27 June 1993: To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

Integral to the success and development of the Cause of God is the continual deployment of pioneers and traveling teachers throughout the world. During the course of the Six Year Plan more than 4,000 Bahá’ís left their homes to serve as either short-term or long-term pioneers in other lands. This is an indication of the increased mobility that the modern world provides, and of the believers' eagerness to advance the Cause wherever the need is greatest. It suggests that new methods must be adopted to make the best use of this massive flow of Bahá’ís.

We have therefore decided, in consultation with the International Teaching Center, to adopt a new pattern for the pioneer call for the Three Year Plan.

The essence of this method is that friends may arise from anywhere in the world to pioneer to any other part of the world. There are very few places where long-term and short-term pioneers and traveling teachers are not needed. But the needs vary in nature, intensity and urgency. To help each volunteer to choose his or her goal, a list of four categories has been prepared to indicate the particular needs. These four categories comprise countries and territories where:

24 June 1993: To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

Following fast upon the inspiring events of the seventh International Bahá’í Convention and the subsequent Counselors' Conference, the opening weeks of the Three Year Plan have been marked with yet another highly significant event. On the morning of Saturday 5 June, the Hands of the Cause of God ‘Alí Akbar Furútan and ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá, with all nine Counselor members of the International Teaching Center, joined the members of the Universal House of Justice in Bahjí and proceeded to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh for prayer as the initial act of the newly appointed Teaching Center. All then held a first meeting in the room used by Shoghi Effendi in the Mansion of Bahjí, recalling the many historic associations of that blessed spot.

Joint consultations continued on the afternoon of that same day in the Council Chamber of the Universal House of Justice, exploring the tasks now facing the International Teaching Center as the world advances through the climacteric years at the close of the twentieth century.

During the five years since May 1988, when far-reaching decisions were made on the functioning of the International Teaching Center and, for the first time, the number of its Counselor members was raised to nine, that institution has abundandy demonstrated its capacity and eagerness to assume the wide range of responsibilities conferred upon it.

5 March 1993: To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly loved Friends,

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas―the Book described in such exalted terms by the Guardian of the Cause of God as "that priceless treasury enshrining for all time the brightest emanations of the mind of Bahá’u’lláh, the Charter of His World Order, the chief repository of His laws, the Harbinger of His Covenant, the Pivotal Work containing some of His noblest exhortations, weightiest pronouncements, and portentous prophecies, and revealed during the full tide of His tribulations, at a time when the rulers of the earth had definitely forsaken Him"―this Most Holy Book, we have the honor to announce, will, in a copiously annotated English translation, be released to the Community of Bahá at Naw-Rúz.

Bahá’u’lláh's own designations of the Book―the "Unerring Balance," the "Straight Path," the "quickener of mankind," the "source of true felicity"―indicate its phenomenal importance, an importance which staggers the mind when viewed in light of the realization that this Book is, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, the "principal repository of that Law which the Prophet Isaiah had anticipated, and which the writer of the Apocalypse had described as the 'new heaven' and the 'new earth,' as 'the Tabernacle of God,' as the 'Holy City,' as the 'Bride,' the 'New Jerusalem coming down from God.'" Such metaphors of hope have been recited from sacred scriptures down the ages, have fired the imagination and excited the expectations of unnumbered generations, and now, at long last, in this new Dispensation, have been given tangible form by the Promised One of All Ages in this Mother Book of His Revelation.

17 December 1992: To the Bahá’ís of the World

DELIGHTED ANNOUNCE INITIATION PHASE THREE MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS.

FOLLOWING PROTRACTED NEGOTIATIONS WITH HAIFA MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES NECESSARY PERMITS FOR EXCAVATION SITE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTER AND FOR COMMENCEMENT UPPER TERRACES WERE OBTAINED IN SEPTEMBER 1992. FURTHER CONTRACTS AMOUNTING TO FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN AWARDED AND EARTHWORK ON BOTH SITES HAS BEGUN ON 9 DECEMBER 1992.

CONFIDENT FOLLOWERS BLESSED BEAUTY THROUGHOUT BAHÁ’Í WORLD WILL CONTINUE THEIR UNSTINTING SUPPORT THESE HISTORIC PROJECTS THUS ENSURING UNINTERRUPTED PROGRESS CONSTRUCTION.

ARDENTLY SUPPLICATING SACRED THRESHOLD CONFIRMATIONS SPEEDY EXECUTION MAJOR UNDERTAKING ESTABLISHMENT SEATS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FAITH ON GOD'S HOLY MOUNTAIN.

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)