Allah'u'Abha!
Dear beloved friends and family,
With hearts full of excitment and joy we write you with simple message that everybody has arrived safe and soundly and that Hearts Ablaze Belize 2001 has officially started. After a tiresome flight, and a 2 hour drive from the airport to the lodge, all 21 participants flying in from the states are settling nicely into the
warm climate of Belize. This morning with a 6:15am jog, (yes..those from last year know those jogs very well :)we are jumping quickly into the swing of things, with an intensive training week that last until the 29th of June. As promised, we will send weekly updates of how the trip is progressing, so that you too can experience this wonderful project as it unfolds. We ask for nothing save your prayers and love to ensure the success and triumph of this project. Thank you to all for allowing your children and friends to participate on this project, they are all truly gems. In His Service,
The Hearts Ablaze Task Force
Hello!
Allah'u'Abha!
Here is our second update to let all of you know of the wonderful things that we are doing within the past 4 days.
Training began Sunday, and everyday we are diligently working (both international and belizean youth) in studying Ruhi and learning to work unified as one group. Waking up at 5:30 and working hard until 10:00 at night, excitment and joy is building as training is coming to an end and the project really begins.
This message is only to relate to you all our sincere joy, happiness, and love. Please all of you take care, and please, please keep us in your prayers.
Expect another detailed email next week.
Ciao!
With joyous Baha'i greetings,
The Hearts Ablaze team
Week 3
Allah'u'Abha and warm greetings to all!
A hundred pardons for not writing the past week, but things are progressivly getting more hectic. The teams are all attacking their separate duties and are becoming successful in their endevours.
Today marked the day of registration which means that children classes will begin tomorrow, and our teaching team has grown in numbers thus the entire city of San Ignacio will be saturated with the word of Baha'u'llah! In addition to, we have received three new members: Mathai Mathenge from Los Angeles and Mrs. Revan Amadiyyih's sister from Ohio along with her daughter, who have come aboard for the remaining 3 weeks.
The past two days were filled with excitment as the group was able to enjoy two days off......(a well deserved treat!) On Monday, of course, was the Martydom of the Bab which the group attended as a whole at the local Baha'i Center in San Ignacio. After the festivities, as we all were leaving, a HUGE, torrential downpour suddenly came upon us and all the members of hearts ablaze in their best and only dress (because we had just done laundry that day so whatever was on their backs was the only pieces of clothing they had left) were literally soaked to the bone! This unexpected summer shower made for an interesting sight, but through it all the group was happy and quite refreshed, the smell of sweat no longer permeated the car, thats for sure! After the rain had passed, the group went out on the small town of Cayo and shopped it to death, all the girls (20 of them) along with our few boys (7 in total)....it was definantly fun!
The following day the group played the role as tourists and we went out to three local attractions of the San Ignacio area: canoing through an ancient mayan cave, walking through a butterfly farm and finally swimming in the Rion pools. Because our group is so huge, we divided up into two groups, the first one who would canoe while the other simultaneously was observing the butterflies. After each group had their time to appreciate the natural beauty of Belize, with either canoing through a pitch black cave inhabited by hundreds of bats and the skull remains of a mayan captive or simply enjoying the beautiful colors of butterflys as they fly around the participants and decided to land on either our hands, legs or heads, we all united once again at the Rion pools. Here the real fun began, almost immediatly the group stripped into their appropiate swim uniform: shorts and t-shirts, and dived into the cool water. While some waded in the water, others were sliding on the little waterfalls. Well actually one member, who will remain nameless, slipped onto this waterfall and fell in, but once everybody saw that she came popping back up there was no holding the group back. After an hour or so, the days came to a close and we returned back to our home for some BBQ-chicken! Once all had filled their bellies with good chicken and wonderful potatoe salad (curteousy of Kris) we all were fast to crash on our beds and fall fast asleep.
And now after a wonderful day of relaxation and fun we are back to work, where your prayers are being felt every moment, for that we thankyou.
The email address for the Hearts Ablaze youth has changed. For those who wish to write to the participants please write your emails to the following address: hearts@mayamountain.com. Of course there will be weekly correspondence from this email account, but if you wish to send an email to the members please write to the above address.
We hope all doing well and happy! Please take care and thankyou for your prayers!
In His Service,
The Hearts Ablaze team
