WIND OF CHANGE

EXETER'S CATHEDRAL

Here I am... back again!

Where should I start from?? Some time has passed and incredible things have happened... no, i didn't got married!! :-P

My June has been filled with sweet & nice new friends, some big AdventureS, funny moments & a lot, a lot of changes! Right now I'm in Exeter (in Devon, UK)... working for a company which provides summer classes for european students that want to learn English and organizes their leasure time with trips, artistic workshops & sport activities. I'm encharged with other two boys of the workshops and night events!! I work with other 8 people, 1 american, 1 french, 1 spanish, 1 english, 2 germans & 2 netherlanders... so we are 9 in total and very international! My team is really amazing, during the first few days of the training, wich took place in Chichester from 22nd of June till 26th, we got so connected & united that we all feel as a great family, sharing everything!! So awesome!!

But how did I come to the homeland of The Beatles, of Queen Victoria, Mary Poppins & many wonders??

I was searching 4 a job in the last 5 months and found literaly nothing (did many interviews and brought my cv to whatever I found) ... but nothing was moving!! So I took a week off everything to serve the Cause and went to Milan for activities and meet people intersted in knowing about the Baha'i Faith.... it was an INTENSE week, meeting people and talk to them directly about Baha'u'llah's Message. I had the bounty to meet very special souls and share with them some quality time talking about very deep and spiritual themes, praying together and having fun!

I met some souls I'll never forget and had the chance to come to know better some of the youth with whom was doing the activity... the time spent together serving and working makes me think of this quote:

" When any souls grow to be true believers, they will attain a spiritual relationship with one another,.... and that union of theirs, will abide forever"...

Isn't it amazing how the power of experiencing something that on one hand is very deep and spiritual, on the other hand so human and positive brings us to attain such pure joy???

I have many eyes and smiles in front of me, thinking about these new friends and have them in my prayers and heart... that I feel happyness and pain at the same time, happyness for having them in my life and pain for they are now far!

While in Milan a strange wind started to blow in my life and something moved on the job's hunt...

so, to make it short (though there would be intersting events to be mentioned about how God moves things smoothly when is His Will and we really are all in His Hands!!!) in 4 days I was contacted (thursday), interviewed(friday), sign a contract (saturday) and took my first flight to UK (sunday)!!!

I'm going to talk soon about where this wind brought me to and what came along with it...

just one hint:

GREAT-AMAZING-LOVING-SUPERSPECIAL PEOPLE... once again!! :-)

oops ... I already mentioned them ;-)

I'm really thankfull to the Blessed Beauty for such bounties!

football & new friends

I love football and though know nothing about this sacred sport have fun watching and playing it (ok i don't really play, but my attemps have won some "well done", by few boys - I believe, pretty encouraging souls!)... I'm a fan of Milan AC since I was 6 years old.... and this, just because once at school you HAVE TO decide which team is the best, and indeed, because one of my friend, who has always had my esteem, was a fan of Milan too! So, as europeans are on I enjoy wathing some match as CROATIA-AUSTRIA (well, I've actually missed it as was busy doing something else) but my sunday was dedicated to football with a bunch of balkans (as there were not only croatians), making new friends and enjoying the sunny hot day!

Had the great opportunity to meet some very nice and intersting people while kicking the ball and running up & down. Indeed, two chats were the highlight of the day (beyond winning the match)... one while on the bench, washing my feet (yes, I did play bare foot on the asphalt) and met Ervin (greek-albanian)... quite a long chat on abolishing prejudices of all tipe, on how difficult is to make friendship in a country that is not your own, about feeling roots-less and still travelling and moving to another coutry will broaden our mind, enrich our souls, give people the opportunity to learn and develop and be the most challenging and great adventure of our own life!


The second chat occured in Prato Della Valle (the biggest square in Europe... this is written in every brochure about Padova's sites to be visited) with 4 very good tunisians footballers!


Life in an other country can be hard, especially if people around you are hostile and look at you with unfriendly eyes.... I know the feeling too well! There could be different reasons to this conduct:
-tensions among the coutries you come from and the one you live now (like a war)
-mass media's pointing out several bad situations and creating a feeling of terror and hatred toward people of the coutry you come from (for internal/external political benefits)
-or simply because we are told so by our parents/friends = "social habitat" (the worst attitude, because it means we are not using our own mind, we do not see with our own eyes and listen to our own heart) and usually not so clearly... how many times a mother tells her child don't be racist, don't hurt the others and still avoids mothers that wear burqa, only because of their traditions??? How many times we have been taught hypocrisy??

