Miracles do happen

It was 1942. My father was a fairly new Baha'i. So when Shoghi Effendi sent His pioneering plan to the Baha'is of Iran encouraging them to spread throughout the Arab countries, he did not hesitate and agreed to go to Soleimanieh in the Kurdish region of Iraq together with our family. He sold his stuff very quickly, cancelled his rental agreement, resigned from his job, got his passport, and was ready to go.

There was one problem though! His mother (our grandma) who was a devout Muslim and a widow who lived with us and cried over his son's (my Dad) having become a Baha'i had no interest in such a venture. She did not budge and had no interest in coming with us to Iraq. Dad was desperate and did not know what to do with his mom!

In desperation, he sent a cable to the Guardian: "In obedience to your instructions, I have prepared myself and my family to go pioneering to Iraq. However, my mother who is a widow and lives with us is a Muslim and does not agree to come with us. I am desperate. Please help. What should we do?"

The next day, the Guardian sent a response/cable back to my father, "Tonight, I will pray in the Shrines for your mother, Masoumeh Etemad".... That morning, grandma woke up and immediately asked to see the photo of the "Baha'i prophet; Abdu'l-Baha" that my father was hiding in his drawer for the fear from his Mom!

Upon seeing the photo, she declared, "Last night, I saw Abdu'l-Baha in my dream on the other side of river Tigris while I was standing on the opposite side of the river where there was no bridge. He told me to cross the river and have no fear. I crossed the river, and I woke up.... I am now a Baha'i and will join you on your pioneering post".

We then went pioneering to Iraq, Soleimanieh, in the company of my Dad, grandma, my mother, my sister, and myself..... So miracles do happen!

-Roger K. Doost

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