A Really Good Week

Seriously. The last week was really good. I was in the Membership Office all week because we're printing new membership cards, so I was always busy and I felt like I really contributed to the process, and accomplished! Being in one place for the whole week was so exciting for me, and I think it really contributed to the happiness I felt. I was able to start "projects" and be able to come the next day and finish up; tying up loose ends is a source of happiness for me :) It's going to be a long process, printing the cards, we're not even done with the NSW state and it's been a week, but I really enjoy working and being busy. Having been unproductive for half a year just killed me...full on lost myself and lost the stability in my life, so having a steady work schedule and a task is really good. I'm slowly getting myself back and learning day by day who I am and who I want to be. It's a week before my 22nd birthday- I can't believe it, where are my 20's going?! Year 21 wasn't a god year at all, didn't accomplish much, went backwards really. So year 22 is going to be better. It's going to be the "Remake, Remodel, and Reinvigorate Ailene Project".

Before I came to Australia, I was really stressed about how old I'm getting, being that by the time I go back to college I'll be 23/24, so by the time I finish school I'll be 27, and that really, really bothered me. But since I've been here my vision has opened up. What is the rush to finish school? What is the rush to start a career? School and work are always going to be there, people are changing life paths everyday, I don't need to worry about being "old" when I go back to school. There is so much to see in the world, so much to do, and so much I can learn and contribute, there is absolutely no need for me to go home right away. I've been thinking more and more of what I will be doing after my year of service- I'm hoping that my time away will give me some sort of life plan, direction- and what I've slowly realized is that I can do anything, if money permits: I can travel for my 20's, see the world as I've always wanted to. I can serve the Faith more in different areas, that way I improve myself and travel. I'm also contemplating going to live with my dad in Taiwan for a little while, get back to my roots and maybe serve/work while I'm there....I want my 20's to be about exploring, not worrying about school and being miserable. Who knows, we'll see...maybe I'll get adopted by Oprah and can put those thoughts into action :)

On Saturday, a family had a devotional (prayer gathering) a their house, and the theme was love. They had lovely poems and scriptures and excerpts from talks, really good collection. We then talked a bit about what love is, how it's all around us, and how it's the basis of everything. Love is a hard concept for me to grab onto, seems like if it's not tangible it's not real, you know? In the Faith, Abdu'l-Baha explains there are 4 types of love, here's a little of what each are:

"The first is the love that flows from God to man... Through this love the world of being receives life. Through this love man is endowed with physical existence...This love is the origin of all the love in the world of creation.

The second is the love that flows from man to God. This is faith, attraction to the Divine...Kingdom of God, receiving the Bounties of God. This love is the origin of all philanthropy; this love causes the hearts of men to reflect the rays of the Sun of Reality.

The third is the love of God towards the Self or Identity of God. This is the reflection of Himself in the mirror of His Creation. This is the reality of love...Through one ray of this Love all other love exists.

The fourth is the love of man for man. The love which exists between the hearts of believers is prompted by the ideal of the unity of spirits. This love is attained through the knowledge of God, so that men see the Divine Love reflected in the heart. Each sees in the other the Beauty of God reflected in the soul, and finding this point of similarity, they are attracted to one another in love. This love will make all men the waves of one sea, this love will make them all the stars of one heaven and the fruits of one tree. This love will bring the realization of true accord, the foundation of real unity."

Notice that the love for your fellow human being is the last one mentioned, my understanding is that it's the least important, yet it's the one we focus on the most, and maybe because it's the most "tangible" of the 4, but to focus on the loves that are not as visible is hard, it's something I have to learn to focus on and learn that in every situation there is kindness and love involved.

Well, I think that this is a long enough post for now! Hope you've enjoyed this one and thanks so much for following it- your support and comments mean a lot to me :) I hear that back in California our hills are burning up. I hope all are well and prayers are with you. LOVE.

