Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand | Page 3

dear Shoghi Effendi wants you not to look at your own capacity,
but at the power of the Holy Ghost of God. He sends you all his loving
greeting and tender affection.
With warm wishes and Bahá'í love, I remain,
Your humble brother in His love, Azizullah S. Bahadur

(2) May 8th, 1925

Alláh-u-abhá
Dear Bahá'í Sister,
Shoghi Effendi was very pleased to receive this morning your letter of
28th April, but we were very sorry to hear you have been ill and hope
your health will soon be completely restored.[+E3] It was nice that you
saw Shoghi's sister and Soheil's brother in London.
I forget whether I gave you the address of Mr and Mrs King, c/o Messrs
Hayman and King, 202 Old Christchurch Rd. Bournemouth. They are
very kind-hearted Bahá'ís and will be delighted to see any of you if you
call. Both of them work in the business and you are most likely to see
them if you call there. They live above the shop.
I gave you Sister Challis's address at West Moors (Ferndown Lodge).
You can get there by 'bus from Bournemouth Sq. or Lansdowne, which
will drop you right at Sister Challis's door (She keeps a nursing home)
or you can go by train from West Bournemouth to West Moors station
which is within 5 minutes' walk of Ferndown Lodge. I hope you will be
able to see her.
As I write, the Greatest Holy Leaf is on a visit to the Shrine of the
Master. It is over a year, I think, since she has been able to visit the
shrine and until now she has not seen the new Gardens, in the laying
out of which Shoghi Effendi has taken such a deep interest. The
Gardens are looking lovely now and it is easy to imagine how delighted
she will be. One day during the feast of Ridván she and the Holy
Mother were able to visit Bahjí and the Garden of Ridván.
I have quite recovered from my pleurisy now and am steadily regaining
my strength.
Shoghi Effendi is still tired. I hope he will soon be able to take a rest.
All the friends here join in loving greetings and best wishes to yourself,
your son and daughter, Miss Stevenson and Effie Baker.[+E4] With
warmest greetings.

Your brother in the service of the Beloved, J. E. Esslemont
[From the Guardian:]
My dear precious sister in 'Abdu'l-Bahá:
I was so glad to hear from you directly and learn of your improved
health and meeting with the English Bahá'ís. I need not assure you of
my ardent prayers for your happiness, good health and continued
success in the service of the Cause. I hope and pray you will be enabled
by the guiding spirit of the Master not only to stimulate the interest of
your friends and relations in this Cause but to make of some of them
earnest and whole-hearted believers and supporters of the Faith.
Shoghi

(3) May 9th, 1925
Alláh-u-abhá
Dear Bahá'í Sister,
The Greatest Holy Leaf and Shoghi Effendi have asked me to answer
on their behalf your kind letters of Apr. 2nd from Port Said and April
14th from London.
We were sorry to hear that Mrs Blundell got a chill on the steamer and
was laid up for a few days after her arrival in London. We hope that by
this time she is all right again. We had a note from her from
Bournemouth.
You will be glad to hear that the Greatest Holy Leaf and the Holy
Mother were able to motor to Bahjí and Ridván one day during the
Feast of Ridván, and that yesterday the Greatest Holy Leaf motored to
the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and saw the new Gardens in which Shoghi
Effendi has been taking so much interest.

Yesterday a Dutchman arrived here from Port Said, the first Dutch
Bahá'í, so far as we know. He has been a sincere and earnest
truth-seeker for years. About 9 months ago he left his home at the
Hague and walked on foot through Belgium, France and Italy. Then he
felt some inward urge to go to Egypt, and travelled thither by a Dutch
Cargo Steamer. When the steamer arrived at Port Said Mahmood
Effendi, one of the Port Said Bahá'ís came on board and was introduced
to Mesdag (the Dutchman). They struck up a friendship at once and
after 2 days Mesdag went to live in Mahmood's house. There he met
Martha Root, Mr Schopflocher and various other Bahá'ís, read my book
and became thoroughly interested and seems now already a firm
believer. He has already, since his arrival yesterday morning, translated
our 8-page folder into Dutch and we hope he will be able to do much to
make the Cause known in Holland