I wonder if at greek-roman-german times there were such difficulties... probably yes, this "enemy/stranger/lower than me" idea is within humanity since its childhood... but how could we possibly allow it to be still alive, is for me a big question!!
The problem is that this idea is more than alive is being nurtured by the education we recieve at home, in school and through media.... if this would change, everything would!

The world as we know it would be totally different... if only we would abolish prejudices and let them not settle in our own heart!

I'll tell you soon about a wonderful experience I'm living with a multi-cultural children class... but right now will let you with this taste of a BETTER WORLD, where we are able to wellcome the new arrived with caring and loving hearts...

"They must purify their sight, and look upon mankind as the leaves, blossoms
and fruits of the tree of creation, and must always be thinking of doing good to someone, of love, consideration, affection and assistance to somebody. They must see no enemy and count no one as an ill wisher. They must consider every one on the earth as a friend; regard the stranger as an intimate, and the alien as a companion. They must not be bound by any tie, nay, rather, they should be free from every bond. In this day the one who is favored in the threshold of grandeur is the one who offers the cup of faithfulness and bestows the pearl of gift to the enemies, 216 even to the fallen oppressor, lends a helping hand, and considers every bitter foe as an affectionate friend." (Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 215)

"The object of God's teaching to man is that man may know himself in order to comprehend the greatness of God. The Word of God is for agreement and concord. We do not consider anyone a stranger, for it is said by Bahá'u'lláh 'Ye are all the rays of one sun; the fruits of one tree; and the leaves of one branch.' We desire the true brotherhood of humanity. This shall be so, and it has already begun. Praise to be God, the Helper, the Pardoner!" (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 80)

"When a man turns his face to God he finds sunshine everywhere. All men are his brothers. Let not conventionality cause you to seem cold and unsympathetic when you meet strange people from other countries. Do not look at them as though you suspected them of being evil-doers, thieves and boors. You think it necessary to be very careful, not to expose yourselves to the risk of making acquaintance with such, possibly, undesirable people.
I ask you not to think only of yourselves. Be kind to the strangers, whether come they from Turkey, Japan, Persia, Russia, China or any other country in the world.
Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are staying, ask if you may render them any service; try to make their lives a little happier.
In this way, even if, sometimes, what you at first suspected should be true, still go out of your way to be kind to them -- this kindness will help them to become better.
After all, why should any foreign people be treated as strangers?
Let those who meet you know, without your proclaiming the fact, that you are indeed a Bahá'í.
Put into practice the Teaching of Bahá'u'lláh, that of kindness to all nations. Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.
Let it be seen that you are filled with universal love. When you meet a Persian or any other stranger, speak to him as to a friend; if he seems to be lonely try to help him, give him of your willing service; if he be sad console him, if poor succour him, if oppressed rescue him, if in misery comfort him. In so doing you will manifest that not in words only, but in deed and in truth, you think of all men as your brothers.
What profit is there in agreeing that universal friendship is good, and talking of the solidarity of the human race as a grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are translated into the world of action, they are useless.
The wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive to put them into practice. If actions took the place of words, the world's misery would very soon be changed into comfort.
A man who does great good, and talks not of it, is on the way to perfection.
The man who has accomplished a small good and magnifies it in his speech is worth very little.
If I love you, I need not continually speak of my love -- you will know without any words. On the other hand if I love you not, that also will you know -- and you would not believe me, were I to tell you in a thousand words, that I loved you.
People make much profession of goodness, multiplying fine words because they wish to be thought greater and better than their fellows, seeking fame in the eyes of the world. Those who do most good use fewest words concerning their actions.
The children of God do the works without boasting, obeying His laws.
My hope for you is that you will ever avoid tyranny and oppression; that you will work without ceasing till justice reigns in every land, that you will keep your hearts pure and your hands free from unrighteousness.
This is what the near approach to God requires from you, and this is what I expect of you." (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 15)