Question: What Divine wisdom is there in fasting?

Answer: The Divine wisdom in fasting is manifold. Among them is this: As during those days (i. e. the period of fasting which the followers afterward observe) the Manifestation of the Sun of Reality, through Divine inspiration, is engaged in the Descent of Verses, the instituting of Divine Law and the arrangement of Teachings, through excessive occupation and intense attraction there remains no condition or time for eating and drinking. For example, when His Holiness Moses went to Mount Tur (Sinai) and there engaged in instituting the Law of God, he fasted forty days. For the purpose of awakening and admonishing the people of Israel, fasting was enjoined upon them.

Likewise His Holiness Christ in the beginning of instituting the Spiritual Law, the systematizing of the Teachings and the arrangement of counsels, for forty days abstained from eating and drinking. In the beginning the disciples and Christians fasted. Later the assemblages of the chief Christians changed fasting into Lenten observances.

Likewise the Koran having descended in the month Ramadan, fasting during that month became a duty. In like manner His Holiness the Supreme (the BAB), in the beginning of the Manifestation, through the excessive effect of descending Verses, passed days in which his nourishment was reduced to tea only.

Likewise, the Blessed Beauty (BAHA’U’LLAH), when busy with instituting the Divine Teachings and during the days when the Verses (the Word of God) descended continuously, through the great effect of the Verses and the throbbing of the heart, took no food except the least amount.

The purpose is this: In order to follow the Divine Manifestations and for the purpose of admonition and the commemoration of their state, it became incumbent upon the people to fast during those days.

The Christians, as was written, formerly fasted fully. For every sincere soul who has a beloved longs to experience that state in which his beloved is. If his beloved is in a state of sorrow, he desires sorrow; if in a state of joy, he desires joy; if in a state of rest, he desires rest; if in a state of trouble, he desires trouble.

Now since in those days His Holiness the Supreme (the BAB) fasted many days, and the Blessed Beauty (BAHA’U’LLAH) took but little food or drink, and some days Christ did not eat, it became necessary that the friends should follow that example. For thus saith He in the Tablet of Visitation: “They, the believers, have followed that which they were commanded, for love of Thee.” This is one wisdom of the wisdoms of fasting.

The second wisdom is this: Fasting is the cause of awakening man. The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is produced by the fact that man's thoughts will be confined to the commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation surely ideal advancements follow.

Third wisdom: Fasting is of two kinds, material and spiritual. The material fasting is abstaining from food or drink, that is, from the appetites of the body. But spiritual, ideal fasting is this, that man abstain from selfish passions, from negligence and from satanic animal traits. Therefore material fasting is a token of the spiritual fasting. That is: “O God! as I am fasting from the appetites of the body and not occupied with eating and drinking, even so purify and make holy my heart and my life from aught else save Thy Love, and protect and preserve my soul from self-passions and animal traits. Thus may the spirit associate with the Fragrances of Holiness and fast from everything else save Thy mention.”

Fast Dinners with Friends...

We signed up for a mingle dinner during the fast to meet new friends. Here's the group photo!

With our dinner hosts Holly and Saba (both in the middle) plus two new staff Ladan and Lisa

With Roger and Minoo Maftechuk at their home, baby Rumi is fast asleep already

With Shingo, Amelia and Shiori Ishikawa

Our little ones who just finished eating dinner

With Negeen, Victor and Aliyah Sobhani