Baha'i Education in State Schools

I went to a BESS class today- Baha'i Education in State Schools- and how it works, as far as I know, in each public school scriptures of different Faith's are offered and the parents have the option as to which class they want their kids to take. I learned from the lady that I went with that there are no Baha'i children in these classes, which was a big surprise to me for some reason. We started with the 6th and 5th graders, then the 4th and 3rd graders, then finished up with the 1st, 2nd and kindergarten kinds. Each class was 30 minutes....wow, you cannot teach anything in 30 minutes!! It flew by and the whole time we could hardly hear what we were talking about let alone make sure the kids were learning! Chaos... that's the best way to describe it. Some of the kids were really impressive! Shelling out prayers and Writings left and right, very enthusiastic to show off what they learned. Other kids were just kids being kids. Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience in 1 and 1/2 hours :)

Work has been good so far. This week I'm in the Membership Office all week! I'm very excited to be in one place for the whole week. We're printing new membership cards for the whole of Australia...that's like 30,000 cards. Other than that, life is pretty normal. People are coming and going, it's really weird to be the one that's been here the longest....and it's so wird how MUCH I miss the people who have left! I haven't known them too long but the spirit they have and what they brought into my life was just so uplifting....I miss them a lot. I miss those who haven't even left yet! My heart aches a little when I think of their future departure, but I have to start thinking forward and see that the friendships that I've made over a short time have become (hopefully) life long friendships. And I'll be able to travel the world and have amazing tour guides and free accommodation :) Next step for me is to be pro-active in getting into cluster and community events, no matter how weird it is to put myself out there to meet new people. Fake it till you make it baby.

Beautiful, beautiful people, inside and out, heart and spirit.

Love in Words

This week has been exhausting but oh so enjoyable. On Saturday my service mates and I had an absolutely perfect beach day. It was mid-20's (70 F) and the beach was just beautiful- we played Frisbee and football/soccer (I attempted to), some went into the freezing water (not me), then we laid on the beach and listened to music and talked and just really soaked in the sun and the wonderful company. We also shared a giant tub of triple chocolate ice cream, yummmm! I don't know why it was so fantastic, maybe because I was surrounded by awesome people, or because I really needed a day to chill, or maybe I got high on Vitamin D from the sun, I don't know, but it was such a great day. I look back on it and can only smile. There was a jam session at a friend's house that day also- people got out their guitars and their lovely singing voices and played everything from Vanilla Ice to Bob Dylan. The boys from Germany were given pots to use as drums, as both of them do African drumming, one played on the piano which was really amazing, Nadia and another girl sang and harmonized; so cool! In the Baha'i Writings it is said that “music is the ladder to the soul”, and during that jam session you could feel it- you don't know why, but you feel the music flowing through your veins and you get goose bumps and the joy that you feel brings you to tears...it's really interesting to see the effect music has on people- and when I say music I mean melody and notes and cords, regardless of the lyrics or who's singing- when that is not accounted for, you hear the beauty, the true beauty, and power that music can have.

On Monday I was in the bookstore all day, Tuesday I was a guide at the Temple, Wednesday I was in the Membership Office (really nice to get some solid work training and feel like I'm contributing to the organization of the office), on Thursday I guided when another group of school children came to the Temple who were equally as impressed as the last, and I also did some organizing for the Education Office- anyone who knows me well knows that I'm the person you can call if you want things put in-place, with a label and color coordinated. I was asked to go through the office and get rid of what was not needed. Fantastic! This was my work for Thurs/Fri, and I found myself waking up really excited for the job! Hahaha. Something about cleaning and organizing and color-coordinating that makes you feel like you've done something significant, that it's going to make a difference. Maybe I'll be a professional organizer hahaha!

