My Huqúqu’lláh study class

This photo was taken after our most recent class on Huqúqu’lláh, "the Right of God", with Dr. Allan Waters. Much like the law of Huqúq itself, rather than talking about money, we center the discussions more on love, our attitude and a world in which the extremes of poverty and wealth will be eliminated.

I never thought about it before, but Huqúqu’lláh actually IS the spiritual solution to economic problems that we always talk about! It's not just an idea that sounds nice!!

Speaking of incredible cakes

Neda made this unbelievable football cake

for her Super Bowl party.

How are she and I related?

I made a birthday cake for my friend Maryam last night--a normal, square cake-- and I couldn't even keep that from losing it's shape?!

or keep the frosting from peeling off the lop layer of the cake as I spread it on!?

My friends appreciate the effort,

but they have yet to find out they got the wrong sister :)

Neda's version of the cake

Just so I don't shame my sister and her tres leches recipe, this is what the cake looks like when a professional makes it. Neda building my birthday cake in November:)
Ruha guarding my birthday cake.

Birthday cake for Ruha (and Vafa)

On Friday, 2 Feb., I made my sister Neda's recipe for a tres leches cake for my youngest sister Ruha (happy 18th birthday, my little groundhog!), which most people thought was strange seeing as how she's not here in Haifa. So, since it was my friend and coworker Vafa Akhtar-Khavari's birthday the next day, we celebrated him with the cake, and he blew out the candle on behalf of both of them:)

Dinner was hosted by another friend and coworker Vivian Argueta and her flatmate Melody. Vivian cooked food from Paraguay and Melody made my favorite Persian dish, fessenjoon, but the sabor latina won the flavor contest for the night with the tres leches finale!!
Latinos were out in full force that night. My flatmate Katherine, left, is from Chile and Ana, right, is Mexican. Lucas was my brother from another mother! Another half-Persian born in a Latin American country:) If anyone is keeping count, we had three full Persians, four halvsies, three pura latinas and two white boys!

Katherine plays guitar and sings just like Shakira. It's uncanny. Zoha, left, sings beautifully, too, and they serenaded us. Kent (see previous post) also entertained us with Red Grammar songs, Live, Damien Rice, and others.

Before Mr. Dunbar's study class

Both of these photos were taken before Mr. Dunbar's class, which has been a fixture for youth serving at the Baha'i World Centre for more than 20 years. My Thursday night routine has been to work a little late, then visit the Shrine of the Báb, and walk down the bottom nine terraces to get to class. At that time, from 7 to 9 p.m. every night, the Shrine and terraces are bathed in light (see photo below), which has been done since the time of Shoghi Effendi, as a symbol of the days when the Báb was held in the mountain fortress of Makú, deprived of even a candle. My friend, Kent Chadwick (with the guitar above), lives in the same building where the class is held, so his flat has become a place for early-arrivals to hang out and participate in sing-alongs!

San Diego visitor

After the Black Men's Gathering teaching trip to Ghana last month, Jihmye Collins and his brothers came to the Holy Land for a three-day visit, because, as Billy Roberts said, "our mission isn't complete until we come and lay our heads down on the Threshold." The night that the men shared their stories and feelings of their experiences-- particularly about the receptivity and spirit of the Ghanaian people-- the auditorium was packed with staff members eager to inhale those breezes. We were all enchanted by the story-telling, the chanting and the laughter as they rejoiced: "mission complete"! :)

Images I won't forget

This was after the memorable reception with the Universal House of Justice. We sat in 25 chairs across from the Supreme Body, heard Mr. Paul Lample read a prayer and listened to Mr. Kiser Barnes first introduce the nine members and then speak to us about our service at the Baha'i World Centre. He said you never quite get over the bounty of being so near the Shrines.
On our Haifa walk-- when we toured the city, learned tips about transportation and shopping and other practical matters, and took the Carmelit subway for the first time-- we stopped at this baklava store. I just wanted to dive in. I had, of course, left room after my falafel. :)