SUNDAY MARCH 10

Nice weather today. Always best to be layered.
Bussed to the Garden of Ridvan near Akka this morning. Not to be confused with the Garden of Ridvan in Iraq. The Baha'i Faith is busy acquiring land around this area and is in the process of beautifying the garden. These various houses in which Baha'u'llah stayed after His imprisonment were rented and years later acquired by the Baha'i Faith as historical holy places.

Baha'is believe Baha'u'llah is the return of Christ. His main mission is unity of the various religions. "I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock and one shepherd." John 10:16

Here are 3 of our group. Katie, Utah; Bayan, Australia; Bobby McGhee, Colorado.

The gardener from the 1800s wrote his memoirs. They were plagued by thick black swarms of locusts ruining the garden. The gardener went to Baha'u'llah and told him of this problem. Baha'u'llah said, "The locusts have to eat, too. " But the locusts came in such huge swarms again that the gardener again went to Baha'u'llah and begged Him to do something. So Baha'u'llah swished the bottom of His robe and said, "Please go, locusts. The gardener doesn't want you here." And they left and never returned.

Below is a Mulberry tree.

The peace and serenity in these places we've visited is palpable, entering your soul and settling there.

Above is Katherine Lee from England, along with two other ladies on the pilgrimage.

The oranges from the trees are very sweet and so juicy!

We entered the room where Baha'u'llah rested after 9 years of not seeing any nature, while still exiled.

Then we bussed to the reception center at Bahji, not too far away, and ate our sack lunches, then headed out to the House of Abdullah Pasha. This house below was rented and many people stayed there. Baha'u'llah's daughter stayed there and the remains of the Bab were hidden in her room until it was safe to move them to Haifa. Shoghi Effendi was born there. And pilgrims stayed there. In 1974, this house was acquired by the Baha'i Faith and furnished the way it had been over a century ago. 

Dinner was at Japanika again. Emily took this picture of Beth and Mike.