Brrrrr!

It has been raining at least once every day for almost an entire month. Today was the first day that it was a beautiful-albeit cold-day. I think the rain is back tomorrow. The home we are staying is old...poorly insulated and drafty. It stays damp in here. And boy do we feel like some whiny little kids but we can't seem to get warm. We both want to say thanks to our families for holding on to and mailing us those boxes of winter gear! It has been a lifesaver!

Also on the clothes front, I just bought my first suit. I had an interview with a company here that provided training for employees in all types of fields. Through some friends I ended up with an interview for a training program that dealt with retail sales positions. So I bought a plain black suit and had it it (well only the trousers so far) to fit. So now I have a suit. Unfortunately, I don't have the job at which I need to wear the suit. After some agonizing talks the interviewer decided that giving me the job would be like throwing me into the deep end when I didn't know how to swim...or sending me into war with only one bullet...or my favorite, it just isn't my kettle of fish. I really liked that one.

There are a plethora (I love using that word correctly!) of guide dogs being trained in Auckland, I see them all over the place. And most of 'em look like Gobi did as a pup. Also looking for a massage table and I have a contact at a local clinic who only works three half-days a week. Maybe I will give massages in my new suit. Executive massages. Yeah...I can charge more for that!

Ashley is so excited with the direct teaching we have been doing lately. We just started the outreaching full-on today, and we will be doing it intensively until the 31st. It is really neat to see her fears and insecurities at explaining the Faith fall away...and she said that today there was almost no nervousness before we went out to spread the word about some childrens classes in one of the suburbs. If you are part of our family and we have never really sat down with you and explained/talked about the Baha'i Faith and what it means to us, I hope you will let us do that at some point. From my perspective, growing up as a Baha'i, there were a lot of relatives who I wanted to talk with it about, and unfortunately most of the time all I received was prejudice and animosity--even as a child. Of course I was lucky to have parents whose Faith was in agreement with each other and with what I believed (then and now)...I cannot even imagine how hard it would be for my parents and siblings to constantly, openly pass judgments on me. (Which is a bit of a no-no in most of the religions that I have studied, but hey I'm no scholar so I guess it must be okay when you are one) I guess what I am saying is that I have seen a lot of disunity caused by religious beliefs among families...

Baha'u'llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha'i Faith says: O ye that dwell on earth! The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissension. (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 220)

Makes sense...what religion is it when we use it to drive wedges and build barriers, to tear apart or hold ourselves above...? We love you all...and just want you to know that if we needed to come home for anyone we would be there in a flash. About a twenty hour flash, that is.

Leaving you with this quote: Say: O servants! Let not the means of order be made the cause of confusion and the instrument of union an occasion for discord. We fain would hope that the people of Baha may be guided by the blessed words: 'Say: all things are of God.' This exalted utterance is like unto water for quenching the fire of hate and enmity which smouldereth within the hearts and breasts of men. By this single utterance contending peoples and kindreds will attain the light of true unity. Verily He speaketh the truth and leadeth the way. He is the All-Powerful, the Exalted, the Gracious.

(Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 222)