As he has already informed you, he approves of any surplus moneys in the Temple fund, after having purchased the site, being diverted for the use of the Pacific teaching work. He feels that your Assembly has shown remarkably good judgment in handling this entire matter.
The most important thing of all in connection with the pioneer work, is to ensure that the believers who, at such cost of sacrifice and effort, have at last succeeded in gaining entry to these far-flung and difficult territories, should remain there at all costs.
As regards the question of how to write some of the Oriental words, like Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the translations which have Latin script, he feels that at least in parenthesis a phonetical pronunciation should be included after the name when the English transliteration is used. There is no use giving people the Teachings, and not enabling them to pronounce correctly the names that have the deepest association of all with our Faith.
He urges your Body and, through you, all of the dear believers in Australia and New Zealand, and your devoted pioneers serving so far afield, to be of good heart, to persevere, and to rest assured that the Beloved will watch over and protect your labours.
He will pray for all the members of your Assembly in the holy Shrines, and for the success of your indefatigable labours.
With warm Bahá’í greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The manifold evidences of the remarkable progress, achieved in almost every field, by the Australian and New-Zealand Bahá’í Communities since the launching of the Ten-Year Plan, have truly rejoiced my heart, and served to heighten my feelings of admiration for the sterling qualities which the members of these Communities have increasingly displayed in recent years.
There is no doubt whatever—and I truly feel proud to place it on record—that the community of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh labouring for His Cause in the Antipodes now occupies, by virtue of the quality of the faith of its members, the soundness of their judgement, the clearness of their vision, the scope of their accomplishments, and their exemplary loyalty, courage and self-sacrifice, a foremost position among its sister communities in all the continents of the globe.