The Power of Ruhi

Oh I love recounting good news!!! And this is definitely one of them.

FYI, this is a Baha'i-related account, if you are a picky reader!!:-)

What shall I caption this? How about: "Enrollments on the Rise in Cameroon"

Well, I have heard several accounts and I would like to quote my dear brother, Sahba Frooghi, who shared some of the information with me. Sahar also encouraged me to write about it.

In several of the clusters in Cameroon, particularly the priority A-level clusters, the Baha'i friends have launched Intensive Programs of Growth (IPGs) over the last few years. Until recently, results have been slow in coming. But in the last 11th and 12th cycles of expansion and consolidation, the friends have seen tremendous results. What has changed?

What has changed is the way the friends are applying the lessons and skills acquired through the Institute Process!! More specifically, the use of Direct Teaching with the aid of Anna's Presentation from Ruhi Book 6.
[For those friends who might not be familiar with what Anna's Presentation is: it is a systematic and well thought-out way of presenting the Baha'i Faith to non-Baha'is put together by the Ruhi Institute, and is contained in Ruhi Book 6].

Well, back to my story...the friends in Cameroon have been realizing incredible results using this visual aid. In the last cycle, number of enrollments - Fako: 14; Douala: 25 and Yaounde: 28. While in the current cycle, with only 1 1/2 weeks gone, Kumba and Kombone have seen 62 declarations and Fako 9.

What's more, the friends who enroll are not left to themselves but are lovingly guided and nurtured through the core activities until they themselves start taking ownership of the Cause. An example is a Bafut man who lives in Great Soppo, Buea. [Notice the man is from my tribe:-) ]. After enrolling, he soon bacame a member of the LSA, and then turned around and taught the Faith to his two Bafut friends, a husband and wife...and what do you know?...they also declared! Auntie Fariba Frooghi mentioned in an email that some people said that they had heard of the Baha'i Faith before, but that nobody had come and talked to them about it quite that way before. Isn't that amazing?

Of course, besides teaching, the friends are diligently carrying on with all the core activities. Like Dan Reimer, our Arkansas ABM had told us, core activities are only a means to an end - to a more effective way of teaching. They are important in keeping these new human resources nurtured and strenghtened in the Faith. Also, the institutions in Cameroon do everything to facilitate the process. They even invited friends from Central African Republic, which is a country with some very advanced clusters, to come and share their learning experiences with them. Wonderful.

I will tell you why I am so touched by this story. People like Sahar, Dibo, Sahba, Claudine, Gustaff, Steven, David... and all my wonderful friends with whom we taught the Faith in Cameroon back in the day will understand. Back then, when we were teenagers and youth, we taught the Faith in Cameroon. We went to villages and towns. We gave it our very best; but we were not always systematic. There wasn't always a follow-through plan for the people who became interested. But it's worth mentioning, and Sahar will have me add :-), how enriching those teaching trips were. And yes, they were lots and lots of fun, especially when I think of us English-speaking Baha'is learning to speak a few good phrases in French so that we could introduce the Faith to French-speaking non-Baha'is. The interesting part came when the questions started coming...fast! After struggling for a while and getting nowhere, we will say, "wait", while we dashed to pull over one of our friends who could speak better French to come over and help us. We learned a lot from the people we met; had some great adventures and challenges, and built real bonds amongst ourselves. OK...let me get back on track....

Now the Universal House of Justice has given us the Ruhi Institute and the steps and approaches to utilize. Like many communities, it has taken Cameroon a while to get to where it is now, and it is still growing. But the community has trusted in the guidance of the House, and is now seeing the results. It is so moving as to bring me to tears of happiness. Finally, we are beginning to get it!!!!

Post Script!! A special tribute to my mother. She was made a Cluster Institute Coordinator for her cluster in Douala and she entered full swing into her role; embracing it with all her heart as she does everything else in her life. I am so proud of her!!!