Eleonora is a lovely dedicated 16 year old young woman from Mantova, Italy.  For the last 2 years she has involved several of her classmates in the Ruhi Books, beginning when she was 14, with 10 to 15 girls her own age in Books 1,2, etc.  She is truly an inspiration and gives selflessly with enthusiasm and dignity, of her heart and soul to all!

EBWN

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Dear Friends, 

   It is my great pleasure to share with you a blessed experience I had a few weeks ago.  Thanks to a 12 day break for all of us 4th year students at our Scientific High School, I had the opportunity to propose at my former elementary school the lessons for children from Ruhi Book 3.  The teacher I approached concerning this programme accepted with enthusiasm and asked if she could study all of Book 3 at her home.  During our encounter a beautiful heart to heart conversation developed concerning the importance of education from the Baha’i point of view and the noble potential which is latent within each child.  The teacher was very touched by the holy Passage which affirms that ‘Man is a mine riche in gems of inestimable value…..’  She was so enthusiastic abut Book 3 that she asked to do Books 1 and 2. 

   And so, this Voyage began on the 21st of November … 25 children from the second grade of my former elementary school, for 12 days had the blessed opportunity to be deeply touched with the wellspring of love from the Writings of Baha’u’llah.  We were able to present 10 complete lessons together with artistic activity, other stories of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and further Writings. 

   One of these lessons was prepared in order to present them with the quality of Friendship, which they feel is a very strong principle. 

   Twenty five precious souls recited and learned by heart the Words of Baha’u’llah. 

   At the moment of the reciting of the Writings, the classroom and atmosphere was transformed.  The children lived these moments with great solemnity and I would only love to be able to express the love which filled their eyes as they listened to the stories of ‘Abdu’l-Baha.   It took only a few days until they adopted ‘Abdu’l-Baha as their Example of Life, of Bounty, of Love, of Justice.  One day while the teacher was speaking about the quality of goodness, a 7 year old girl remarked to the whole class; “Yes, we must be like ‘Abdu’l-Baha who loved all people and also even those who were bad to Him”. 

   Every day we sang the songs from the Lessons and also during the moments of pause or during the break the children spontaneously came together to sing the words of love and of the Faith…….so very poignant! 

   During the ‘Artistic part’ of the lessons the children created cut-outs, decoupage, pictures made out of paper,……with their designs and phrases of Baha’u’llah as the very centre of their artistic works.  These they then presented to their families.  These artistic moments were a part of the lessons in which they transferred all their love and heart into a practical creation.  On the last day, as a part of their artistic moment, the children produced a colourful banner which filled three walls of the room with the words, ‘The earth is one country and mankind it’s citizens”.  It was the teacher herself who encouraged this creation!! 

   It is also important to say that every day the children spontaneously put into practice the quality that they had studied together and during the last days they seemed as transformed children……. 

   For every quality we had a discussion in order to learn the art of consultation… and the last days there was truly a river of interventions concerning the theory of the quality and on the personal experiences of using this quality in life, so much so that it was necessary to gently stop the profound conversations due to lack of time!! 

   These youthful souls truly demonstrated to possess the Wisdom of the pure and the enthusiasm of those who are near to His soul.  It seemed that they fully understood the Treasure that had arrived. 

   This experience was the real demonstration that it is truly sufficient to submit ourselves to that Heavenly realm which, with its never-ending love guides us, to ask God to permit us to serve Him and the doors open – one after another – until we realise that the blessed duty and responsibility of our little and insignificant souls is nothing more than to pass through these Portals and, with all the affection of our hearts, take this Message to whomsoever still has not opened the door of his Heart. 

Eleonora