Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand Part 14

_Your true and grateful brother, _ _ Shoghi_

(57) June 28th, 1950

The National Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.

Dear Baha'i Friends:

...As Mrs Axford requested Mrs Thomas to write about her Baha'i life there is every reason to respect her wishes. This in no way precludes the New Zealand Community from writing about her services and life and keeping this record in the National archives. The Guardian feels the Auckland a.s.sembly should be consulted, as her, (Mrs Axford's), home community, by Mrs Thomas. He hopes this In Memoriam article, about so dear and tireless a servant of the Faith, will produce a spirit of love and co-operation amongst all concerned....

The acquisition of the site for the New Zealand Summer School was a great step forward in the progress of the Faith there, and he was very pleased about it. He was also delighted to hear of the formation of the Devonport a.s.sembly, and he hopes next year there will be still more....

(Extract, ibid., p. 83)

(58) November 1st, 1950

Secretary, Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of Auckland, New Zealand

Dear Baha'i Brother,

Your letter on behalf of the a.s.sembly, (as well as your personal note) dated July 6, have been received, but due to the pressure of work piled up during the long and serious illness of Mr Maxwell the Guardian's correspondence has piled up unanswered for some time.

He is very pleased to hear the Cause is making progress in New Zealand and the friends unitedly serving, which is the most important thing of all.

He was also pleased to hear the Summer School property will be gradually developed and serve the friends and the Community at large in other ways.

He thanks you for the plan of it sent under separate cover.

He sends his loving greetings to all the members of the a.s.sembly, and also would like to wish you success with your book.

With Baha'i love, R. Rabbani

[From the Guardian:]

_May the Almighty bless, guide and sustain you, remove all obstacles from your path, and enable you to win great victories for His Faith and its G.o.d-given inst.i.tutions,_

_Your true and grateful brother, _ _ Shoghi_

(59) March 1st, 1951

National Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.

Dear Baha'i Friends:

...I would like to add that the Guardian does not consider that it is advisable for New Zealand to be separated in the near future from Australia, and come under the jurisdiction of an independent National a.s.sembly. He considers that the present arrangement is the best one until such time as there are more a.s.semblies flouris.h.i.+ng in New Zealand, and he would consider the basis for a National a.s.sembly strong enough there to support such an inst.i.tution....

(Extract, ibid., p. 91)

(60) June 16th, 1954

Secretary, National Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.

Dear Baha'i Brother:

...He was very happy to see that Mrs Dunn was able to attend the New Zealand Baha'i Summer School. For a woman of her age, this was surely a remarkable achievement, and must have been a great inspiration to the New Zealand friends, coming as she did so freshly from the last Intercontinental Teaching Conference held in New Delhi....

He attaches great importance to teaching the aboriginal Australians, and also in converting more Maoris to the Faith, and hopes that the Baha'is will devote some attention to contacting both of these minority groups....

[From the Guardian:]

_Dear and valued co-workers:_

_...The multiplication of Baha'i isolated centres, groups and local a.s.semblies, in both Australia and New Zealand--a process that has been steadily and rapidly developing since the inauguration of the Ten-Year Plan, is likewise of paramount importance in the years immediately ahead.

The development of these inst.i.tutions, particularly in New Zealand, will no doubt hasten the emergence of an independent National Spiritual a.s.sembly in that territory, and will lend a tremendous impetus to the onward march of the Faith in those regions...._

_The purchase of a building in Auckland destined to serve as the National Haziratu'l-Quds of the Baha'is of New Zealand, is yet another objective on which attention should be immediately focused--in antic.i.p.ation of the erection of yet another pillar of the future House of Justice in that remote part of the world...._

(Extract, ibid., pp. 118, 119, 121, 122)

(61) July 24, 1955

Secretary, National Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand

Dear Baha'i Brother:

...The news of the purchase of the Haziratu'l-Quds in Auckland was most welcome. The acquisition of this building is really one of the pre-requisites for the formation of the National a.s.sembly of New Zealand; he hopes that the impetus this has given to the work of the Faith there, combined with the devotion of the Baha'is will speed the formation of local a.s.semblies, which alone const.i.tute the necessary firm foundation for the National Body, a Body which will be one of the direct pillars supporting the International House of Justice. He urges, therefore, your a.s.sembly to give all the teaching help it can to New Zealand; and to encourage the believers there to do their utmost to achieve their goals....

[From the Guardian:]

_Dear and valued co-workers:_