We had a going away luncheon for two youth here- Adeeb and Nadia. Adeeb left on Tuesday and today is Nadia's last day. Adeeb is a sweetheart- he's always full of joy and always wants to make you laugh. He's going to Haifa, Israel for Pilgrimage so that's going to be so nice for him. He's awesome! And I'm so lucky to have made a friend like him. Nadia is a jewel, she just exudes happiness and love and will not hesitate to give it to you. She has been a fantastic roommate, we've had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, and she has made my first month of my Year of Service truly unforgettable. I will miss her and Adeeb dearly. A new girl has come from China!!!! She is such a sweetheart, I feel like I've known her forever, and she's so easy to get along with. She'll be here for a month so hopefully I'll be able to practice my Chinese...she's already made delicious Chinese food so of course I love her! :) The two boys from Germany, don't know if I've intro'd them already, but they are so cool, sooooo nice and so kind. They've been bringing out my German side full force! (My American side is composed of German and Swiss). I've learned “My name is Ailene”- “eeh hiesay Ailene”, “You are my friend”- “du bist mine fruinde”, and “I'm tired”- “eeh been moodeh” =D It's bee really fun getting to know them and learning a language that is freakin complicated! My Lord...took my 30 minutes to learn “eins, zevey, deghi”! (1,2,3) hahaha.

This week's been full of events, good and bad, but over all very nice. We went to the Opera House at night and it was beauuuuutiful! Love it. Here's some proof of my adventures :)

Joy in Understanding

It was a dark and stormy day.....on Tuesday when a big bus filled with school girls, 8-9 years old, came to the Baha'i Temple to learn. In Australia, it's part of the school's curriculum to teach religion in school- so apart from individual religious groups teaching classes at schools, the children get a consistent education about faith's and beliefs from their teacher. The 60 school girls that came where currently doing a unit that was basically comparative religion- they were going around learning about what each faith believes and rituals...etc. So by the time they came to the House of Worship, they had already gone to a synagog and a church and a Mosque. My roommate Nadia and I did a short intro of who we are and what we're doing in Australia, showed them a quick film about the Faith, and then went over major beliefs and practices of the Faith- like the importance of prayer, who we believe in, principles we follow like the equality of men and women and the education of children (which are pretty much universal beliefs even though they're not carried out in some places), and some other interesting tidbits that they would enjoy. Nadia talked mainly talked about the Faith while I talked about the Temple specifically, like when it was built (1961), how many sides it has (9, because it symbolizes the unification of humankind), what's at the top of the dome (the Greatest Name in Arabic, which means 'The Glories of All Glories'- a message to God of sorts), and which other Temples exist around the world- that was a fun part. I talked a little about the one in the US, how Nadia is going to Samoa soon and will go visit the one there, and that we have two boys from Germany serving here and that their Temple is really close to home (there is also one in Uganda, India, Panama, and one in Chile eventually), I think they really enjoyed that, made it more global than just Australia.

We then took the girls, through the rain, to the Temple, and we gave them 8 prayers to say aloud, by volunteers, in the Temple, which is usually not allowed unless there is a Service. The teachers loved that. They said it calmed the girls down completely and that they could really feel that it was a place for prayer and meditation. The teachers were just soaking it in, and the amount of joy they were showing almost moved me to tears- it's so great to have visitors who see what the Temple is for and who have a really open mind to learning. The world education system needs to get the memo from Australia, religion and spirituality needs to be part of the school system because it's such an integral part of who we are as human beings and how we operate. You can say that you don't believe in God, that's fine, it's not a requirement to be spiritual or meditative. The belief in God comes later with time We are spiritual beings, put on this earth to learn and to love God, baby steps is what it takes, and people need to realize it's not a bad thing to have that in your child's life. It's not preaching if it's done with integrity and humility and is all encompassing.

