A traditional Thai dance by a star Baha'i performer at the Naw Ruz party.

The community of Nonthaburi celebrated the Baha’i new year with an exciting program of food, fun and fellowship on Sunday, March 22nd. The event was pushed back to Sunday (the day after Naw-Ruz) to accommodate the busy schedules of the parents in the community. In all, about 120 children, junior youth and adults gathered together at the local preschool to ring in the new year. The friends were joined by some of the Bangkok Baha’is who were there to show their support for the community of Nonthaburi. The program consisted of devotionals, traditional Thai dance, a talk about Naw Ruz, performances by the Children’s Classes and Junior Youth groups, games, a gift exchange and lunch.

The Children's Class performing a song for their parents during the program.

The children enjoying the lunch at the Naw Ruz party.

Addis Fryback addresses the children's class teachers and assistant teachers from Nonthaburi.

On March 5th, 2009, about 12 children’s class teachers and assistant teachers from Nonthaburi gathered together at the house of a local Baha’i to reflect and consult on their own children’s classes. The teachers were joined by a special guest from China, Addis Fryback, who was able to provide invaluable guidance on the purpose of moral education classes for children. Ms. Fryback is the author of the Hidden Gems Character Development program, which is used by many elementary schools in the region, including the local Baha’i-inspired preschool. She has also contributed to the making of Ruhi Book 3: Teaching Children’s Classes. Both materials are being used by the teachers in Nonthaburi. Since the meeting took place during the fasting period, the teachers said prayers together before sunset and then broke their fast with a hearty Thai meal. During the meeting, Ms. Fryback touched upon many issues, including the importance of story-telling, the teacher as a role model, and using the children’s class curriculum. Ms. Fryback also addressed each of the junior youth assistant teachers that were in attendance, praised their efforts in working with children and encouraged them to continue with their own junior youth spiritual empowerment program. It was an inspiring meeting that allowed the teachers to better visualize their key role in nurturing the spiritual qualities of children. Click here for more photos.

The participants of the gathering break their fast together at sunset.

The children's class teachers pose for a group photo.

The staff of the preschool gather together every Friday evening to study Ruhi Book 2.

The Ruhi Book 2 group that meets every Friday at the local preschool has reached the midway point of its course. The group consists of 9 staff members who enjoy spending their Friday evenings exploring, understanding and reflecting on the Baha’i writings. The pace of study is steady and the spirit of the group  is joyful and relaxed, ensuring that each participant feels free to openly share and discuss their ideas. The tutor of the group is a “mobile tutor” from neighboring Bangkok, who despite the commute and rush hour traffic, enjoys making the one hour journey to Nonthaburi to spend time with these studious souls.

A participant reads over a section of Ruhi Book 2.

A focused group of participants.

The Ruhi Book 4 participants listen attentively to their tutor.

A new Ruhi Book 4 Study Circle has opened up at the local preschool with 7 staff members of the school. The first meeting took place on Friday, February 27th. The group plans to meet every Friday evening to study for 2 hours. The tutor for the first session was a “mobile tutor” from neighboring Bangkok, who graciously offered to assist with the class. However, since then, an inspired Baha’i from Nonthaburi has volunteered to step up and take over the role as tutor. Despite little prior tutoring experience, she felt the time was right to overcome her fears and begin tutoring a group of participants whom she had already established close ties with. As it is, the group of 7 participants were longing to continue the sequence of Ruhi courses, because  it had been more than a year since they completed Book 3. They are now quite excited that the study circle is underway and many from the group consider this period of 2 hours to be the highlight of their week!

A participant reviews quotes from the early sections of Ruhi Book 4.

Friends pray together during the first devotional meeting at the house of a local Baha'i.

The community of Nonthaburi opened a new devotional gathering at the house of one of the members of the Cluster Growth Committee. The first devotional took place on Friday, February 27th in the evening. About 10 people attended the gathering, including 3 non-Baha’is. The participants were served dinner and then had the chance to socialize for a short while.  They began the devotional with a few rounds of prayers and chanting keeping in mind the friends in Iran. The host plans to have the devotional on the last Friday of every month and will invite his neighbors to the next gathering.

Prayers were said for the safety and well-being of the friends in Iran.

A Ruhi Book 1 study circle takes place with a group of parents while their children join children's classes and junior youth groups.

The new activities at the local preschool are off to a great start. In all, there are now 2 children’s classes, 2 junior youth groups and 1 study circle taking place over the weekend. All new classes have completed their first month and attendance levels are steady, especially for the children’s classes. Click here for more photos.

The new junior youth group has begun to study "Breezes of Confirmation".

The new children's class engaged in an art activity.

The new Children's Class in Sakornland has enjoyed a successful first month of classes.

The new Children’s Class in Sakornland that began last month seems to have a lot of promise for the community of Nonthaburi. The children are eager to learn every Thurday evening as they sit attentively for prayers and bring their own supplies of colored pencils and markers for the art session. The children sit on straw mats that are placed on a barren plot of land near the house of one of the teachers. One of the neighbors helps sweep the vicinity for half an hour before every class so that the children have a clean place to learn. Parents drop off and pick up their children before and after the class, while some stay back to observe the learning that takes place. They encourage their children to attend the class, which has led to a significantly high attendance rate. Click here for more photos.

One of the children shares her artwork with the rest of the class.

The setting for the Children's Class is simple yet inspiring.

Children's Class teachers and assistants gather together for their cluster-wide teacher gathering.

With a sudden increase in the number of new Children’s Classes in Nonthaburi, the friends decided the time was right to hold their first Children’s Class Teacher Gathering in which all of the teachers of the cluster could come together and consult about lesson plans, share ideas, and pose questions about their own classes. Within one month, 4 new Children’s Classes had  sprung up in Nonthaburi bringing the total number to 8 classes. Overall, 21 friends joined the meeting at the local preschool, including Children’s Class teachers, their assistants, a group of junior youth who are currently helping with the classes, and members of the Cluster Growth Committee of Nonthaburi. Passages from Ruhi Book 3 were reviewed highlighting the concepts of discipline, prayer, and teacher-child interaction. The gathering provided a unique forum for the teachers to discuss issues related to their classes while supporting and encouraging each other in their efforts to raise virtuous children. The friends felt that frequent gatherings would give the teachers the strength and purpose to conduct successful Children’s Classes. Click here for more photos.

The junior youth assistants to one of the Children's Classes in Nonthaburi review passages from Ruhi Book 3.

Consultation about the current classes in Nonthaburi.