I moved to the city of Portsmouth (South of England) in August 2005. In my desire to start getting involved with the core activities, I decided to start a children’s class. So I started compiling information about primary schools in Portsmouth and brain storming ideas with the local friends to see how to get the children of the city to participate.  

At the same time, I sent for an application to the Criminal Records Bureau, as there is a law in England that only the people who are certified by this Bureau can have any dealings with children. Many months elapsed and I didn’t receive anything from the Bureau. I was disheartened and discouraged, and then I realized that perhaps Bahá’u’lláh wanted me to try something different.  

So I thought about starting a study circle.  I designed this flyer and thought about posting it throughout my work site (where there are over 4000 people working, so I thought surely there must be a couple of people who may be interested in a course based on spiritual concepts). However, my application to post the flyer was denied, as my company did not want to get involved with anything religious. I was a little bit dispirited but would not let that set me back.  

I then compiled a list of all the people I knew at my work place and came up with about 50 names. These are people that I might have worked with directly, met through some event, chatted with at lunchtime, met in our company’s bus rides, or who I met through other friends and colleagues. I sent them an email explaining that I was interested in starting a study circle on a book called “Reflections on the Life of the Spirit” giving a few details and attaching the flyer.  

After a few days, I received replies from 3 people. One of them said her aunt is a Bahá’í and she is interested in being part of the study circle. Two other girls said they were not religious but enjoyed speaking of spiritual matters. So I replied to them inviting them for a social evening at my home so I could tell them a little more about the study circle. One of them then asked me if she could bring along two of her friends.  

So we got together, the 5 of us, and had a lovely evening where I tried to describe how study circles work, I showed them the book and spoke a little about the Bahá’í Faith. They all agreed to start the study circle and two of them asked if they could bring some of their friends. One of our newly declared Bahá’ís also joined us and he encouraged another Bahá’í friend from a different city to join us too; which made me very happy as it’s always good to have some Bahá’í participants.  

We had our first session and we were 9 people! After a few sessions, three of the girls said that they didn’t want to continue as they didn’t feel that it was a thing for them. And then one of my other friends from work joined us and he brought one of his friends along.  

We have now reached a steady rhythm and we are 9 people again and all of them come regularly and are very dedicated; and our discussions are so wonderful! The composition is now such: we have one English, one Irish, one German, one Austrian, one Kenyan, one Russian, two Indians and myself (they are Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Bahá’í, Hindu, and Atheist). And out of all these friends, only two of them were among my initial contacts, everyone else was brought in through others. And over half of our group lives outside Portsmouth and travels 30 to 50 minutes every time to reach the study circle.  

This truly shows that when we take a small step, we are assisted by the Concourse on High! On Naw-Ruz, one of the participants of our study circle, who has been researching the Faith for a while, decided to declare! This study circle has been a wonderful experience so far and made me realize how great is the blessing of sharing the message of Bahá’u’lláh and spreading the vision of our Faith with the people around us.

Lua