I'm finally feeling like I'm stable, that life is a little bit more normal, and I've been getting a good balance of hard, challenging work (guiding at the Temple, Membership office, filing...) and mellow working days (receptionist, bookstore...). So far so good :)

The Catch-Up on Life Day

It's a Saturday night and it's been a week since I've updated this blog- have I lost you all?!? I hope not! Well, it's been a week of exciting events. Last Sunday was Azah and Vafa's wedding. it was an absolutely gorgeous event. They had readings about what a Baha'i marriage is, prayers and music. I can't tell you much of what was said, but what I remember distinctly is the love that I felt in the room. The amount of joy and warmth I felt almost brought me to tears. I haven't had that happen before! Granted, I haven't been to many weddings, but it's a feeling that is hard to explain, and can only be understood when you feel it. Vafa and Azah were just radiating happiness, I was so happy and honored to be able to celebrate the occasion with them. The FOOD (because what is an Ailene blog without mention of food?!) at the wedding was divine! There was a bruschetta with sweet sauce as an appetizer/or a chicken quish thing, our entree was either deliciously grilled chicken or salmon, and the dessert was a berry custard or a berry cobbler. The room was set up so elegantly, classy yet not over done. Vafa's dad said some things- what touched me is that they pioneered to Africa in the 80's and was so happy to now have a physical connection (not just spiritual connection) to Africa because Azah's from Cameroon. A Baha'i friend belted out "My Girl" and some other love songs- it was very sweet. Z+A's first dance was an African smooth song- not too fast, not to slow- so perfect! We danced, took pictures, and just soaked in the joy that was felt by everyone. Before A+Z drove into the sunset, we made a human tunnel and they passed through, sending them off with cheers and laughter <3

This week I was mainly in the office and guiding. For 2 days I did filing. It doesn't look that hard, but it is mentally and physically draining. I was snappy after that work day! I'm a very organized person, I like things in order, so give me a job like filing and I'll go all out- instead of just putting papers in folders, I became annal as the time passed, and put it in order of date, in correct sections...etc. It was fulfilling at the end of the day because I truly got it organized and I finished 2 drawers, but I was really tired. By the second day I was so tired from filing, I had to literally tell myself, laughing, "You're filing for Baha'u'llah, you're filing for Baha'u'llah...." hahaha :) Because it's the National offices of the Baha'is, organization is important and I'm glad to help. I have multiple jobs in the office, which is nice because it shows that they trust me and that they feel I can handle it (or they just desperately need help, no matter who it is haha). On one hand I feel glad that I'm trusted, but on the other hand I feel a little disjointed, that I'm floating from A to B to J, so, I guess I don't feel very stable, right now anyway. It has been half a year since I've had a schedule and stuff, so maybe it's just getting use to it- it's nice to dabble, it keeps it interesting, but a little more structure might make me feel more grounded. But then, I'm not here for my comfort am I?!

Guiding was pretty good, did it twice this week, so the first day we had a steady stream of people, some were very interested and asked a lot of questions, others seemed to try to find loopholes, to try and disprove our teachings- that was hard to handle. I think I was caught off guard and couldn't collect myself fast enough to give a precise answer that would satisfy their accusations and also not harm the Faith by my attitude. I need to deepen myself, that way it'll be easier to shell out answers smoothly. To try to console myself I prayed in the Temple, and I also reasoned with the fact that at least people are asking questions and, even though might not agree, a spark of interest is there. My roommate said something very helpful, and I often forget this, but she said that we constantly question and challenge other people's view on things, so why shouldn't they have the same liberty? On the same note, the way people express their disagreement or challenges also have to be in line with normal human integrity, humbleness, and kindness. On a fun note, a couple of Americans from Utah visited the Temple and the guide coordinator was very happy that I was there because we have the US of A in common :)

Two German boys came today to start serving, they'll be here for 2 weeks. Late next week a girl from China will be coming and then the week after that another girl from the US will be here. Funny how I'm becoming the old-timer here. It's almost been a full month, wow, can't believe it....it's going to be a longggg year. Hang in there with me :)

Some photos: Baha'is believe marriage is a divine institution ordained by God and the foundation of a unified society. Abdu'l-Baha said: "In a true Baha'i marriage the two parties must become fully united both spiritually and physically, so that they may attain eternal union throughout all the worlds of God, and improve the spiritual life of each other." Abdu'l-Baha said married couples should strive to become "loving companions and comrades and at one with each other for time and eternity. He also says couples should "exercise the utmost care...with each other's character."