The Guardian is very anxious to know the racial background of the new Bahá’ís in these new areas. I am wondering therefore if you could let me know what the nationality is of the first new Bahá’í in Crete, as well as this second Bahá’í. The Guardian is anxious to know if either one of these two are pure Greek stock.... LETTER OF 2 AUGUST 1955 2 August 1955 Dear Bahá’í Sister: Your letters of June 11, July 16 and 22, August 30, October 12 and 17, November 2 and 17 and December 10, 1954; and January 31 and February 19, April 28 and May 21, 1955, with their various enclosures, have all been received by the beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf. As the work of the Ten-Year Crusade steadily grows, he finds it more and more difficult to correspond with the National Assemblies frequently; and indeed is wondering what will be the situation in a few years’ time, when we have so many additional National Bodies. This explains why you have not heard from him before. He was very happy to hear that the Vienna Hazíratu’l-Quds has been purchased, as this eliminates one of the important goals assigned to your Assembly under the Ten-Year Plan. He will be pleased to see photographs of the building. He feels that your action in advising the Crete pioneers to be very discreet in all respects, and your decision to correspond with them for the time being through their parents, were very wise. The friends who have gone forth to new lands cannot be too careful. Unless they can stay long enough to convert at least a small group of people, who will be firmly grounded in the Faith, and continue to work if they are forced to leave, a great deal of time and money will have been wasted, and the progress of the Plan suffer a serious setback. He will certainly pray for the pioneers there, for their protection and their guidance. They should by all means persevere and act discreetly. He was very satisfied to hear of the progress made at the Teaching Conference held in Frankfurt under the aegis of the European Hands. He feels sure that this helped to stimulate and coordinate the work. Association and consultation, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá so repeatedly emphasized, have a great effect on the friends, and enable them to see the work of the Cause as a whole, rather than as a small local enterprise in which their personalities and other people’s personalities often conflict; and challenge them to arise and go forth into new fields, in order to spread the Faith far and wide. The Guardian attaches the greatest importance to the Temple enterprise. He feels that if, for any reason, you do not win the case and get permission to build the Temple on the land you have already chosen, a new piece of land must be speedily bought. He is hoping that the case will be satisfactorily settled, and that there will be no necessity for you to look further.