http://chantellesadventures.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellington-to-singapore.html
Note the discerning use of arts and media as a means for attracting hearts when presenting the sacred Message of Bahá'u'lláh:
[I] had an incredible experience back home, we had a musical fireside the second Saturday I was back at my house, and [my father] who's not a Baha'i brought along his new tenant who had shown an interest in the Faith when she saw the newspaper article in his office with my massive face on it saying "Baha'i baby."
- "Are you a Baha'i?"
- "No, my daughter is, she just got back from Israel, she can tell you all about it."
So we organised this event, with her in mind, going through 'Anna's presentation' with songs dispersed throughout and two videos, and slide show with quotes on....
It was AMAZING, we had three interested people come, and [after the presentation] we all naturally paired off and went through in more detail what we had covered using the flipcharts....for about 45 minutes we did that one-on-one type deepening and the room was alive... [My mother] handed out dessert and we continued, then the lady [my father had] brought came to me and said "I just told Chelsea and I would like to tell you that I would like to formally become a Baha'i" - Stunned look on Chantelle's face....
"Wow...yes oh my gosh...thats great"
Of course we have no declaration cards...but yeah...she just instantly recognised Baha'u'llah in those two hours...
She is from India, had been living in NZ for two years, and told me, at the age of 13 she [had encountered a man in New Dehli who informed her about] the building of the 'new Baha'i Temple'. From that moment on she was intrigued by this Faith...and then as a 32 year old living in NZ....she finally finds out more deeply about it and declares...
What a gift.
I sat and talked with her at her place quite a few times..., it was like meeting my sister in a way...we just got each other!!
- "Are you a Baha'i?"
- "No, my daughter is, she just got back from Israel, she can tell you all about it."
So we organised this event, with her in mind, going through 'Anna's presentation' with songs dispersed throughout and two videos, and slide show with quotes on....
It was AMAZING, we had three interested people come, and [after the presentation] we all naturally paired off and went through in more detail what we had covered using the flipcharts....for about 45 minutes we did that one-on-one type deepening and the room was alive... [My mother] handed out dessert and we continued, then the lady [my father had] brought came to me and said "I just told Chelsea and I would like to tell you that I would like to formally become a Baha'i" - Stunned look on Chantelle's face....
"Wow...yes oh my gosh...thats great"
Of course we have no declaration cards...but yeah...she just instantly recognised Baha'u'llah in those two hours...
She is from India, had been living in NZ for two years, and told me, at the age of 13 she [had encountered a man in New Dehli who informed her about] the building of the 'new Baha'i Temple'. From that moment on she was intrigued by this Faith...and then as a 32 year old living in NZ....she finally finds out more deeply about it and declares...
What a gift.
I sat and talked with her at her place quite a few times..., it was like meeting my sister in a way...we just got each other!!
Chantelle adds in an email to me about what they did after the media presentation, studying together one-on-one:
[Basically, the initial, general] presentation took highlights of [Anna's presentation], such as relationship to God, Manifestation, Baha'u'llah, the Covenant, Oneness of humanity, and then we went through step-by-step in more detail of Anna's presentation in flipchart form so they [could] internalise what they just saw and dig [deeper] into concepts.
Thank you, Miss Brader!
(Emphasis added. Used with permission of the author. - A.)
(This post is mirrored here: http://inspirationforbahaiteaching.wordpress.com/2008/08/03/reaction-to-a-multimedia-fireside/ )
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