5 Bahá’ís in Golden

Mike and Jeany of Golden, BC

“Hey, do you want to take a tour of our town?” Mike says.

“Sure, let’s do that. Would you mind stopping at our bus? Carol sent you a jar of her marmalade,” Frank says. He is referring to Carol from Salmon Arm.

We sit comfortably in their large vehicle; Jeany in the back with me and Frank in the front passenger seat. We meander through the town turning our heads left and right searching for the named points of interest. Mike identifies a number of historical buildings most in good condition and stops at the local grocery outlet to stalk up on a few supplies.

Back at their home, we sit at the kitchen table and enjoy a meal together. The upbeat conversation includes our collective gratitude for finding the Baha’i Faith and how it opens our heart and soul to being in the ‘here and now’ working ever so diligently to fulfill our primary purpose to know God and to love Him.

Mike and Frank recall common friends from years gone by. Jeany and I acquaint ourselves with each other and I learn how she moved from Salmon Arm to accommodate Mike’s new job with the railway. Her history of coming to the Faith flings back to the 70s and she reveals that Mike introduced her to Baha’u’llah.

A knock at the door interrupts our lively conversation.

Katherine and Glenn of Columbia, Sushwap Regional District Area A present bright open faces to us. We exchange names and handshakes. It doesn’t take long to have all four of us chatting about the benefits of the Baha’i Faith and how it adds to our personal history of belonging to another religion.

“After I told my dad that I was a Baha’i, he went quiet. I don’t think he knew what to say about it. So, every time I attended a local feast, I brought home one of the Writings and handed it to him. He accepted it without a word. Then, one day, he approached me and said ‘That sounds right.’”, she says.


Glenn, with his great laugh, shares his upbringing in Ontario.  Katherine tells us that after she talked with him about her discovery of the Faith, he came to understand it’s importance and declared. We giggle about his tale of having to meet with the Local Spiritual Assembly and answer questions about why he wanted to become a Baha’i as well as what he understood about it.

Marcella

A quiet knock at the front door brings in another believer living in the Columbia, Shuswap Regional District Area A. Her friendly face and body language blends magnificently with ours and soon we are laughing and sharing our life experiences. We are invited to visit with Marcella at her home the next day and are rewarded with a wonderful dinner and conversation about the Baha’i Faith. The next morning, we are treated to taking her lovely dog for a walk around her area and discovered some very interesting yard decorations.

The following morning, we enjoyed breakfast at a local café in Golden, walked on the famous bridge and later that day, drove on for more adventures east on fast Highway No. 1.

Blessed is the spot.

Big White in Golden

Unique planter

Rock animals